Rebecca S. Ramsey's Blog, page 35

The Exile and Return

Hi Godly Play Teachers!

Welcome to the Exile and Return, the Godly Play story scheduled for this Sunday, November 19.

Last week we shared the story of the ark and the temple, and talked about meeting God in a special place and honoring him with certain routines that both honored God and helped remind the worshipers of the sacredness of being close to God.

At the end of the lesson, we read Solomon’s prayer of dedication of the Temple, where he prays, “But God, will you really live here with us on earth? The whole sky and the highest heaven cannot contain you. Certainly this Temple that I built cannot contain you either…” This week, we think about this again as we learn about what happened when God’s people were taken away from Jerusalem and its temple, which they had believed to be God’s home.

Some themes to explore:

* Where do we find God? What if we suddenly have no temple or tabernacle or special routines or things to honor God? Can we still meet God?

*What do we do when we’re very afraid, when bad things happen to us? What do we pray for? What does God want us to do?

*What does it mean to be homesick? What were God’s people homesick for during the story? Were they homesick for God?

*What changes have you been through that have been hard or scary for you? What did you do? Who gave you help? What should we remember when those times come?

*What does it mean to be faithful? How is it different to be faithful in hard times versus in easy times?

Some activity ideas to add to your own, to help children make a gift to God in thanks for the story: 

Reproduce the story.

1. Children could make their own physical elements of the Godly Play story, with blue yarn for the rivers. (Or maybe they can think of another way to represent them.) Pieces of wood for the cities. Can they make a chain out of pipe cleaners or strips of paper? (While they do this, teachers can talk about what the chain means–what it means to be in exile.) What could they use to make the people of God?

2. They could draw or paint with watercolors a scene from the story: the destruction of the temple, the sad journey away from Jerusalem, the happy rebuilding of the temple.

3. Older children could use markers to trace the path of God’s people on a photocopied map. Could they make a map of their own? One for the class?

4. Children could use colored sand to make a desert scene.

Explore themes from the story.

1. Children could take a large sheet of paper, divide it down the center into 2 parts, label the left sideTimes We Are Sad Or Scared, and the other side What We Can Do. Then the children can draw or paint pictures to illustrate both sides.

2. Children could draw or paint or do a collage on the subject of Where and When I Meet God Today. Is it in nature? In church? At home reading the Bible? Being with friends? This would be a great addition for our new bulletin board. This could also be done as a class project on butcher paper (like a mural.)

3. What does it mean to be faithful?

Children could make a collage or drawing or mural showing what it means to be faithful to God. Does it mean coming to church and worshiping together? Bringing an offering? Praying? Trusting? What else?

4. Children could draw or write about a time they were homesick. What helped them get through it? What would God want us to do when we feel homesick?

Some great verses to get children thinking:

“We sat down and cried by the rivers of Babylon when

we remembered Zion. How can we sing the song of the

Lord in a strange land?” (Psalm 137:1, 4)

“Praise the Lord, all nations! Praise Him all people! For

His loving-kindness toward us is great. And the truth of

the Lord lasts forever. Praise the Lord.” (Psalm 117)

See my Pinterest page for the story here for more ideas.

The Ark and the Temple

Welcome to the Ark and the Temple, the Godly Play story scheduled for this Sunday, November 12.

 For a girl who could spend days moving furniture and little people around a dollhouse, I simply adore this lesson! I also love it because it explores the idea of God’s abiding presence and helps us question exactly where God is. Where can we meet God? If it is in a church or temple, how do we keep that space sacred? If God truly meets us everywhere, anywhere, then what does that say about the sacredness of the space we occupy in our everyday lives? Which makes me think of a favorite song of mine, but that’s another story. (Go here, if you want a treat!)

This story works wonderfully as a continuation of The Ark and the Tent, and then Ruth and David’s stories. Before, the people took the tent with them as they traveled, and learned that God goes with them wherever they go. Now, the people have settled and learn that God is not only present during times of transition but in ordinary times of daily life.

Another interesting theme to address is the idea of the usefulness of things in the worship of God. When the ark and the commandments were taken during battle and they didn’t physically have them in the tent, were they really lost? When King David returned them, dancing into Jerusalem, what was he really celebrating?

