Rev Hilary Howarth

On Sunday evening at our leaving service at the Triangle I shared some of the lessons I’ve learnt over the years of my ministry including “never work with animals and children”. However, I haven’t much agreed with the lesson to not work with children, because working with children has been amongst my greatest joys.

From the child in Northwich who made me a card when we left that circuit that said: “You take care, it’s a jungle out there!” to more recently, this Sunday and a little girl at communion who ate her bread and then held out her hand for more. Being with children is a joy. From the assemblies that have made me tear up – the joyful singing of the children at St Peters to the questions of the children at Devonshire Road – answering the question “how much do you earn?” is a simple one but how would you answer the child who asks “If God loved Jesus so much why did he not take him down from the cross?”

Even watching services back from the Triangle I roared with laughter to see my colleague Sarah recently tell the church that she didn’t know how a television worked and one little girl informed her “you press the red button”. I shall miss these wonderful encounters and the lessons that children pose for us. Children are a joy.

Southport is an oasis for us, as it is for many. A sleepy seaside town, a place for a day out, a place to unwind and to chill. On Monday afternoon I got home to switch on the television to see the horrible events that had happened in Southport. I imagine that each of those little girls went with great excitement on Monday morning to a class to dance to the music of Taylor Swift. I know several children, huge Taylor Swift fans, who would have loved to have attended such a class. Words can’t express the emotions that are going through our minds at the tragedy that has taken place to those young lives. The children killed, and those who have survived, but will live with this for the rest of their lives. All this seemingly carried out by a 17 year old, still legally a child himself. There are so many emotions for the children; the brave people who tried to protect and save them; the emergency services and of course, the families of the children. Our love goes out to them for we cannot imagine the horrors they are now facing.

I wanted to write a joyful “thank you” to you all for your gifts, cards and send off (and I will) but today, on my final day of active ministry, I’m thinking and praying for the children and their families in Southport. How do we protect our children? How do we keep them safe and allow them to express the joy and excitement that comes with being a child? How do we allow all our children to live innocently without seeing danger around every corner?

The politicians and authorities will have much to grapple with in the days to come but I wonder what we in the church can do?

In Mark’s Gospel people were bringing children to Jesus so that he could bless them and the disciples got cross with them. The disciples clearly didn’t think the children were worthy of Jesus’ time, not surprising when children were regarded as unimportant in their society, but Jesus was cross with the disciples for he responded “let the children come to me”. In a world where children face more pressure now than many of us adults can imagine, how do we create worshipping communities where children are encouraged to express themselves and we nurture their faith, for they have much to teach us. If Jesus said “let the children come to me” how do we in the church say “let the children come to us”?

A prayer written by Ruth Parrot:

Loving and compassionate God, Our hearts go out to those whose lives have turned upside down due to the awful attack on the children and leaders of the school holiday dance club in Southport. We pray for those who have been bereaved, for the children who have been injured and traumatised. We pray for the whole community that as they grieve they may receive your comfort and receive your healing touch. Amen.

Rev. Hilary Howarth