Read Sermons & Prayers Prayers of Thanksgiving, Intercession, and Petition Shared during Sunday Worship on September 20, 2026. God of love and abounding grace, we give you thanks for the many ways you remind us that we belong to one another and to you. We give you thanks for this community of faith. For the children who fill our halls with energy and backpacks and questions, for confirmands and parents preparing for a year of growth, for teachers and volunteers who offer their time and wisdom, for families and friends who encourage one another, and Sermons & Prayers Rev. Sarah Logemann 4 hours ago 2 min read The Life Cycle of Faith: The Faith of a Teenager Luke 15:11-13; Genesis 25:21-26 Last week, we embarked upon a four-part series on the stages of faith, and we began with childhood, in which we learned that trust is the central characteristic of a childlike faith (which Jesus told us is needed to enter the kingdom of heaven). But of course, none of us remain in that phase, especially when we enter our teenage years. Perhaps you all remember your time in middle school. Your voice changes, you grow taller, and that awkwardness Sermons & Prayers Rev. Dr. Thomas Evans 4 days ago 6 min read The Life Cycle of Faith: The Faith of a Child Matthew 18:1-5 A few weeks ago, Wendy and I were having the most amazing time in Costa Rica, getting ready to go snorkeling. Along with several other couples we were in our bathing suits and life vests, anxiously listening to our guide’s instructions. We went into the water, and soon it got very stormy and scary! As we were trying to make our way toward the guide, we noticed there was a couple right on our heels--the one standing next to us during the orientation. The woman Sermons & Prayers Rev. Dr. Thomas Evans Sep 10 8 min read “Freedom” Exodus 12:1-14, Romans 3:21-26 What does the Lord require of you but to do justice and to love kindness and to walk humbly with your God? Micah 6:8b This year we have been exploring the fundamental human need of freedom. We have celebrated and examined America’s quest for freedom 250 years ago and our hope to live into our founding values, such as the equality of all people, more fully. But we have much to learn from history at 250 years though it seems long to us is mere bl Sermons & Prayers Rev. Dr. Thomas Evans Sep 3 5 min read More Than a Savior 2 Samuel 7:12–16, Matthew 16:13–23 What does the Lord require of you but to do justice and to love kindness and to walk humbly with your God? Micah 6:8b Ever since the reign of King David in 1000 B.C., Israel has yearned for a ruler like him because history has been cruel. David represented the pinnacle of Israelite sovereignty, and so a prophecy arose: there would be a king like David, who would rule an eternal throne, known as “the messiah” — no more cycle of violence, no Sermons & Prayers Rev. Dr. Thomas Evans Aug 14 6 min read America the Beautiful: May God Thy Gold Refine Psalm 33:12-22, I Timothy 2:1-4 As I began preparing this sermon I realized something—I love America! It has been my joy throughout my life to live in 13 different states! From the mountains of Idaho, to the beaches of California, the pine barrens of Arkansas, the hills of Kentucky, and this great city of New York (amongst other places), every single place, no matter how rural, how urban, or suburban, has been a fantastic place to live! This is a beautiful country. But that' Sermons & Prayers Rev. Dr. Thomas Evans Jul 2 7 min read From Fame to Glory Isaiah 6:1-10, John 17:1-11 Over 10 years ago, an eleven-year-old yodeled in a Walmart. A month later, Mason Ramsey had a record deal with Atlantic and is now worth over one million dollars. A Scottish church volunteer sang the most beautiful rendition of I Dreamed a Dream, and in 2009 Susan Boyle became a global phenomenon, now worth over $40 million. An Austrian skydiver decided to take the sport to the next level, and rather than diving from the sky, he leapt from space a Sermons & Prayers Rev. Dr. Thomas Evans Jun 18 7 min read Prayers of Thanksgiving, Intercession, and Petition Shared during Sunday Worship on June 14, 2026. God of peace and purpose, guard those in the midst of war, especially civilians, as we continue to pray and work for peace in the Middle East, hope in Haiti, and healing in the Congo from Ebola. Be with all countries in conflict and we pray that You will bring to fruition the plan of peace for Iran. Bestow Your proverb like wisdom on all leaders with the burden of authority. Give them eyes of justice, hearts of compassion, and a Sermons & Prayers Rev. Dr. Thomas Evans Jun 18 2 min read Reverse Obsolescence: Admit the Need, Accept the Gift, Embrace the Path Psalms 51:14-17, Romans 3:21-24 Planned obsolescence—a wonderful phrase that encapsulates our extreme frustration with technology. One of my great joys twenty years ago was unboxing my very first iPhone. Suddenly, I had this device that could give me directions, pay my bills, text my friends, surf the internet, go shopping at virtually any store, and, by the way, I could even make phone calls with it! But there was something strange about this phone and all the ones that fol Sermons & Prayers Rev. Dr. Thomas Evans Jun 12 6 min read 1 2 3 4 5 More Transcripts