Another very important theme to cover is that there is no physical place that can contain God. I’ll have Solomon’s temple dedication prayer typed up and in your room by Wednesday night this week. If you’d like to make it into a scroll to read during the lesson, as the script suggests, feel free. I believe we have some dowel sticks in the resource room. Balling up the paper and staining it with tea makes it look older and makes for a more dramatic presentation, if you like.

One other thing I didn’t mention before was the idea of making/offering sacrifices. Do we still offer sacrifices to God today? What kinds of sacrifices would God love? What kinds are important and why?

I wonder if a trip to our own sanctuary might be interesting to the children, after they study the temple. What is alike and what is different? What kind of sacrifices do we still make? Is there a way we make ourselves more acceptable to God before entering?

Some activity ideas to help the children get started:
Pieces of the temple

A few of the classes began a few weeks ago making special parts of the temple/tent. You could continue that this week, and you could even set up the items in a temple of your own making.  Kids could make an ark, the ten commandments, a table with 12 pieces of bread, a menorah, a laver, and an altar. (See all the ideas and photos here.)

Could we make edible versions of all these things? And then make an edible temple? See my Pinterest site here, for ways to do this. 

The Story of the Psalms

Welcome to The Psalms, the Godly Play story scheduled for this Sunday, November 5, based on the book of Psalms.

If you’re teaching at FBG, I’ve emailed you the story script, which includes the first part of the David story from last week, found in the pink Enrichment Presentations for Fall, p.81. If you are not a Sunday school teacher at First Baptist Greenville and would like a copy of the Psalms story script, just email me and I’d be happy to send it to you. Or join the blog mailing list and it will be sent to you, along with 9 other Godly Play style story scripts that I’ve written and am happy to share.

In the script, we use the first part of the David story and then explore the idea that the Psalms writers went to God with all kinds of different emotions. We discuss how we can pray to God when we feel afraid, happy, angry, peaceful, sad or worried, and joyful, or when we feel sorry for what we’ve done. With each different emotion, we share a Psalm (or 2 or 3) that the Psalm writers experienced and shared with God.

To share the Psalms, we’re going to use a beautiful book, Psalms for Young Children, written by Marie-Helene Delval and illustrated by Arno. In this book, Ms. Delval has adapted the psalms for children in a way that is so easy to read and to relate to. I’ve purchased one for each class (except for 3rd grade, which already had a copy.) You’ll find it in your story basket, which I left near your Bible bookcase. I put it there to remind you (and me) that you’ll need the Bible Bookcase as you tell the story. (You’ll take the Psalms book out and place it on the underlay in part of the story.

By the way, the Psalms in this book are shared in order (by number.) They’re so short that I think you’ll find it hard to stop reading them!

 To help the children follow along with the different emotions we’ll be discussing I’ve made emotion cards for each class.

Older children might enjoy comparing the Psalms as written in the Bible with Marie Helene Delval’s adaptations. They might like making their own adaptations as well. You might want to choose one Psalm to focus on, like #23 or 139.

The wondering questions are included in the story script.

Ideas for Your Give a Gift to God time:

1. Writing our own Psalms–Have children pick an emotion that they sometimes feel and write God a prayer or song that they might pray or sing while feeling that way.

 

2. Write a psalm showing how you feel today. Draw a picture to go with it.

Or read a psalm to a friend that shows how you feel.

 

3. Illustrate a Psalm. Choose a psalm and illustrate it, like Arno did in Psalms for Young Children. (Any Psalm would be good. If you want, you could choose the psalm for the children, like #23 or 139.)

4. Write a psalm together as a class, and then let the children illustrate it individually or together.

5. Work out a tune that fits a psalm that you like. Or write your own to sing.

6. Make instruments to play while singing a psalm. You can find directions to make a simple tambourinehere, and a lyre here.

Enjoy! 

Hungry for Something Good? Join The Holy Éclair Launch Team!

It sounds crazy, I know.

Even as I wiped the chocolate from my lips and savored the heavenly goodness, I wondered if it was real. Had God really spoken to me through French pastry? Challenged my settled, church lady thoughts with a simple chocolate éclair?

