SOUL WORK WITH CHILDREN [T, 12-17-24]

BEYOND WINTER: Irrelevant Memories of An Old Preacher—SOUL WORK WITH CHILDREN [T, 12-17-24]

At coffee time of my first Sunday as pastor at the Arcola, IL UMC, a four-year-old walked up to me, announced, “I’m Wobbiebigs,” and held out his arms. I grasped his wrists. He started to run around me. I got the idea and twirled him in a circle. He smiled and went on his way. That happened every Sunday until his legs got too long and my arms got too short. I learned that my predecessor, Glen Bocox, had started that ritual with him. Wobbiebigs assumed that was part of the job of the preacher, whoever had that position at the time.

 

At the all-church birthday party, when we sat at the table of our birth month, regardless of age or family, four-year-old Wobbiebigs and 84-year-old Art Harry would carry on long and involved conversations that the rest of us at the table did not understand. It was fascinating to watch the two of them listen so intently to each other.

I doubt that Dr. Robert Biggs. M.D. remembers Glen Bocox or Art Harry. He remembers me a little, because he was 12 when I retired. I suspect, however, that even if he does not remember how he was treated by Glen or Art or me, his soul remembers how he was treated in that church. He could expect to get a twirl from the preacher just by holding out his arms, he could expect that an old curmudgeon would pay attention to him when he talked. That’s good soul work with a child.

 

I have long felt that the main reason that old people exist is for doing soul work with children.

Well, not just old people, but all Christians and churches.

I remember once at a continuing ed conference for preachers--when there were not many women pastors yet, and clergy women felt like that had to justify their calling--a young woman said that it was good to have women in the ministry because they were more sensitive to children. “I know the names of all the children in my church,” she announced proudly.

I was stunned. I knew the names of all the children in my church, and my church had five times more kids than hers did. It never occurred to me that any pastor, male or female, would not know the names of all the children. That was only the start of doing soul work with them, but it was a necessary start.

Most churches don’t have many children anymore. There are more kids in Sunday morning traveling bowling leagues than there are in church. You don’t get much soul work done in a bowling alley.

Basically, nobody in society is doing soul work with children. And it shows.

Yes, food pantries do stomach work, and teachers do brain work, but someone needs to do soul work with kids.

So, when that kid comes to visit you in Shady Pines, as part of the Gerontology class in the Home Ec Department [1], remember they there are there so that you can do soul work with them. First, ask their name…

 

John Robert McFarland

1] I refuse to call Home Economics by its new name of Domestic & Consumer Sciences. Not everything has to be a science, nor be “run like a business.” You don’t do soul work that way.