What do you hope to give the children and youth in your parish? In my work with youth, I have wanted to pass on a love for Jesus Christ and our Christian family’s stories—those that remind each of us of who we are (beloved children of God) and who we are together (God’s covenanted people). I hope to have share the gift of prayer and the rhythms of the liturgical year. I hope to give youth respect of self and spirit, respect for their ideas and explorations and also knowledge that God will abide through it all.
But, I cannot give what I do not have. So, these past few years, my discipline has been to pray daily, to read the Bible, to reflect about God’s work in my life, and to give thanks for the blessing of time with these teens.
What do you wish to give the children and youth in your parish? And how will you equip yourself for this ministry in your parish? Pentecost is the growing season in the Church year. Its color, green, reminds us of this. Pentecost, therefore, is an appropriate time to grow, to acquire those things you wish to give.
In children’s chapel one Pentecost Sunday we set the table with a green cloth. I asked the very littlest children, “Why is the tablecloth green?” They replied, “It’s the growing season.” These children had been given the gift of recognizing the church year. They had been given this gift by someone who had the knowledge and took the time to share it.
So, what do you want to give the children in your parish? Or, if you are not an educator, what do you want to give to those who educate the children in your parish? Consider what you want to give. But also realize that you cannot give what you do not have. Take these months of growing to establish a pattern of life that equips you for ministry. If your ministry is in Christian formation, take time to pray, to reflect about God’s work in your life, to read our sacred stories and to learn what you wish to teach.
Opportunities abound. Daily Devotions for Individuals and Families in our Book of Common Prayer is a great source for simple prayers and readings. If you’d rather pray online, www.missionstclare.org also has Daily Devotions and the Daily Office. And, if you’d rather pray with your iPod or mp3 player, you can download lectionary readings and reflections from www.pray-as-you-go.org. Time to pray, to study, and to reflect will fill you so that you will be prepared this fall to give.