Or what about the twenty-five other saints, signs, and wonders that turned my faith topsy turvy that first year after we moved to France? The silver haired prostitute who hung out on rue des Gras, or the old man in the restaurant supply store, walking around with a live chicken under his arm? The little girl in a clown nose who opened our train car on the way to Paris, or the burly guys in raincoats up in the trees of cours Sablon, smoking their cigarettes as they hacked off all the new growth. Or the gorgeous woman on the motorbike outside my children’s school, her scarf billowing behind her like a hand, beckoning me to follow?

When we moved to France back in 1999, I knew my life would change. But my faith? Why would it? I had it mostly figured out. At least I thought so.

Thank heavens God stepped in to show me all I was missing!

After my memoir French By Heart came out in 2007 and I found myself speaking to book clubs and church groups and audiences in all sorts of places about how living in France changed my life, I couldn’t help but allude to the spiritual story that I didn’t share in French By Heart: that my time in France had given me so much more than just the cultural experience of living in another country– it turned my faith UPSIDE DOWN! I yearned to share my stories about the holy nobodies and sacred ordinary things that spoke God’s words to me, leading me away from my self-imposed rules for earning God’s love and into the land of a grace I’d never known.

And so, ten years after French By Heart, I’ve finally done it. I’ve finally found the right way for Madame Pink Suit (the lady on the motorbike) and the raggedy sage and his dogs in Ambert and my team of flea market saints and all the rest to share their divine wisdom with the world!

The Holy Éclair: Signs and Wonders from an Accidental Pilgrimage is being released by Nurturing Faith on December 4! (You can pre-order it here!)

I can’t wait for you to meet all the everyday saints and ordinary wonders who’ve been jumping around in my head for nearly 17 years, asking me not to forget them, and to hear the holy messages they shared with me. I know you’ll fall in love them too!

But the adventure is just beginning. I need help getting them out into the world (they’re shy by nature.) I would be so grateful if you would join me as part of my book launch team!

So what’s a launch team?

It’s just a group of folks who believe in a book and are invested enough to spread the word about it to the people they know – their friends and neighbors and family- the people they interact with in their lives. After all, we can’t expect my mother to tell the WHOLE WORLD. (Only Raleigh, North Carolina, and most of eastern Kentucky!)

So will you do it? Would you consider joining my launch team?

What do Launch Team Members agree to do?

Here are the four things I need each member of the launch team to do.

First: Read the book. The first 30 people who sign up with me to be on the launch team will get a free copy!

Second: Join my private The Holy Éclair Launch Group on Facebook! It’ll be fun! (I’ll add you when it’s ready!)

Third: Share about the book on social media- Facebook or twitter or Instagram or a blog if you have one. I’ll have some graphics for you to share so you don’t have to invent anything unless you just want to!

Fourth: Write a review on a retailer site, like Amazon or Goodreads.

Want to sign up?

Email me to sign up. You can find my email address on the last line of my contact page of this website. Or send me a note on facebook or twitter or Instagram. (I’d repeat my email address here but spammers love email addresses and I’m scared.)

The last day to sign up to be on the team is Halloween! (No trick- just a yummy treat!)

What if I want to be supportive, but I can’t do the launch team stuff?

That’s GREAT! I’ll appreciate ANYTHING you can do to spread the word about The Holy Éclair! If you’d like to share this post on Facebook or twitter, that would be super nice. But whatever you’re able to do, know that I’ll hug your neck and thank you and think good thoughts about you all day long.

You’re invited to a party, launch team member or not!

My official Book Launch Celebration Party is December 4, 5-7 pm at the AYMC (new building) at First Baptist, Greenville, SC and I’d LOVE LOVE LOVE to see you there!  I’ll have plenty of copies of my book as well as Christmas-y snacks and music and fun!

Thanks, friends! I love and appreciate each one of you!

Love, Becky

 

The post Hungry for Something Good? Join The Holy Éclair Launch Team! appeared first on Becky Ramsey.

The Story of David

Welcome to the story of King David, the Godly Play story scheduled for this Sunday, October 29, based on 1 Samuel 16-31, 2 Samuel and 1Kings 1-2. You can find the script for the story in the pink Enrichment Presentations for Fall book, p.78-85.

This week’s story is another one (like Ruth and Samuel) that fits nicely after the story of the ark and the tent. And it follows right into the next story on our schedule: the Psalms, (to be followed by the Ark and the Temple.)