Featured Events Women's Bible Study (Weekly) Thu, Sep 10 The Session Room More info Learn more Lectionary Bible Study for Men & Women (Weekly) Mon, Sep 14 Zoom More info Learn more Men's Bible Study (Weekly) Thu, Sep 17 The Session Room More info Learn more Fall Fling Thu, Sep 24 The Garden More info Learn more Adult Christian Education Lecture Sun, Sep 27 Third Floor Living Room More info Learn more All Youth Kick-Off Sun, Sep 27 Watson Hall More info Learn more Chapel Service Tue, Sep 29 The Chapel More info Learn more The Sebastians: Concertos! Sat, Oct 03 The Sanctuary More info Learn more Adult Christian Education Lecture Sun, Oct 04 Third Floor Living Room More info Learn more World Communion Sunday Sun, Oct 04 The Sanctuary More info Learn more Sacraments Class for 1st and 2nd Graders Sun, Oct 04 The Chapel More info Learn more "Church Mouse" Care Package Assembly Sun, Oct 04 The Living Room More info Learn more Tuesday Night Dinner Party (Weekly) Tue, Oct 06 The Brick Presbyterian Church More info Learn more Men's Association Oktoberfest Wed, Oct 07 The Garden More info Learn more Kirkin' of the Tartan Service Sun, Oct 18 The Sanctuary More info Learn more Pioneers Youth Group (Monthly) Sun, Oct 18 Carnegie Room More info Learn more New Member Reception Sun, Oct 18 The Manse More info Learn more Women’s Devotional Lunch Mon, Oct 19 Various Locations More info Learn more Load More

Welcome to Brick Church Brick Church’s history is effected by the history of our country and in knowing our past we can better understand our present and more consciously shape who God wants us to become tomorrow; to shape a future in which we are more faithful to the call of Christ to love God with all our hearts and our neighbors as ourselves. Click here to read more about our new ministry theme, America at 250: Our Founding Values, Their Scriptural Roots, and the Challenge of Living Fully into “All Are Created Equal" from Senior Minister Thomas Evans. We are a community growing in love for God, one another, and the world. Please join us! SU N DAY Sunday Worship Service 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM The Sanctuary 1140 Park Avenue New York, NY 10128 24 SEP Fall Fling 6:00 PM - 9:00 PM The Garden 62 East 92nd Street New York, NY 10128 04 OCT World Communion Sunday 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM The Sanctuary 1140 Park Avenue New York, NY 10128 Announcements Welcome Seminarian Fiona Beattie! We are delighted to welcome Fiona Beattie to Brick Church as a seminarian from Princeton Theological Seminary! Fiona brings a creative and thoughtful approach to ministry, drawing on her background in theatre and her interests in theology, ethics, and philosophy. During her time at Brick Church, Fiona will have opportunities to participate in worship, learn alongside our clergy and congregation, and explore how her gifts can help foster meaningful connection and community. We Sep 8 Introducing Seminarian Chris Randall! We are delighted to share that Brick Church member Chris Randall will be serving as a seminarian at The Brick Church. Chris has been an active part of our church community for many years, having been ordained as a Deacon in 2002 and an Elder in 2009 and serving through the Men’s Association, as an Usher, and on the Prayer Partners team. His commitment to service, leadership, and the life of the church has long been evident at Brick Church, and we are grateful to accompany Chr Sep 8 Welcome Jeremy Farley, Children’s Ministry Coordinator! We are delighted to welcome Jeremy Farley as Brick Church’s new Children’s Ministry Coordinator! Jeremy brings a lifelong love of storytelling, creativity, and faith, along with a passion for helping children discover meaningful and joyful ways to connect with God. Jeremy may already be a familiar face to many at Brick Church after playing Bert in this year’s production of Mary Poppins. We are excited to welcome him back to Brick Church in this new role and look forward to th Aug 25 Welcome Sarah Logemann, Associate Pastor for Children and Youth! We are delighted to welcome the Rev. Sarah Logemann as Brick Church’s new Associate Pastor for Children and Youth! Sarah brings a deep commitment to nurturing the faith of children and young people and to supporting families as they grow together in faith. This is also a joyful homecoming: Sarah previously served at Brick Church as a student minister while attending Princeton Theological Seminary. We are grateful