Dear Friends in Christ—
“Unless you become like little children, you will not enter the kingdom of God.”
During December, many of us focus on children—buying gifts for the young people in our lives,
going to their school concerts, or moving the elf on the shelf (my least favorite and most time-
consuming holiday chore!). It’s easy to think about children as the objects of our love and attention.
But the seasons of Advent and Christmas remind us that children are our teachers, too.
One of my favorite episodes of the NPR series, “This I Believe,” features Maria Von Trapp (as in,
The Sound of Music) talking about how she and her husband learned to live the words of Christ
by raising their own children. Liesel and Kurt and all the rest taught them how to look for the
kingdom of God.
We, too, can be taught about joy and wonder by learning from our children:
- Come to the Christmas pageant this Sunday at 5:00. Hear the Christmas story told with
the urgency that only children can bring. - Especially if you have preschoolers, come to the 3:00 p.m. service on Christmas eve,
which is designed especially for our youngest members. (In recognition of the reality
that small children cannot be vaccinated, we will hold this service in the amphitheater if
weather allows.) - Come to the 5:00 p.m. service on Christmas eve—and bring a gift with you to leave at the creche. We are collecting new children’s hats, mittens and gloves, and coats. We’ll donate these to Casa Chirilagua to care for the children in our neighborhood.
I hope this season opens your heart with childlike love.
Yours in Christ,
Anne+