To Be a Child of God

David Orendorff · Romans 8:14-17 · May 27, 2007

By adoption, at least that is how Paul and Mark see it, Jesus was a child of God and by adoption we too are the children of God.  Adoption at the time of Jesus, and now if you ask any adoptive parent, meant that the adoptive adult chose this child as their own.  It is not the accident of birth of a biological child, but the full knowledge that this child, as it is, will be fully loved and accepted into the adult’s family.  And this acceptance meant being a full member of the family, with all the rights, privileges and responsibilities of a biological child.

But it also meant and means one more important thing.  A biological child is a part of the family without choice.  They are born to a particular family and will be a member of that family no matter what.  However, an adopted child does have a choice.  When an adopted child comes of age they can decide whether to be a part of this family or not.  Adolescence, when this decision is often made, can be a tough time for both the adopted child and the adoptive parents.  This difference, this choice is critical for an adopted child must accept for themselves the adoption; accept for themselves the blessing and frailties of being a child of this family.

Divine adoption makes sense to United Methodists because we believe that God gives us the opportunity to decide for ourselves whether we will be Christian or not.  God has chosen us to be His and Her children.  But we, like Jesus, must decide for ourselves if we will accept God as our parent, accept the grace offered, accept the rights, privileges and responsibilities of living a Christian life.

Before we answer yes too quickly, it might be good to remember what this choice means.  Paul and Claudette Benz sent me an e-mail "WHAT DOES LOVE MEAN?"  I will use the voices of children too illustrate what accepting the adoption of God might means.

When my grandmother got arthritis, she couldn't bend over and paint her toenails anymore. So my grandfather does it for her all the time, even when his hands got arthritis too. That's love.

--Rebecca (8)

 Compassion is the first and most important word of being a child of God.  No act of mercy is too small or to demeaning for the one who says yes to the Father.

When someone loves you, the way they say your name is different. You know that your name is safe in their mouth.

--Billy (4)

God loves us and says our names with sweetness and tenderness, whispering in our ears Her joy in us each day.  Our names, our lives, are safe in such a God.  How can we not say yes to this great cosmic heart?

Love is when a girl puts on perfume and a boy puts on shaving cologne and they go out and smell each other.

--Karl (5)

Such love as this involves all the senses.  The smell of fresh bread, the beauty of a beloved, the sound of children on Easter morn, the touch of a healing hand, the taste of deviled eggs.

Love is when you go out to eat and give somebody most of your French fries without making them give you any of theirs.

--Chrissy (6)

And of course, such compassion is a generosity of heart which not only does not begrudge shared French fries but rejoices in the opportunity and blessing of being generous.

Love is what makes you smile when you're tired.

--Terri (4)

To Terri I can only say, “Amen.”

Love is when my mommy makes coffee for my daddy and she takes a sip before giving it to him, to make sure the taste is OK.

--Danny (7)

Children of God want the best for each other and will risk their lives for the life of the other children.

Love is when you kiss all the time. Then when you get tired of kissing, you still want to be together and you talk more. My mommy and Daddy are like that. They look gross when they kiss.

--Emily (8)

To be God’s child is to want to be with God, and to be with those by whom God blesses us, even if someone thinks it is gross.

Love is what's in the room with you at Christmas if you stop opening presents and listen.

--Bobby (5)

There are moments when being a child of God is in the stillness around us, a “still” loud in its joy and wonder.

If you want to learn to love better, you should start with a friend who you hate.

--Nikka (6)

And to be a Christian child of God is to discover that the best love, the most powerful love to heal, is in the loving the friend you hate.  For every child is God’s child, every child is adopted by the Father, every child is our friend, our brother, our sister, no matter how difficult they or we make it to love.

There are two kinds of love; our love and God's love. But God makes both kinds of them.

--Jenny (4)

God’s love is everywhere, all the time.  God’s love is forgiving when we are yet far off and have only just turned our faces homeward, God’s love is healing and teaching for all who will accept it.  Our love is a reflection of this perfect love, but a reflection that is cleaned and perfected by time,maturity and grace.

Love is when you tell a guy you like his shirt, then he wears it every day.

--Noelle (7)

The lover wants to please the beloved.  God wants to please us and reaches to us with joy.  And those who accept God’s adoption discover in themselves a yearning to please God with all they are and all the might be.

ove is like a little old woman and a little old man who are still friends even after they know each other so well.