to welcome her back to Brick Church in this new role and look f Aug 25 New Member Class Registration New Member Class Series #1 Sunday, September 27, 2026 | Class #1 | 9:30 - 10:30 AM Sunday, October 4, 2026 | Class #2 + Tour | 9:30 - 10:30 AM Sunday, October 18, 2026 | Class #3 + Introduction | 9:30 - 12:30 PM New Member Class Series #2 Sunday, February 7, 2027 | Class #1 | 9:30 - 10:30 AM Sunday, February 21, 2027 | Class #2 + Tour | 9:30 - 10:30 AM Sunday, February 28, 2027 | Class #3 + Introduction | 9:30 - 12:30 PM New Member Class Series #3 Sunday, April 25, 2027 Aug 17 Register for Middle & High School Youth Groups! We are looking forward to great program year of activities for our tween and teen age congregants! Pioneers is our youth group for 5th-7th grade. Students 9th grade and up participate in High School Youth Group. 8th grade students often participate in Confirmation and are always welcome at All Youth events. Aug 17 Register for the Order of St. Paul! Calling all seventh - twelfth graders! Members of The Order of St. Paul assist in the worship service each Sunday, carrying the cross (we call the crucifer) in the Procession, serving as flag-bearers, and serving as candle attendants, as well as assisting the pastors at special services during Lent. If you are a seventh grader or older and interested in worship leadership, The Order of St. Paul is for you! Community service credit is available at program-year end based on ser Aug 17 Register for 8th Grade Confirmation! Confirmation is a year-long opportunity for students (typically 8th Graders) to spend time with their peers, discuss the Christian faith, and get more involved in the Brick Church community. At the end of the year, students may choose to join The Brick Church as an active member. Confirmation Class meets Sundays at 9:00 AM in the Carnegie Room (3rd Floor). We ask parents to join us on Sunday, September 20 at 9:00 AM for that first day of class while we go over the calendar, l Aug 17 Register for Sunday Church School + Childcare! The Brick Church Children's Ministry offers engaging Sunday programming designed for children from ages 2 through 7th grade. Our dedicated and enthusiastic volunteer staff will guide your children through inspiring Bible stories, nurturing their spiritual curiosity along the way. Our inclusive programs feature a variety of activities, including family meals and worship, Sacraments Class, Advent Crafts, the joyous Christmas Pageant, as well as special services on Christmas Eve Aug 17 1 2 3 4 5 Brick Links Login Watch Calendar Join Give We can't wait to greet you! 1/7 Learn More

Shared during Sunday Worship on September 20, 2026. God of love and abounding grace, we give you thanks for the many ways you remind us that we belong to one another and to you. We give you thanks for this community of faith. For the children who fill our halls with energy and backpacks and questions, for confirmands and parents preparing for a year of growth, for teachers and volunteers who offer their time and wisdom, for families and friends who encourage one another, and for all who make this church a place where people can learn, grow, worship, and find their way home. Thank you for the gift of new beginnings. In a time when many are in the midst of transition, give us patience for what is difficult and joy in the moments of discovery. May we all know that our worth is not measured by achievement, but by the love with which you have created us. God of peace, we pray for a world where so many are longing for home, safety, and the possibility of a future. Hold close those whose lives have been disrupted by war, violence, displacement, hunger, and poverty. We pray for people caught in conflicts we hear about every day and for those whose suffering receives little attention. Give wisdom to those who carry the burden of leadership, and turn human hearts toward the work of peace, justice, and reconciliation. We pray also for those who have wandered far from what once gave them life. For those estranged from family or community, those burdened by shame or regret, those searching for a place to belong, and those who do not yet believe there is a way home. Make us a people who leave the door open, who resist judgment, who practice forgiveness, and who welcome one another with the extravagant love you have shown us. And, gracious God, we bring before you the concerns closest to our own hearts: those who are sick, those who are grieving, those facing uncertainty or financial hardship, those beginning something new, and those carrying burdens known only to you. God of love, teach us to trust your abundant grace. Meet us on whatever road we are on, and be within us as we welcome others home. We offer these prayers in the name of Jesus Christ, who shows us the depth of your love and calls us to share it with one another. Amen.

