One of the most exciting things about Resurrection Day - Easter - is the reminder of new life. 

New life in Christ... fresh starts... bright beginnings...

One area of my life that needs a fresh start is in the area of health and wholeness. I'm basically pretty healthy except for one thing: I'm obese. My weight is affecting my quality of life. Being in my late 40's I recognize that I need to get control of this for many reasons: my own health, my future with my husband and my future with my children. My present and future call...

So I will be posting about my journey into health and wholeness in the "as a matter of faith" section of this site. If you are interested you can follow this part of my journey there.

For Presbyterians of the PCUSA variety, any conversation about children in worship very naturally leads to the Directory of Worship (you can read the ENTIRE Directory of Worship in context here: http://oga.pcusa.org/publications/2009-2011-boo.pdf

For those responsible for planning and leading worship, the framework set out in the Directory of Worship is drawn from scripture and is certainly an ideal. It occurs to me that some of the anti-children-in-adult-worship folks are also some of the biggest proponents of following the Book of Order so this might be helpful information in reframing their perspectives on children in worship. Certainly we live in a day that is different from the ideal worship and ministry settings the Book (and Directory) would lead us toward – however, these ideals are rooted in principles drawn from scripture. If we took W-3.1004 “Children in Worship” seriously, it would radically shift the way we “do” worship. It might even transform the church.

I have many opinions and lots of ideas and strategies – and I’ll write about some of those soon – but I think the following (quoted directly from the Directory of Worship – see the link above) is enough to start a fine conversation.  Please jump in (Presbyterian or not!)

W-3.1004        Children in Worship Children bring special gifts to worship and grow in the faith through their regular inclusion and participation in the worship of the congregation. Those responsible for planning and leading the participation of children in worship should consider the children’s level of understanding and ability to respond, and should avoid both excessive formality and condescension. The session should ensure that regular programs of the church do not prevent children’s full participation with the whole congregation in worship, in Word and Sacrament, on the Lord’s Day. (W-3.3201; W-3.5202; W-6.2001; W-6.2006)

W-3.3201             Setting an Order for Worship
In setting an order for worship on the Lord’s Day, the pastor with the concurrence of the session shall provide opportunity for the people from youngest to oldest to participate in a worthy offering of praise to God and for them to hear and to respond to God’s Word. (W-1.4004, 4007; W-3.1004)

W-3.5202             Elements and Order
There should be regular opportunities for worship in each church school class. Such worship may be less formal and more spontaneous than in larger groups. Yet it should include prayer and song that grow out of the consideration of the Word. It may include acts and tokens of self-offering and commitment, which may lead
(1)  to requesting Baptism,
(2)  to participating in the Lord’s Supper,
(3)  to affirming the vows taken at Baptism.
Worship in the church school is not to be a substitute for participation in the worship of the whole congregation on the Lord’s Day. (W-3.1004; W-3.3201; W-6.2001)

W-6.2001             Entering the Community
The Christian community provides nurture for its members through all of life and life’s transitions. The church offers nurture to those entering the community of faith,
a.  preparing for Baptism,
b.  including them in the life of the community,
c.  welcoming them to participate in its worship and to come to the Lord’s Table,
d.  assisting them to claim their identity as believers in Jesus Christ,
e. equipping them to live as commissioned disciples in the world.
(W-2.3012; W-2.3013; W-4.2002; W-4.2003)

W-6.2006             Resources and Occasions for Nurture
The primary standard and resource for the nurture of the church is the Word of God in Scripture. The central occasion for nurture in the church is the Service for the Lord’s Day, when the Word is proclaimed and the Sacraments are celebrated. All members of the community, from oldest to youngest, are encouraged to be present and to participate. Educational activities should not be scheduled which prevent regular participation in this service. (W-3.1004) An important and continuing context for Christian nurture is the home, where faith is shared through worship, teaching, and example. The church provides other occasions for nurture
a.  in the classes of the church school,
b.  in other groups and fellowships organized for education and nurture,
c.  in groups and associations gathered for service and mission,
d.  in committees, boards, and governing bodies,
e.  in retreats, camps, and conferences.
The confessional documents of the church provide guidance in nurture. (G-2.0000) Shape and content for study and instruction are provided by the rich resources of the liturgical, cultural, and ethnic heritages of the church. Educational materials developed for various approaches to Christian nurture are appropriate for use as approved by the session. (G-10.0102f)


Ready, set, DISCUSS!!!

There are three personal traits that I believe are important to embrace on life's journey: authenticity, transparency and availability.

• Authenticity is related to being genuine - what you see is what you get.
  
• Transparency is related to being open and clear - something through which light can shine.
• Availability is related to being accessible - being both easy to find and quick to respond.

I don't do any of these perfectly - or even well. I'm, at best, as real as I know how to be and more translucent than transparent. I am available - twenty-four/seven available - and have yet to have anyone take advantage of my availability in a negative way.

Today I was blessed to be a part of two encounters that I believe were a direct result of my pursuit of these qualities. The first was a phone call - from someone who rarely calls. It shifted mid conversation from that person's frustration to that person affirming me and the ministry God has graciously called me to live. The second was a private message on a social networking site. This person asked my opinion about something they'd experienced because they've known me a long time, know I'm involved in ministry and they trust me.

Sometimes I get the feeling that people in general, and ministers in particular, have become so protective of 'their' time that encounters like those above don't happen very often.

That's too bad. If I hadn't been relatively authentic, at least translucent and definitely available, I'd have missed out on the opportunity to speak love into the lives of those two people and would have missed some poignant affirmations of my call.

I'm thinking that continuing to pursue authenticity, transparency, and availability is worth it.

Just me,

MB

A friend (@reallish) tweeted: "High expectations, low serenity."

She made me think (and so early...)

It's a true statement but it's a conundrum as well. I replied "so, so true! But so hard to overcome since the converse isn't true." And later added "and realistic expectations are so hard to discern."

So the challenge, it seems, may lie in having realistically high expectations of oneself and realistically neutral expectations of most others. (Realizing that it's healthy to have reasonably high expectations of those with whom one is in relationship: husband, children, colleagues, etc.) 

Thinking it's also sometimes healthy to shift expectations to low in relationship to unhealthy, but unavoidable, people - you know, those people you have to deal with by virtue of family, work, etc. It isn't good to live in a state of constant disappointment - better to adjust what is expected if a different outcome is unlikely.

Just a few of my thousand or so thoughts,

MB