Last Sunday, the first of 2014, our pastor established a new tradition. For many years the kids in our congregation have been treated to their own child-appropriate sermon as part of the morning service. Afterwards they’ve headed for their Sunday school program while the rest of us have listened to the adult sermon.

The children’s sermons have been delivered by a variety of volunteers in past years, but our new pastor has decided to take them on himself. So last Sunday he launched a creative new way to deliver each sermon to our small fry. He’s calling it, “Pastor on the Hot Seat.”

Pastor Jay introduced a canvas bag into which a mystery item had been placed (the first week, by his own daughters). He explained that each Sunday he’ll pull out the item inside and structure a children’s sermon around it on the spot, connecting it to the adult sermon if possible. Afterwards, he’ll hand the bag to one of the other children and ask them to bring it back the following Sunday with another surprise item inside for the next sermon.

I love his idea and the bravery behind it, even though he might occasionally pull something from the bag and go blank. But of course that, too, could develop into an effective sermon:

• Blank sin-slate after forgiveness?
• Blanking out on problem-solving and needing God’s advice?
• Giving God a blank check to tell us how much to donate?

Regardless of what’s in the bag each week, Pastor Jay will probably come up with something to say, and I’m sure in his early morning Sunday preparations, he’ll ask the Lord to supply it. God will know what’s in the bag ahead of time and will have the children’s sermon all prepared for the pastor by the time he sits on the hot seat (the platform floor) in front of our youngsters.

Amazingly, the rest of us can take advantage of that same remarkable characteristic of God, since we sometimes find ourselves on hot seats of our own. Every day is like a bag with surprises in it. Maybe a dozen of them. And God sees them long before we do. He knows the best way to respond to each one and will order our thoughts to “create the proper storyline” around them. He’ll also supply whatever resources we need. All we have to do is ask him.

I have a hunch our whole congregation will be eager for the children’s sermon each Sunday, not necessarily to watch our “Pastor on the Hot Seat” but to see: (1) what a child has put in the bag, and (2) what God has put in our pastor’s head.

And if Sunday’s first “surprise sermon” was any indication, this new tradition will be satisfying for all ages alike.

“Wisdom shouts…. come and listen to my counsel. I’ll share my heart with you and make you wise.” (Proverbs 1:23)