Luke 15:11-13; Genesis 25:21-26 Last week, we embarked upon a four-part series on the stages of faith, and we began with childhood, in which we learned that trust is the central characteristic of a childlike faith (which Jesus told us is needed to enter the kingdom of heaven). But of course, none of us remain in that phase, especially when we enter our teenage years. Perhaps you all remember your time in middle school. Your voice changes, you grow taller, and that awkwardness goes much deeper than the acne. You try on different personalities in the same way you try on different clothes. It's a time in which we become our own person, which requires a certain amount of experimentation and, because of that, inevitable stumbles. Scripture is filled with such instances. Moses killed; Joseph strutted; Jacob stole; Sarah doubted; and Peter ran. Jesus shared a parable that exemplified this awkward time of life: the parable of the prodigal son. It's an unease with your own existence which creates an allure to venture into the far-off country — that other school, that other job, those other friends who we all believe will be more fun and more free. Jesus meant it to describe our willful desire for a life without God's rule. The prototypical example of this in Scripture is Jacob. Known as the trickster, he cons Esau out of his birthright and later dresses himself like Esau to fool his blind father into giving him the blessing that belonged to Esau. Esau will not take this younger brat's shenanigans lying down. So Jacob winds up fleeing for his life. And when he is in the wilderness, using a rock for a pillow, God comes to him in a dream. And rather than a stern scolding, Jacob receives a promise. The land on which he rests his head will belong to him and his descendants, and they will be as numerous as the dust of the earth. Inexplicably, God prefers Jacob to Esau. There is one reason I can see: it has to do with the life of my father. Robert Maxwell Evans did the stages of faith in reverse. When he was a young man, he lived a responsible life. He was a clean-shaven, all-American, preppy type, who, upon graduating from Stanford magna cum laude, enrolled in seminary rather than playing professional ball. Upon completing his Master of Divinity, he answered the call to the mission field in the jungles of Brazil — a very adult-focused, responsible set of decisions. As with Jacob, and as with the prodigal son, the far-off country changed him — radically, and all you need to do is look at the photos: when he left for Brazil, his outfits were suits and ties and a crew cut. Over a decade later, when he returned in the 1970s to be a professor at Union Seminary, he wore cut-off jeans, tank tops, sunglasses, and a full beard. Police did not like the look of his van, especially when he drove into "proper" towns like Princeton. And so, not a few times, my teetotaling, drug-free father wound up in jail for 24 hours. There is something powerful about this phase of life: the faith of a teenager has gumption! Gumption to stand up to autocracy, banality, superficiality, triviality, venality, and brutality! But it would be a long time before Jacob's temerity could be used for God's purpose. God was going to find a way to break Jacob's cycle of selfishness. Perhaps this is why God wanted Jacob to flee his homeland: twenty years with his uncle Laban would cure him. Jacob fell in love with one of Laban's daughters, who required him to work seven years to gain her hand, only to trick him at the end and give him a different daughter, making him work another seven years… Eventually Jacob truly fell in love. …And then God commands him to return to the land of his father. This meant facing the wrath of his brother Esau. Only now, Jacob had much to lose. Paralyzed by fear that Esau would slaughter not only him but his entire family, he comes to the river of Jabbok, and in the dead of night, he sends his wives, his eleven sons, and all of his possessions to cross the river. He intentionally stays behind alone, exhausted and vulnerable, and finally at rock bottom, stripped of all of his schemes. In this moment of utter exhaustion and complete isolation, he is ready to meet God face to face. And he prays, perhaps his first heartfelt prayer of his life: I am unworthy of all the kindness and faithfulness you have shown your servant. … Save me, I pray, from the hand of my brother Esau. In the deep of night, he finds himself wrestling with a mysterious figure. We're not sure if it's a demon of his own making — a realization that his life of tricks and deception has put those he loves in real danger. And here is where we discover Jacob's unique character is not only about deception, but about tenacity — a desire to have the best possible life. And so, in the middle of the night, in this wrestling match, this shadowy figure — who cannot overpower Jacob — uses a special wrestling move that dislocates Jacob's hip. But he still does not relent. Dawn is approaching, and he still has a powerful