Some of the story’s themes which you might want to help the children think about:

1. We can come to God with all sorts of feelings (as in the Psalms—we’ll explore this one more next week)

2.God can help us be brave enough to do what is right and needed.

3. Friendship is a gift from God.

4. God uses people, even with their faults.

5. God forgives our mistakes when we ask for forgiveness.

Ideas for the Make a Gift for God Time:

Children choose how to respond to the story and get started!









Some children drew symbols of David’s life on stones. You can see another made an ark of the covenant.











Stones with symbols of David’s life



 

1. Children could reproduce the elements of the

story in some way.

* Make a harp

*Make a crown for King David

*Make an ark of the covenant

*Make a parable box for the parable that Nathan told David (there is plenty of felt in the resource room)

*Make a drawing of Jerusalem- or a watercolor.

2. Children could paint symbols of David’s life (shepherd’s crook, bottle of incense, two friends, crown, ark, etc) on small stones. There are stones in the resource room.



3. Children can celebrate David’s childhood by making David with the sheep. Go to the site here, for plenty of options for crafting sheep. (Scroll down to “sheep”)

4. Children could sculpt a David and Goliath out of play clay.

5. The class could work on a mural of David’s life with one long piece of butcher paper- assigning parts of his life to individual children to illustrate.

6.  Children could focus on the friendship between Jonathan and David and explore what kind of friendship God celebrates.

Find more art response ideas at my Pinterest page, here.
Enjoy!

The post The Story of David appeared first on Becky Ramsey.

The Story of Samuel

Welcome to the story of Samuel, the Godly Play story scheduled for this Sunday, October 22, based on 1 Samuel 1-28:3. You can find the script for the story in the pink Enrichment Presentations for Fall book, p.72-77.

This week’s story is another one (like Ruth) that fits nicely after the story of the ark and the tent. And it follows right into the next story on our schedule: the story of David.

The story of Samuel is also very interesting to children because they relate to the idea of a child growing physically and in relationship with God and because they think about how God communicates- and probably wish that God would call their names in an audible voice.

Themes you might want to help the children think about:

1.God answers prayer

2. You can serve God even as a child.

3.God plans to take care of you. (If you want to use a memory verse, you could use Jeremiah 29:11)

4.God asks us to stand up for what is right, as Samuel did.

5.Obedience (Samuel obeyed God even though he was not happy that the people wanted a king.)

Ideas for the Make a Gift for God time:

Remember that one of the most important parts of Godly Play is that it gives the child options in how she responds to the story. We want to give children as many chances to have say so in what they do as possible.

Of course one way to respond is to play with the story pieces, retelling it to oneself or to a friend.

 

2. Reproduce the story in some way- make pieces, such as the ark, a Baby Samuel, robes of different sizes, (showing how Samuel grew during his service in the temple), a sleeping mat, a crown

2. Children could make a life size drawing of themselves and caption it: I can serve God right now! This could be done by having another child trace around their body on butcher paper. They could draw clothes on their body or use fabric from the resource room. Maybe they could hold something in the drawing that gives a hint to how they can serve God right now.

3. A collage or drawing of how children can serve God right now. Children could make these individually and then put them together as a class project. (Ways include how they treat others, through prayer, in worship at church, helping others…)

4. Children could think about how they might like to serve God in the future. How does a doctor or teacher or engineer or scientist serve God? They could explore this in a drawing or make a model with play clay.

5. Children could act out the story of Samuel hearing God’s call and going to Eli–and the rest of the story as well.

6. Hannah makes Samuel a new robe each year and brings it to him in the temple. Children could make a “robe” from a paper grocery bag as we often do with Joseph, as shown here. (Scroll down and see the child modeling hers!)

I can’t wait to see how the children think about this story!

For more art response ideas, see my Pinterest page, here.

The post The Story of Samuel appeared first on Becky Ramsey.

The Story of Ruth

Welcome to the story of Ruth, the Godly Play story scheduled for this Sunday, October 15, based on the book of Ruth. You can find the script for the story in the pink Enrichment Presentations for Fall book, p.66-71.

