Breaking Bread

I put a loaf of bread in my box today. It wasn't a whole loaf and it wasn't particularly good bread, but the standard whole wheat slices many of us buy to be used simply for our children's lunches. So many of our stories about Jesus take place when he is sharing a meal with others. His first miracle was at a wedding making sure the host wasn't embarrassed when he ran out of wine. Jesus would sit down and eat with anyone, for which he was criticized by the leadership of his day. And his most lasting teaching to us came in the form of breaking bread and sharing it with his closest friends and disciples. What are we teaching our children when we sit down to eat with them? With whom are we sharing our meals?

I hope that as Easter approaches and we gather around the table with family and friends we remember to open our hearts to recieve the love Christ has for us, a love that we are called to share with others, especially those with no friends, no table, no bread.

Sarai

Today Gracie Buxton was our chapel leader. We spent time this week in my office and she looked around at all the things she might put into my star covered chapel box. Finally she decided on a small, very pink tiarra.

Sarai was a very ordinary woman, married to a very ordinary man. They had no children, and were not particularly well-off, all though Sarai was considered to be very beautiful. It was this ordinary couple that God called to leave the country of their father's and go to a land He would show them. It was this ordinary couple that listened to God and followed the call. It was not an easy journey, and there were many trials along the way. But Abaram and Sarai obeyed. And so it was that Sarai became Sarah, meaning princess, and she became the mother of nations.

What will our name become if we listen for God's call, and then follow it?

Top Hat

Today I had a top hat in my box. It is a very old top hat, and I very carefully showed the children that there was nothing up my sleeves, put my hand into the hat and pulled out. . . nothing. My hat was not a magic hat, just a plain one.

As Jesus traveled around healing the sick and performing miracles there were those who thought he was little more than a magician. The Bible is filled with stories of God's prophets and leaders having the power He gave them compared to the slight of hand of the street performer. Jesus healed, not because he thought his abilities would convince the crowds, but because he had compassion for those who were sick in body or soul.

Take some time today to pray for those you know who need the healing power of Christ in their life.

Ash Wednesday

Today begins the season of lent, and the children guessed that in my box I had palms and ashes. At St. Mark's we save the palms from Palm Sunday until the following year's Shrove Tuesday, when they are burned and the ashes mixed with oil to be used on Ash Wednesday.

Lent has many meanings, but at its core is the idea of taking some time to prepare your heart for the mystery and sacrifice and wonder of Easter. We lead such busy lives, full of school, work, sports, clubs, social events and all sorts of things which crowd our every minute. Lent is the perfect time to breathe, to stop, to listen for what God might be saying to you. Think of establishing some daily habit with your children of prayer, or Bible reading or conversation about the day.

One of the traditions of lent is marking the forehead with ashes. It is a strange feeling, forgetting and then remebering that whatever you do that day, the ashes are there. During lent take time to remember that every day, ashes or not, you are marked as Christ's own forever.

Soccer Ball

I brought a soccer ball to chapel today. The kids really wanted me to kick it around, but I decided to hold it instead. There is something wonderful about being a part of a team. The best team experiences teach us to use our talents to benefit the whole, to take turns, to support our teammates and respect our opponents. The best coaches select players who bring something to the team that allows it to be great, without trampling on the skills of others. The best players are the ones who allow themselves to be coached.

Jesus had a great team of disciples. We don't know why he selected who he did to be on his team. They weren't necessarily the brightest or most religious or the best in their fields. Perhaps they were the ones who, when he called them, they came. Are we listening for the call to join the team? Are we allowing our coach to use our gifts and talents to His glory? Are we team players?

The Good Shepherd

Today I had a sheep in my box. Every year we have someone bring sheep, goats and a donkey to our Palm Sunday procession. The children (and adults) get to pet the sheep and the goats and watch as they wander all over the grass. And then the procession begins. I always have lots of volunteers to lead the animals in the procession at the beginning, and it is only once we get started that the children realize how hard it is to get the sheep to walk in the right direction. They can pull as hard as they like on the lambs, but it is only with just the right coaxing that they can get them to move. How wonderful it is to have a good shepherd who knows each of our names. A shepherd who leads us to green pastures and cool water and who was willing to lay down his life for us. A good shepherd who is always there for us, no matter how difficult we are to lead.

Dove

Today I brought a dove to chapel. It wasn't a real dove, but one that we fly overheard on Sundays when we want to more visibly celebrate the power of the Holy Spirit. We always have it in the procession on Baptism Sundays, and today I talked about the baptism of Jesus by John. When we baptize our children, we make certain promises on their behalf. We promise to resist evil, and follow in the apostles' teaching. We promise to seek and serve Christ in all persons, loving our neighbor as ourself. We promise to strive for peace and justice among all people. And we promise to respect the dignity of every human being. It is only by making the choice, every day, to allow the Holy Spirit to enter into us that we can have the strength to follow through on these promises. Daily prayer with our children teaches them (and us) to have the daily habit of asking "Come, Holy Spirit, come".