The Season of Pentecost

   The season of Pentecost is the celebration of the beginning of the church as a body. In the second chapter of Acts they spoke in many different languages to further the kingdom of God. A very simple lesson for the church of today and for our children is that there are many ways to teach of the love of Christ and many ways to hear the love of Christ.

   Within any group there are a diverse set of talents. Anyone who believes that their talent is superior is sorely mistaken. Some teach through words, some through service and all through the way we live our lives. We must teach our children that all talents are valuable within the church and life, that the church is not an institution of religion, but the people who come together for the glory of God. Too often we underestimate the need for compassion in favor of the more showy gifts.

    Each child will have a unique offering to God and to the church. Some can speak publicly; some can sing; some are never in front of a crowd but serve with gracious compassion, some with gentle courteousness. Church is not a scheduled performance with the big acts getting more prominence. It is  about building a family of God person by person, reaching each person and each child with the language that best suits them. Listen to the many voices, watch the many servants and admire the lives of those who model Christ. Share all of this with your children lest they be distracted by the showy parts. Day in and day out encourage your children to see, while reminding yourself,  that each one of us is an instrument of the Holy Spirit as along as we make ourselves available to move forward for Christ.

Have an enriching Pentecost,
Michelle
 
 

Easter

   The Easter egg hunt and children's party will begin in two hours. I have been here at the park since 6 a.m. to reserve the pavilions and tables. Claire and I arrived at the park in the darkness of early morning. We shuttled the first few loads of eggs, candy, balls and jump ropes to the tables in the dark. Within a few minutes there was a hint of light on the fog covering the soccer fields. When we turned around from filling the last few eggs with candy, the sky was streaked with pink and silver. Then, suddenly, it was daylight. The darkness seemed complete when we arrived and then it was gone and the day was completely here.

   Easter comes to me this way as well. The somberness of Lent goes on and on. There is a hint of Easter at Palm Sunday, but there is a long week of obligations ahead. Then I am startled to find that Easter is here with the glory of a resurrected savior and the hope of new beginnings.

   All of life changes just as fast as the church season and the breaking dawn. No day is just like the one before.  The child who was a little afraid of going into the trees to hunt for the eggs several years ago, sits beside me in the first light this morning, a young woman who was up without complaint, in the five a.m. hour, dressed and loading the van to help. It is futile to grasp at the way things have always been done, even if that "always" was just last year or last month or last week. We can't stop the daylight from spreading across the sky. We can't stop the children from growing. We can't stop the movement of the Holy Spirit. We shouldn't try. The Lord knows what is best for us. We have to listen to his voice and move along that path. There is no standing still. Easter is about change and it is this change we should embrace.

Happy Easter Season,

Michelle