 As the book describes, this story doesn’t “unroll” like many other stories, from left to right in chronological order. Instead it moves from the Promised Land (specifically Bethlehem) to Moab and back to Bethlehem. The whole felt block is shown throughout the story.

The story of Ruth follows the story of the Tabernacle, in which great emphasis was put on being one of the chosen people of God. It’s wonderful that we now can share the story of Ruth, not one of the chosen People of God, but a Moabite, yet she was clearly valued and loved by God. She married one of God’s People, Boaz, and eventually became the great grandmother of King David (and an ancestor of Jesus!) The story gives us a wonderful opportunity to remind children that God values “other-ness,” that all are included in and welcomed into God’s love and care.

Idea sparkers for the Give a Gift to God time:

There are several ways children and teachers can go with this.

1. Focus on the story itself.

a) Let the children act out the story.

b) Draw the scenes of the story or make a three dimensional representation of the story.

c) Help the children learn the meaning of “gleaning” by giving them a chance to do a modified form of it in this “gleaning game” (from the site here.)

 “Fill 2 roasting pans or cookie sheets with 2 lbs. of cornmeal and a cup of rice and place it in the center of the blanket. Set the paper cup to the side. Explain to the children that they will be gleaning grain just as Ruth did for Naomi. Divide the kids into two groups. Have each group stand around their pan. Ask them to work together to fill the cups with rice, one grain at a time. Tell the children not to put any of the rice into their mouths since it is uncooked. For a fun challenge, set a timer for three minutes. Ask the children to see if they can fill the “bushel” before the timer goes off. But remind them to be careful – if someone knocks over the cup they’ll have to start all over again.”

d) Let the children explore wheat. Give each child a single spear (I bought some from Hobby Lobby in the dried flower section) and let them try to separate the grains. Let me know by Tuesday if you’d like me to buy some wheat for your class.

e) Weave wheat into an ornament/hanging as described here.

2. Focus on friendship between Ruth and Naomi.

You can concentrate on the theme that friendship and the loyalty that goes with it is a gift from God. a) Children might make friendship bracelets, like those shown here. Or for younger children, make simple strings of beads made into bracelets. We have tons of material for these in the art storage room!  Or make a necklace for a friend, as shown here.

b) Children could make a mural together of what it means to be a friend- what friends do for each other. Each child could work individually or in pairs- and put the works together as a mural or for a bulletin board in your classroom.

c) Make a Friendship wreath for your classroom, as shown here.

d) Examine the song, “Blessed Be the Tie That Binds” and let the children illustrate it.

3. Focus on God welcoming all people.

a) How are we welcoming to others who might be different? Children could make a collage for  “God Loves Everyone”

b) Make a God’s Love Note for a friend- like the ones shown here.

For more ideas, see my Pinterest Page on the Ruth, here.

The post The Story of Ruth appeared first on Becky Ramsey.

The Story of Ruth

Welcome to the story of Ruth, the Godly Play story scheduled for this Sunday, October 15, based on the book of Ruth. You can find the script for the story in the pink Enrichment Presentations for Fall book, p.66-71.

 As the book describes, this story doesn’t “unroll” like many other stories, from left to right in chronological order. Instead it moves from the Promised Land (specifically Bethlehem) to Moab and back to Bethlehem. The whole felt block is shown throughout the story.

The story of Ruth follows the story of the Tabernacle, in which great emphasis was put on being one of the chosen people of God. It’s wonderful that we now can share the story of Ruth, not one of the chosen People of God, but a Moabite, yet she was clearly valued and loved by God. She married one of God’s People, Boaz, and eventually became the great grandmother of King David (and an ancestor of Jesus!) The story gives us a wonderful opportunity to remind children that God values “other-ness,” that all are included in and welcomed into God’s love and care.

Idea sparkers for the Give a Gift to God time:

There are several ways children and teachers can go with this.

1. Focus on the story itself.

a) Let the children act out the story.

b) Draw the scenes of the story or make a three dimensional representation of the story.

c) Help the children learn the meaning of “gleaning” by giving them a chance to do a modified form of it in this “gleaning game” (from the site here.)