grip on this being. And so Jacob makes one more deal: I will not let you go unless you bless me. And in that moment, Jacob is given a new name: Israel — because he struggled with God and with humans, and has overcome. He calls the place Peniel, because he saw God face to face, and yet his life was spared. Once again, God has been generous and gracious, far beyond what Jacob could have deserved. Brazil radically changed my father, because it was there that he clearly saw this incredible divide that was true in the society of Brazil, and just as true in the churches. The poor and the uneducated were sometimes treated as disposable members of society — treated as if they were children. And when he returned from the far-off country of Brazil and came back to the States, like Jacob he came back with children and a wife and open eyes. And he saw that though he trusted his family would be well fed and safe, he knew that so many were not so fortunate, and so he made a deliberate decision. He made his life simple, because it was important to him to reflect the life of Jesus, in a way that showed respect and solidarity as Jesus showed for the poor, the dispossessed, the forgotten, and the unseen. And so we spent the summers with our father working at a soup kitchen and day camp in downtown Trenton, building adobe houses, and fighting for water rights in rural Colorado. Jacob has finally moved past his impetuous, self-centered life, because he has been humbled — not only by God's grace, but by the fact that God would still use him for good and for glory. When he finally sees Esau off in the distance, he bows down to the ground seven times as he's approaching his brother. He has found humility, and he knows that what he deserves is his brother's wrath. But the twenty years have changed Esau as well. And rather than strike him down, Esau runs and throws his arms around his neck and kisses him. And they both weep. God can use the doubt. God can use the temper. God can use the frustration. God can use the exasperation. Because, as adults, we are sometimes so exasperated that we give up too soon. A few years ago, the deacons were debating whether or not to let the meal ministry for homeless folks dissolve. It was hard to get volunteers. But it was a teenager who stood up and challenged them. She wasn't willing to let such an important ministry to the poor slip through our fingers. She knew that she — and that Brick Church — had so much to give, and wasn't going to let inconvenience stop us from doing what is right. That is why, I believe, God wanted Jacob — not the polished version of himself, but the wrestler. God knew that underneath the schemes and the stolen blessings was a man who would not let go. And God was patient enough to let the far country do its slow work, turning Jacob's grasping into grip, his selfishness into surrender, so that the very stubbornness that once stole a birthright could one day contend with heaven and hold on until morning. That is the gift of teenage faith. It does not sit quietly at the back of the room while an important ministry quietly dissolves. It does not let banality or superficiality or inequality or venality pass by unchallenged because everyone else has made their peace with it. It wrestles. It says, "I will not let you go unless you bless me" — and it says this not only to God, but to every closed door, every comfortable excuse this church or this world has settled for. Some of you are in that far country right now, covered in dust, carrying a limp you didn't ask for, wondering whether the wrestling was worth it. Hear this: it was. Jacob walked away from the Jabbok broken and blessed in the same breath, and by morning, the brother he feared most ran to embrace him. God is not looking for your compliance. God is looking for your grip. So hold on — don't let go until you are blessed. Amen

Matthew 18:1-5 A few weeks ago, Wendy and I were having the most amazing time in Costa Rica, getting ready to go snorkeling. Along with several other couples we were in our bathing suits and life vests, anxiously listening to our guide’s instructions. We went into the water, and soon it got very stormy and scary! As we were trying to make our way toward the guide, we noticed there was a couple right on our heels--the one standing next to us during the orientation. The woman told Wendy, "Oh yes, we're following you." We thought: okay, they're following us because we're the cool people. Then she said, "Your husband reminds me of my father. They have the same bathing suit." Though I knew it in my bones, clearly we were not the young, cool couple in this group. And it made me consider how we are “maturing”, as we enter into our next phase of life. There are clearly physical elements to this. But there is another aspect I want to bring to you this morning, and in the next few weeks: how our faith changes as we move through the stages of life. We begin with a childlike faith, in which the stories of the Bible — wise men from the East, a