Dear Saints,
Our October series has focused on the theme “For All the Saints: Past, Present, and Future”. The image features Henry, one of the children in our congregation, holding the communion bread for Pat Campbell, a beloved member of our church who died a few years ago. Henry and his mother graciously gave permission for the image to be used. All in all, this has been a deeply personal series for our congregation.
Imagine my surprise (and delight) when Dianne received an email from a congregation across the country asking whether they could use our series and image for their own All Saints celebration. I explained that the series and images had been created especially for our congregation. I did, however, invite them to use our template and share their own stories and witness.
This coming Sunday, we conclude the series with Children’s Sabbath. Our children will lead us in worship. For our congregation, children are not simply “the church of tomorrow”; they are the church of TODAY. They are the visionary messengers of God’s love in our world.
Seems to me we are living in a desperate time when we need to make room for the voices of children. I don’t know about you, but lately, I have felt overwhelmed by a world in which children face real threats to their safety, well-being, and freedom to be fully themselves. Digital platforms seem to draw children into narrow echo chambers that amplify negativity. We are no longer surprised when schools, which should be safe places of learning and growing, are touched by gun violence. And for me, there is a troubling silence even after files concerning the exploitation of children by people with wealth and power were exposed.
Sunday is a gift to the congregation. In my conversations with Pat Parker, chair of the Children’s Council, we have often reflected on the importance of taking children seriously as participants in worship. Children are not there to be observed or to entertain us. Their offerings on Sunday mornings are not performances to be dismissed as merely “cute.” In worship, children gift us with their insights. As Pat puts it, “Children have deep spiritual thoughts.”
I am looking forward to the children leading us in worship this Sunday as we journey to the heart of God and are healed for the sake of the world. The children have chosen the music they will offer, and, may our hearts be ready to receive all of it.
With love, Grace