 “Fill 2 roasting pans or cookie sheets with 2 lbs. of cornmeal and a cup of rice and place it in the center of the blanket. Set the paper cup to the side. Explain to the children that they will be gleaning grain just as Ruth did for Naomi. Divide the kids into two groups. Have each group stand around their pan. Ask them to work together to fill the cups with rice, one grain at a time. Tell the children not to put any of the rice into their mouths since it is uncooked. For a fun challenge, set a timer for three minutes. Ask the children to see if they can fill the “bushel” before the timer goes off. But remind them to be careful – if someone knocks over the cup they’ll have to start all over again.”

d) Let the children explore wheat. Give each child a single spear (I bought some from Hobby Lobby in the dried flower section) and let them try to separate the grains. Let me know by Tuesday if you’d like me to buy some wheat for your class.

e) Weave wheat into an ornament/hanging as described here.

2. Focus on friendship between Ruth and Naomi.

You can concentrate on the theme that friendship and the loyalty that goes with it is a gift from God. a) Children might make friendship bracelets, like those shown here. Or for younger children, make simple strings of beads made into bracelets. We have tons of material for these in the art storage room!  Or make a necklace for a friend, as shown here.

b) Children could make a mural together of what it means to be a friend- what friends do for each other. Each child could work individually or in pairs- and put the works together as a mural or for a bulletin board in your classroom.

c) Make a Friendship wreath for your classroom, as shown here.

d) Examine the song, “Blessed Be the Tie That Binds” and let the children illustrate it.

3. Focus on God welcoming all people.

a) How are we welcoming to others who might be different? Children could make a collage for  “God Loves Everyone”

b) Make a God’s Love Note for a friend- like the ones shown here.

For more ideas, see my Pinterest Page on the Ruth, here.

The post The Story of Ruth appeared first on Becky Ramsey.

A Village for Josiah…and the Rest of Us

When Sarah asked me last week if I’d come up to Asheville on Friday for a practice run, I said that of course I would, and I was happy to do it. She starts back to work on Friday the 13th, (what timing) and since I’ll be the designated babysitter for Fridays and Saturdays for the next good while, I figured that giving her a day to get everything straight was a smart idea. She could put on work clothes, gather up all her nursing pump parts, pack a lunch, and leave Josiah with me for eight or nine hours or so, just to get the feel of things. Maybe it’d help make Friday easier to take- not such a shock to the system. Besides, who am I to pass up a chance to spend the day with my cutest, sweetest (and only) grand baby?!

It’s all for Sarah, I’d thought, which, hours later, struck me as hilarious as I wrestled her stroller in her apartment parking lot Friday morning, sweating (isn’t October in the mountains supposed to be cool?) and fighting back the not so nice words that tried to escape out my mouth. Josiah started to fuss in his carseat, so I started to sing to him “Skip skip skip to my Lou” (I guess I need a refresher on baby songs) until I realized I was being watched. “I can’t seem to figure out how to open it,” I said to the man across from me, changing his oil.

He shook his head as if I were embarrassing him. The old lady parked beside him on the sidewalk in a wheel chair clapped her hands for me. I suppose I was the morning’s entertainment.

Oh well. I guess I needed the practice run too. After I hauled Josiah in his car seat, the diaper bag, and my purse back up the two flights of stairs, I found a youtube video on how to open a Chicco Activ3 stroller. And I discovered that I am now an official old person because I could never figure out how to turn on their television (which, in my defense, they operate through a PlayStation, so how am I supposed to understand that?) By next Friday, Sarah has promised to make me a list of directions complete with sketches. Just call me Granny.

Sarah and Paul will teach me and Josiah will teach me. And so will the internet, thankfully.

It’s funny. Even though I’ve birthed three babies and gotten them through babyhood all the way to adulthood, there’s always a ton more to learn and a lot of wise people (and babies) to learn from.

As I sat on Sarah’s couch and tried to cool down, drank my ice water and told Josiah we’d try the walk again- maybe after the oil change man and his clapping wife were gone- I thought about this business of teaching and learning and needing a village. It reminded me of Sunday.

Sunday was Baptism Day for Josiah, and it was also World Communion Sunday, which was nice. A methodist church and a episcopal church had gathered to worship together with the lutheran church where Sarah and Paul and Josiah are members. It was beautiful, as I knew it would be. My daughter and son-in-law stood before the congregation and promised to bring Josiah to the word of God, to nurture him in faith and prayer, so that he will proclaim Christ through word and deed, care for others and the world God made, and work for justice and peace. His godparents made promises and we in the pews made promises too, to support him and pray for his new life in Christ.

