Teamwork

We are a soccer family. My brothers and I played growing up, my husband played and now coaches and all of our boys play, as will our daughter once she's older. I love watching the transition of children playing soccer as they really learn how to play the game. Watching a young children's soccer game is similar to watching a group of border collies compete over who gets to herd a lone sheep. The children tend to clump around the ball, they bump into each other, and sometimes kick it away from their own teammates in their excitement. Typically teams of younger children don't try and keep the children in specific positions, such as goalkeeper, midfielder or wing, and instead focus on foot skills and fun.

With older children, a smart coach will spend time rotating everyone though all the positions on the field. Everyone gets a chance to practice as keeper, everyone gets to play defender, or forward so that everyone has at least the opportunity to try and score a goal. Over time as the players develop, their strengths and talents begin to emerge, and a strong coach is able to identify the best position for each player, based on his or her gifts.

What I reminded the children of, was that every position is important. A team of just goalkeepers wouldn't be able to score, whereas a team where everyone plays forward leaves no one in goal. If midfielders aren't in position the ball can get stuck instead of being passed down the field. God has given each of us a gift, and while some of us may have more than one, no one has them all which is why we are all needed for God' team. Some of us may have a beautiful singing voice, others may be comfortable speaking in public, while another may have the rare talent of being a really good listener. Often our gifts come so naturally to us we may not even consider them a gift. I have always been comfortable teaching, both children and adults, and never realized it might be difficult for others until I tried to recruit Sunday School teachers.

It is our responsibility to listen for the voice of God and discern what gifts we have been given and how we can best put them to use. As our children's "coach" we need to help them discover what they enjoy doing, what they do well, and how they can do both in God's service.

First Aid

We had a wonderful group of visiting parents of children in ELPII today in chapel. I get to see those children on Thursdays when we have ELP chapel, and it was a lot of fun for them to join "the big kids" today. My box was very heavy, as inside I had a large first aid kit. It usually hangs on the wall in the church kitchen, and has everything from antiseptic wipes and band aids to aspirin, antacids, and even lotions for burns, bug bites and poison ivy.

The first disciples chosen by Jesus are the fisherman, Simon Peter, and James and John. And while in the time of Jesus fisherman weren't at the top of the social ladder, there was nothing wrong with associating with them, other then having to deal with the smell of fish. Jesus performs a miracle for them by increasing their catch of fish, and so they left everything to follow him. Soon after this Jesus sees a tax collector named Levi (Matthew). Tax collectors were considered to be sinners. They were shunned by the community. With Matthew, there is no miracle. Jesus sees him, calls for him to follow, and the Bible says Matthew left everything and followed him. And then, because in those days collecting taxes meant having access to money, Matthew a banquet for Jesus in his house. He invited his friends, who, because of his status as outcast, were other tax collectors. And now Jesus was criticized. While is was fine for him to associate with fisherman, it was not okay for him to eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners.

And how does Jesus answer? He reminds his critics that those who are well have no need of a doctor. If there is nothing hurt, the first aid kits sits quietly on the wall. It is not appreciated by those of us who walk in and out of the kitchen, until we have a cut, or a burn, or a bug bite that needs attention. Jesus has come for those who recognize they are in need of healing, and welcome his aid. In the new year, I hope we can all take some time to recognize what in us needs the gentle touch of the Great Physician's hands.

Water

This past Sunday we enjoyed both baptisms and confirmation at St. Mark's as we celebrated the Baptism of Our Lord Jesus Christ, and in my box I brought a long, blue length of fabric. I use this fabric whenever I tell a story to our younger children that involves water, so it has made appearances in the creation story, Noah and his ark, Moses marching to freedom, and of course, the baptism of Jesus.

Water and the image of water has a distinctive hold on many of us. Especially those of us who live in a town where you can't really go anywhere without crossing over water at least once, if not several times. The sound of water soothes us, the power of water awes us, the beauty of water touches our soul. We need water to nourish us and with some work, it makes what was once unclean, clean. The image of a humble, human Jesus, asking the prophet John to baptize him is a favorite of mine. John preached a gospel of repentance and baptism was a way to publicly show an internal, spiritual change. The baptism of Jesus publicly identified him as the Son of God, and linked him with us, the sinners who cross he came to bear.

I reminded the children that after his baptism, as Jesus rises out of the water he heard the words each of us longs to hear, "This is my Son, with whom I am well pleased". The same Holy Spirit that descended to Jesus is there for all of us. We are all beloved children of God. I hope the water that surrounds us can serve as a reminder to repent, to immerse ourselves in God's grace, and to emerge a child with whom the Father can be well pleased.

Gifts

My box today had three of my favorite things in it. Years ago I ran into a store to try and find one or two items on my Christmas shopping list. As I searched for whatever it was among the shelves of knick knacks and useless decorative objects, some movement caught my eye. There, tucked away between vases and picture frames, was a plush bobble-head king holding a gift. A bobble-head king! As I looked on the crowded shelves I saw one, then two more. Someone had thought the perfect gift item that Christmas was a set of three bobble-head kings! They are not small, ranging from 7' to 9' in height, and yet they came with a sticker bottom so you could, I suppose, stick them on the dash of your car. Of course I had to get them.

