I took one long post about working through Song of Songs for kids and divided it into 5 short ones. I've been sitting on it trying to decide whether or not to post. It does perhaps capture one dilemna if you want to include kids in worship every Sunday. Appropriateness of the message for children.
Since Quest and Capax Dei became Artisan Church we've tried to "translate" (for lack of a better word) the text or theme of the adult message into something for kids. As our pastors are pursuing Song of Songs as text for adults during this traditional pre Valentines Day season, the kids will stay in service most Sundays but have a separate time of their own on two of the Sundays.
One of the primary goals at Artisan and for this particular series is to "engage culture." We're engaging, or perhaps challenging, a western culture that embraces the message that love is synonomous with sex - a culture full of sexual/sensual imagery. We are challenging a sensual western culture with God's take on this as expressed through Song of Songs. Many (maybe most) of our congregation are young marrieds and college students in that transitional time when relationships take on new, and potentially permanent, dimensions. (You wouldn't believe what a series like "Sex, Love & God" has done for church attendance, LOL!! Not families with children, however.)
Song of Songs, "the greatest of songs", is included as a part of God's Word. God created us - every facet of our being. He created men and women to marry and enjoy one another. This conflict, this engaging of cultures is significant. It permeates the culture around us from TV to fashion, even children's fashion, but how do we translate this for children?
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