ladder to heaven, armies of angels, the parting of the Red Sea — are so powerfully real to us. Our imaginations are absolutely captured. Then we become teenagers. We push back on what our parents told us, and we ask the obvious questions: How was the earth created in six days, if there was no such thing as a day before the earth was made? How could an infinite God become a finite man? Of course, there are no easy answers to these questions. And so, along with our generally obstreperous nature as teenagers, we enter a similar phase in our faith. Then, at some point — hopefully sooner rather than later (men are slower than women in this regard!) — we become responsible. We have careers, maybe children, and our faith reflects that same responsibility. We realize that for the church to work, we have to do some of the work: serve on a committee, give to the cause. Our faith takes on a practical edge. We want it to help us become better people, to do better in our careers, to rear our children more effectively — and we want our church to make a difference in the world, to make it a better place. And then, at some point — and I think this is where my own faith is taking me now — we return to that childlike wonder, that childlike joy. But this time we don't do so naively. We do so with a deepened respect for the questions that are real, and a deeper realization that the power of faith, the power of hope, the power of beauty, is even more immense than we ever dreamed it could be when we were a child. Over these next several weeks we're going to look at these phases of faith — the faith of a child, the faith of a teenager, the faith of an adult, and the faith of an elder. Hopefully through this journey you can better understand where your faith is now and perhaps you can move forward. Today we begin our series with the faith of a child. Jesus tells us a childlike faith is mandatory for knowing what the kingdom of heaven is truly like. The disciples are trying to determine from Jesus what will make their lives as important as they could possibly be — what they can do to be great, explicitly, great in the kingdom of heaven. Jesus' answer confounds traditional wisdom. "Unless you become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven." Imagine Elon Musk telling his chief lieutenants or the President of the United States that to be great in this world, you must become like a little child. It just would not happen. To be understand Jesus admonition we will examine the characteristics of this faith. a childlike faith is filled with trust Children have several critical traits that dissolve as we age— and preeminent among them is trust. The child trusts the parent and so feels invincible. I remember when Liz and Matthew were little, and I was holding them — they would literally try to dive headfirst out of my hands, with such gusto and enthusiasm that I had to hold on tightly to keep them from breaking their heads open on the pavement. But they so trusted the safety and security of mom and dad that it wasn't even in their worldview that they could be hurt…as long as they were in their parents' arms. So yes, young children struggle, and they fight back, they argue — but ultimately, they trust. The faith of a child is the faith of one who believes that God has the power to do all that God says. And trust leads to the next trait. A childlike faith has a willing spirit Children will try most anything! When our daughter Liz was in second grade, she wrote a poem called "The Perfect Church": A church can only be perfect with God. God is peace, glory, and strength. He is the Holy Spirit. He is God. Singing, dancing, praising God. He loves you and all you do. A church is a family. And if you are looking for a church to be a family with, North Church is the place for you. She wrote this when I was a pastor in Buffalo at North Church and she truly did sing and dance and praise God at that church with the enthusiasm only a child can muster. It is the same type of endearing love that I see from your children. They run through the halls as if they own the place. They come down to the children's sermon with eager eyes and expectations. They stand up in front of the church in their robes and sing — eager, even hungry, to be a part of this worship. Now think about your own singing for a moment, and how it might compare to theirs. I imagine your self-consciousness gets in the way of pure praise. So if you want the faith of a child don't pull back your worship. Don't hold back your singing. Sing as if you believe God is actually listening, as if God actually cares whether you sing not. And don’t hold back your prayers either. A child not only voices their joy but their frustrations with equal fervor! Like “Why is this sermon so long mom! Why are we having broccoli for the third time this week!” Be blunt “God why haven’t you fixed the middle east!” “God why do you allow that flood in Nepal.” “God why don’t you help us more.” A child like faith is authentic and transparent. A