The three bobble-head kings came home with me. Now, here is where I have a confession to make. I originally bought them as gifts for our three priests. But, as they sat in my room at home, bobbling occasionally for me, I just couldn't part with them. What started out as a gift for others became something I kept for myself.

I love the stories about the three kings, both those from the Bible and the legends that have sprung up around these mysterious figures. What I shared with the children today, is that while the kings brought Jesus precious gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh, the most precious gift we can give him is our heart. And, sadly, that gift is one we sometimes hoard for ourselves, instead of sharing freely with Christ. What would our lives look like, if, instead of keeping part of ourselves separate, on a shelf, to be enjoyed by us alone, we gave all of our being freely to the King of Kings?

Angel Wings

Today I brought in a truly spectacular set of angel wings for the children to see. They are large, golden wings that glow when the lights hit them the right way. Typically they live in my supply closet until once a year they are worn by the angel Gabriel in the family Christmas Eve service here at St. Mark's. Gabriel is a coveted role in our Christmas Eve tableau, and I think it is in large part because of those wings.

Advent is a season of angels. An angel appears to Zechariah in the temple to tell him his wife Elizabeth is going to have a son. Gabriel appears to Mary to tell her she has been chosen to have a son. An angel appears to Joseph in a dream to tell him to go ahead and marry Mary, even though she is with child. And a multitude of angels appear to the shepherds to announce Christ's birth. We don't know what any of these angels look like, but we do know their appearance must have been awe-inspiring and even frightening, for in most cases the first words spoken by them are "Be not afraid."

While each time the angels appeared their message was different, the command to be not afraid stays the same. It is a message I hope we take to heart. Be not afraid of uncertain finances, of illness, of change, of death. Be not afraid for God is with us, surrounding us with love, carrying us on our journey.

Army Men

Today I had the chance to speak to our first-sixth grade students. I always enjoy joining the older children for their chapel. Our lesson was from James 5:7-11, on the virtue of patience and the Gospel was Matthew 11:2-11. In this section of Matthew we find an imprisoned John the Baptist sending his disciples to meet with Jesus. I spent a long time thinking about John and his time in prison, and so of course my prop for today was a box of army men.

When my oldest son was little, he loved building forts of blocks and populating them with army men. We have a box that now contains a time traveling assortment of soldiers from the revolutionary war, civil war and both world wars. My question for the children was, "Historically, what was one of the most dangerous positions for a soldier to occupy, a position that has to do with John the Baptist?" There were many excellent answers, but no one guessed correctly- the messenger.

Think of it. Instead of waiting to be ordered into battle, the messenger is sent out to the enemy, or even a friend, carrying news that very often no one wants to hear. Often messengers were killed and sent back to their commanders as part of a strong reply. That's why Shakespeare spoke of "not shooting the messenger." At this point in Matthew, John was in prison for his role as God's prophet, or messenger. John spoke the truth. It was a truth which Herod saw as a threat and it was for speaking God's message that John was killed.

Jesus also comes as a messenger of God's love, but Jesus is not only a messenger, he is the Good News- the message. The season of Advent is a time of preparation and waiting to celebrate the birth of Christ. Now is the time to consider how open we truly are to receiving God's message for us. Now is the time to prepare not just our homes, but also our hearts for Christ.

Advent Calendar

Last Sunday was the first Sunday in Advent, the season where we wait in joyful anticipation of the coming of our Lord. Waiting can be very difficult. I've waited for planes and trains to pick me up, for packages to arrive, and for water to boil. Sitting in the waiting room to see a doctor seems to take forever, as can waiting for a special event, a visit from a friend or the birth of a child. I know that patience is a virtue, but it is not always one of mine. What I pulled from my box was a gift, wrapped and tagged and waiting. It was given to me several days ago by my friends the Hainlines. And on the tag it said, "Wait until December 1st to open." So today in chapel I pulled it out and finally opened it.

My gift was an advent calendar. Each day there is a window to open and a Bible verse to read as I count down until Christmas morning. Today's verse is "The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light. " Isaiah 9:1. I love advent calendars, especially ones with Bibe verses, as they give me something to do each day during advent. For that's the thing about waiting, it is only hard to do if we have nothing to fill our time while we wait. Time spent in an airport with a good book is infinitely better than without, and the best appetizers provide a little something flavorful while waiting for a meal to arrive.

On Sunday our Gospel lesson was Matthew 24:36-44. This passage may seem to be a strange way to begin Advent, for the verses have nothing to do with the birth of Christ, but about his return. They remind us that we must be prepared, for the Son of Man will come at a completely unexpected hour. I suppose the question, for advent and beyond, is how will we spend the time we have to wait?

I hope that you and your children can plan some wonderful ways to share Christ's love as we await his coming this season.