After the pastor poured the water over his sweet little head, I thought the best part of the morning was done. I was wrong.

It was time for communion. The methodist minister with long curly hair gave the bread, and as I approached the front of the line, she raised it before me, like a moon, perfectly round, ascending the sky. “The body of Christ, given for you,” she said. I dipped it in the wine and found my way back to my seat, but I couldn’t stop watching, seeing the moon rise before each soul, announcing the gift given to them.

They were all so beautiful, these strangers lined up, who had prayed for my grandson as they would for any baby or any adult.  There was an old man with a bandage on his ear, leaning on another old man, making his way in a shuffle; there were old women hanging on to each other, too, tired looking mothers, excited children, people with pink hair and blue hair and dangly earrings. There were couples holding hands and people looking distinctly alone. There were folks in fancy clothes and others in old clothes, all cupping their hands before them like children, and the minister gently laid a round in each of them, as if she were putting Jesus to bed there. And as they dipped the bread in the wine and put it in their mouths, I could imagine the moon broken into holy stardust, making its way to the deepest part of them.

And then something even more beautiful happened. I thought they were done, but the three ministers moved together to the teenage boy in the wheelchair. His grandmother, who was in the choir, had pushed him to his regular spot at the far end of the front row at the beginning of the service and now she came to his side. I watched as she rocked the chair back and the minister held the moon in front of him and said the magic love words. The grandma whispered that he couldn’t eat it and the minister apologized. She moved aside as the grandmother dipped her finger in the wine and brushed it on the boy’s lips. We all watched (or at least I did) as she put her arms around him, looked into his eyes, and whispered words of God’s love for him. I felt my eyes tear as she wiped his mouth and kissed his cheek and whispered her own love into his ears. Then she set him upright and returned with the merry threesome to the platform where the pastors held the wafer before each other, rising it above the cup, like the moon and the sea.

Why go to church? people ask.

This is why.

I need to be in a place where we help carry each other to God. Where there are people who have lived with God through pain and suffering and joy, where we can ask big questions and struggle side by side through scripture, listening for God. Where we can sit with other broken people and feed each other.

I’m so happy that Josiah has that. And I’m happy I do too!

Thank you for being part of my village. Peace be with you!

Oh, one more thing… Before you go, know that I finally did get that stroller figured out. This is Josiah after we strolled all the way to McDonalds so Grandma could get a latte and try to compose herself. He looks a little unimpressed. But thanks, Youtube! The oil change man and his happy clappy wife hung around so long that I finally had to swallow my pride and wrestle again in front of them. So yay for lessons in humility. I suppose they count as my teachers too. It’s a virtue, I guess.

 

 

The post A Village for Josiah…and the Rest of Us appeared first on Becky Ramsey.

A Village for Josiah…and the Rest of Us

When Sarah asked me last week if I’d come up to Asheville on Friday for a practice run, I said that of course I would, and I was happy to do it. She starts back to work on Friday the 13th, (what timing) and since I’ll be the designated babysitter for Fridays and Saturdays for the next good while, I figured that giving her a day to get everything straight was a smart idea. She could put on work clothes, gather up all her nursing pump parts, pack a lunch, and leave Josiah with me for eight or nine hours or so, just to get the feel of things. Maybe it’d help make Friday easier to take- not such a shock to the system. Besides, who am I to pass up a chance to spend the day with my cutest, sweetest (and only) grand baby?!

It’s all for Sarah, I’d thought, which, hours later, struck me as hilarious as I wrestled her stroller in her apartment parking lot Friday morning, sweating (isn’t October in the mountains supposed to be cool?) and fighting back the not so nice words that tried to escape out my mouth. Josiah started to fuss in his carseat, so I started to sing to him “Skip skip skip to my Lou” (I guess I need a refresher on baby songs) until I realized I was being watched. “I can’t seem to figure out how to open it,” I said to the man across from me, changing his oil.

He shook his head as if I were embarrassing him. The old lady parked beside him on the sidewalk in a wheel chair clapped her hands for me. I suppose I was the morning’s entertainment.