--Tommy (6)

Being the family of God, we sometimes know each other too well.  We know not only the pleasing parts we know the difficult parts of who we are and who the other can be.  Still, we are one family with one God Mother and Father. 

During my piano recital, I was on a stage and scared. I looked at all the people watching me and saw my daddy waving and smiling. He was the only one doing that. I wasn't scared more.

--Cindy (8)

Everyday is a recital.  Every day we are set before an audience and they watch us to see how we are doing.  Most of the audience prays goodness and success for us.  Some of the audience is critical and can be evil.  But in every audience is God our Father, waving and smiling, claiming us as His own, and cheering us on.  With this divine audience we cannot fear.

"My mommy loves me more than anybody. You don't see anyone else kissing me to sleep at night.

--Clare (5)

When we close our eyes, when we are apparently alone at night with ourselves, Mother God stays with us, caressing and kissing us to sleep, guiding our dreams, healing our psyche and our body.  God alone never leaves us.

Love is when mommy gives daddy the best piece of chicken.

--Elaine (5)

Love offers the bigger piece of pie, the better seat at the concert, the higher honor.  God, as Jesus teaches us, desires to serve us the best.  And as adopted children of God we serve each other and all creation with the best we have.

Love is when mommy sees daddy smelly and sweaty and still says he is handsomer than Robert Redford.

--Chris (8)

And this -

Love is when mommy sees daddy on the toilet and she doesn't think it's gross.

--Mark (6)

God knows us well, knows the dirt under our fingernails, and feels love beyond reason for us.  To be adopted by God is an unconditional acceptance of the whole of us and an offering of the whole of ourselves in love.

Love is when your puppy licks your face even after you left him alone all day.

--Mary Ann (4)

 We sometimes forget God, forget that we are the beloved adopted children.  But when we come to ourselves and return home, God is waiting for us as if we had never left, had never forgotten and welcomes us with enthusiastic joy.

I know my older sister loves me because she gives me all her old clothes and has to go out and buy new ones.

--Lauren (4)

To be God’s children is to see in all the circumstances of our lives God’s provident grace.  In illness we find gifts.  In broken relationships we discover new compassion.  In the darkest of days we see a light.  To accept God’s adoption is to turn from pessimistic cynicism to an optimistic fatalism, all things cannot help but turn out right.

I let my big sister pick on me because my Mom says she only picks on me because she loves me. So I pick on my baby sister because I love her.

--Bethany (4)

To discover God’s love in adoption is to want to pass it on.  Anyone so fully loved wants to tell their world, “I am God’s.  God has chosen me and I choose God.  And in this adoption is the source of all my joy.”

When you love somebody, your eyelashes go up and down and little stars come out of you.

--Karen (7)

I once was taking of tour of the capital building in Helena, Montana and the tour guide looked at me and said, “You are a Christian, aren’t’ you?”  I said I was and asked how she could tell.  She said, “Oh, it is easy.  Most people are two dimensional and you stand out in three dimensions.”  I didn’t tell her that Vickie and the two United Methodist pastors with us were more Christian than I and she, the guide, didn’t seem to notice.  But when our eyes and the eyes of the world are open, we know who the adopted children of God are for love pours from them.

I was once on a special task force assigned the job of saving our local hospital.  The hospital of our small community was about to fold because of resources and reputation.  The hospital was owned and managed by an order of Roman Catholic nuns.  Heading the task force was a woman of such skill, wisdom and compassion, that her very presence inspired us with confidence.  There was no doubt that here was a beloved and loving child of God.  Under her we thrived and the hospital thrived and today serves Polson, Montana with exceptional grace.

You really shouldn't say 'I love you' unless you mean it. But if you mean it, you should say it a lot. People forget.

--Jessica (8)

God means it.  It is true that we easily and quickly forget that we are the beloved adopted children of God.  So God, in a thousand ways each day, says we are loved.  The sunrise reminds us that no matter how yesterday went, we have today.  The forgiveness that is offered to us over the large and the small failure, reminds us that God’s love for us as lived in others, is unconditional and forever.  And when we have those little moments of great compassion, and we are moved and healed to being just a little more like Jesus, then we remember of what great mercy is our Father.

So adopted children of God, will you for the first time, or for the hundredth, claim God as your true Mother, as your unfailing Father, with all the rights, privileges and responsibilities the children have taught us.  I do.  And I pray you do as well.

Shalom and Amen.