Sacraments. You may or may not know what those are. For those who don't, the "Outline of the Faith" in the BCP defines it as "outward and visible signs of inward and spiritual grace"(BCP, pg. 857). There are seven big ones recognized by the church (Baptism, Eucharist, confirmation, ordination, marriage, reconciliation and unction).
So why, if those are sacraments, am I giving you a Catechism lesson? And why name a blog focused on children and youth "Living Sacraments"? Because to me, and I hope that many of you would agree, sacraments are much more than the big events that mark one's life. They are the ordinary, day-to-day activities which shape us and help us discern the "big ones". Without the basic building blocks of faith can we ever reach the Sacraments that the church lays out for us in the back of the BCP?
The goal of this blog is to let those who don't have children, whose children are grown, or for those who are just curious, know just what is going on in those classrooms on the third floor, or on pilgrimages, or downstairs at the church down under. This is meant to be from the perspective of the ones who live it- the parents, the teachers and most important from the kids.
If you've ever spent time wandering around Trinity, as I have for the last 24 years of my life, you might have noticed the scripture carved in to the stone above the doors of the church. "Mine house shall be called an house of prayer for all people." This scripture from Isaiah calls us to embrace even the most meek to come and pray among us. Godly Play is the Sunday school program we use for children at Trinity. Through this program, children learn to be a part of the church through lessons and stories. Greg and Susie Cross put their daughter in Godly Play to help her learn about the church service so she could participate. Greg told us about his daughter's experience with Godly Play:
"I asked my daughter what it was that she liked about Godly Play at Trinity. Megan, who is six, had a very interesting answer. 'They have good stories about Jesus and God, then we have playtime and then we get to go with Mom and Dad.' So I asked her what she liked about the stories, and her answer was 'I like having two stories in one day about Jesus and God – one in Sunday school and one in Church!' I sure am glad that she is enjoying learning about God and that Godly Play is a two-for-one deal!"
It just goes to show that even though it may sometimes seem that we've heard a scripture a thousand times, there's someone listening, maybe with tiny ears, who finds it new and exciting. If we all take the enthusiasm that Megan has fostered through Godly Play toward the scripture, we might learn something new and exciting ourselves.
No comments:
Post a Comment