Oh well. I guess I needed the practice run too. After I hauled Josiah in his car seat, the diaper bag, and my purse back up the two flights of stairs, I found a youtube video on how to open a Chicco Activ3 stroller. And I discovered that I am now an official old person because I could never figure out how to turn on their television (which, in my defense, they operate through a PlayStation, so how am I supposed to understand that?) By next Friday, Sarah has promised to make me a list of directions complete with sketches. Just call me Granny.

Sarah and Paul will teach me and Josiah will teach me. And so will the internet, thankfully.

It’s funny. Even though I’ve birthed three babies and gotten them through babyhood all the way to adulthood, there’s always a ton more to learn and a lot of wise people (and babies) to learn from.

As I sat on Sarah’s couch and tried to cool down, drank my ice water and told Josiah we’d try the walk again- maybe after the oil change man and his clapping wife were gone- I thought about this business of teaching and learning and needing a village. It reminded me of Sunday.

Sunday was Baptism Day for Josiah, and it was also World Communion Sunday, which was nice. A methodist church and a episcopal church had gathered to worship together with the lutheran church where Sarah and Paul and Josiah are members. It was beautiful, as I knew it would be. My daughter and son-in-law stood before the congregation and promised to bring Josiah to the word of God, to nurture him in faith and prayer, so that he will proclaim Christ through word and deed, care for others and the world God made, and work for justice and peace. His godparents made promises and we in the pews made promises too, to support him and pray for his new life in Christ.

After the pastor poured the water over his sweet little head, I thought the best part of the morning was done. I was wrong.

It was time for communion. The methodist minister with long curly hair gave the bread, and as I approached the front of the line, she raised it before me, like a moon, perfectly round, ascending the sky. “The body of Christ, given for you,” she said. I dipped it in the wine and found my way back to my seat, but I couldn’t stop watching, seeing the moon rise before each soul, announcing the gift given to them.

They were all so beautiful, these strangers lined up, who had prayed for my grandson as they would for any baby or any adult.  There was an old man with a bandage on his ear, leaning on another old man, making his way in a shuffle; there were old women hanging on to each other, too, tired looking mothers, excited children, people with pink hair and blue hair and dangly earrings. There were couples holding hands and people looking distinctly alone. There were folks in fancy clothes and others in old clothes, all cupping their hands before them like children, and the minister gently laid a round in each of them, as if she were putting Jesus to bed there. And as they dipped the bread in the wine and put it in their mouths, I could imagine the moon broken into holy stardust, making its way to the deepest part of them.

And then something even more beautiful happened. I thought they were done, but the three ministers moved together to the teenage boy in the wheelchair. His grandmother, who was in the choir, had pushed him to his regular spot at the far end of the front row at the beginning of the service and now she came to his side. I watched as she rocked the chair back and the minister held the moon in front of him and said the magic love words. The grandma whispered that he couldn’t eat it and the minister apologized. She moved aside as the grandmother dipped her finger in the wine and brushed it on the boy’s lips. We all watched (or at least I did) as she put her arms around him, looked into his eyes, and whispered words of God’s love for him. I felt my eyes tear as she wiped his mouth and kissed his cheek and whispered her own love into his ears. Then she set him upright and returned with the merry threesome to the platform where the pastors held the wafer before each other, rising it above the cup, like the moon and the sea.

Why go to church? people ask.

This is why.

I need to be in a place where we help carry each other to God. Where there are people who have lived with God through pain and suffering and joy, where we can ask big questions and struggle side by side through scripture, listening for God. Where we can sit with other broken people and feed each other.

I’m so happy that Josiah has that. And I’m happy I do too!

Thank you for being part of my village. Peace be with you!

Oh, one more thing… Before you go, know that I finally did get that stroller figured out. This is Josiah after we strolled all the way to McDonalds so Grandma could get a latte and try to compose herself. He looks a little unimpressed. But thanks, Youtube! The oil change man and his happy clappy wife hung around so long that I finally had to swallow my pride and wrestle again in front of them. So yay for lessons in humility. I suppose they count as my teachers too. It’s a virtue, I guess.

 

 

The post A Village for Josiah…and the Rest of Us appeared first on Becky Ramsey.