childlike faith is about receiving not achieving The disciples wanted to know what they had to do to be the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. In Mark, Jesus tells them it's not about achieving, but receiving: "Whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall never enter it." Later in Matthew, Jesus offers a prayer in which he discloses that folks like you and me are at a disadvantage. Jesus does tell us we are wise and understanding — but he goes on to say, "You have hidden these things from the wise and understanding, and revealed them to little children." We can ask questions of insight and wisdom: Did God actually part the Red Sea? How old is the earth? Did God create the world in the manner Genesis describes? These are questions of real intellectual curiosity, and they do have an impact on the nature of our faith. But they are also distractions, because the answers do not tell us what we think they do. Renowned chaplain of Harvard Peter Gomes once said “I don’t do explanations I want it not to make sense! This is not anti-intellectualism but it is an acknowledgment of the nature of God ultimately surpasses our capacity to understand. God is infinite and we are finite just as no human being could ever possibly grasp the vast scale of the universe so too even more we could never possibly grasp the vast grandeur of God. A child does not confuse facts with truth. The child doesn't understand the facts, but knows the truth. The adult knows the facts, but misses the truth. And Jesus tells us it's not the facts, but the truth, that will set you free. A childlike faith remains open Though a childlike faith is essential it is not a rule God has invoked. There is no guardian at the gate of the kingdom who says, "No, you can't go in here." Remember, Jesus told us the kingdom of heaven is right here, right at our fingertips — we don't have to go looking for it. But as long as we let cynicism and doubt dominate our worldview, we will never see it. That child, though — they're right in that kingdom already. They can still experience the miracle and joy and thrill of this world! It happens when the ice cream truck rings that bell as it drives through the neighborhood It happens when you wake up on Christmas morning and believe that Santa has arrived It happens when you go to Disneyland and see that Snow White and the Lion King are walking around! As adults our tastes have changed but they are no less miraculous perhaps even more so because they’re 100% real. The kingdom of God is looking in your neighbor’s eyes and seeing the divine beauty of their soul. The kingdom of heaven is being able to listen to a piece of music and hear more than the notes — to hear the spirit that is singing them, to feel the complexity of the composer who put those notes together. The kingdom of heaven is being able to stop whatever you're doing, wherever you are —getting ready for bed, walking down Fifth Avenue, taking out the garbage — and to be awake while you're doing it. To see beyond the flat reality into the beauty of existence. It is to be able to say: wow — I live in an era of human history unlike any other. We've put people on the moon. We've gone to the bottom of the ocean. We've divided atoms. We can put our eye to a telescope and literally, factually, see a billion years into the past. We live in an era with airplanes, so we can see the Egyptian pyramids, which are five thousand years old. We can climb the Matterhorn and ski down it. We can float on the Snake River. We can visit Angkor Wat in Cambodia and walk on the Great Wall of China. Never in all of human history could so many people see so many parts of this planet. A childlike faith is one that never takes this for granted — that sees this incredible world, and these incredible people, through eyes of wonder, of mystery, of excitement. It is time of reflection like these that I realize being a pastor is an incredible privilege. I get to walk with families in their hardest moments, and I get to be with them in many of their most joyous ones as well. I get to pray and preach and cook and visit, and I have to pinch myself to realize that I get to do this, in New York City, at Brick Church, and with you all. A childlike faith always wants more The Bible tells us to hunger for this. First Peter tells us: like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual milk. That pure spiritual milk is not a rare treat — it's available to any one of us, at any time. So perhaps it's fitting that it took a stranger in Costa Rica, to wake me up, to remind me of what my soul already knew: that growing up, in every sense God intends, is not about leaving childhood behind. It's about carrying its trust forward, deepened, into every stage that follows. Wendy and I may not be the cool young couple in the group anymore. But that's alright — because Jesus isn't asking us to be cool. He's asking us to be small enough, and trusting enough, and awake enough, to receive a kingdom we could never earn. Amen.