Pirouettes and Wonder

Last night I took my daughter to see 'The Nutcracker' in Bunbury. It was her first ballet experience after starting ballet herself this year. We had the hour long drive to chat on the way. The excitement in the car was almost tangible. McDonalds was her choice for dinner, but we had to go through the drive thru as we were apparently seriously overdressed to go inside. After picking up the tickets and buying the program we sat in the foyer thumbing through pictures that increased the anticipation more so. The announcement that the doors were opening found us at the front of the line ready to find our seats. 

We were in the third row back and the man sitting next to us joked that we could have ballerinas falling on us if they were not careful. Eventually the lights dimmed and the overture began. It was way too long for my girl. 'When will the curtain go up, Mum?' Soon enough the magic began. I would have paid the money for my ticket just to watch my daughter's face as the dancers came to life; close enough to see the detail of their beautiful costumes and the glow on their skin as they floated across the stage.

The real show, however, was happening on my daughter's face. Wonder and awe were written all over her. Pristine pirouettes, graceful arabesques and stunning pas de deux treated us all evening. I wondered if anyone could ever become bored of such beauty. Was it possible to lose the sense of wonder and awe at the amazing skill and grace of these dancers? My daughter certainly had not lost it and I hope she never will. 

How easy it is for us to become complacent and comfortable with such beauty surrounding us. We take it for granted and lose our sense of wonder. Maybe the answer is to spend a little time introducing the children in our lives to these things of beauty. Watch their faces. Delight in their smiles. Rediscover our own sense of wonder at the beauty in our lives. 

Living with tweens

Those of you who know me well know that I live in a household that contains two tweens. What is a tween? It is a child between the age of 9-12. The term is a play on the fact that they are be-tween childhood and adolescence or the teenage years. The term seems to have been developed by the world of marketing as it was discovered that this age group is very susceptible to outside influence and advertising.

My tweens are at an interesting time in their development. They swing between wanting to be independent and given responsibilty to being childlike and innocent. At times they push the boundaries and at other times crave for more guidelines and structure. There are moments when they are carefree and playful and then everything can turn serious in the blink of an eye.

Dealing with this day in and day out throughout the holidays has made me wonder if we go through a tween stage in our faith life also. We don't magically progress from accepting everything our parents believe to having our own faith. There has to be a transition. There needs to be a time of uncertainty, a time when we might swing between the certainty of Sunday School and the certainty of our own experience. It is no wonder that this is the time when we lose most people from the faith traditions. Of course, this is not restricted by age and can happen at any stage throughout life.

I haven't worked out how to handle my two tweens. I am sure that I mess up at least once a day. I do think, however, that half the battle is recognizing that this is where they are at the moment. I wonder how easily we recognize where those around us are in their faith development. Would we even recognize the signs of a tween growing up? Those who push the boundaries and question authority can often be frowned upon in the faith traditions, but what if we were to see this as a normal part of growing up in faith. We need to learn to help people to explore and find their feet in a safe and accepting environment.

A Mum in Ministry

It's weeks like this one that I find the most challenging in ministry. I am in full time ministry with two congregations in separate towns. I am also a mum of two children who are eight and ten years old. Usually the balance works quite well. This week, however, one of my kids has been very sick. It started Sunday morning and has continued all week. He has been home from school, which has been a challenge in a very busy work week for both my husband and I.

I guess some people would use my current situation as another bit of ammunition in the argument that women should not be in ministry. This is a topic that is very current with recent decisions that have been made in England. How can a woman possibly be in ministry, let alone a mother?

So, this week I have juggled between preparing an Advent Series and administering panadol; between planning a memorial service and cleaning up vomit; between meetings with my supervisor and visits to the doctor. It's not easy. I'm not going to pretend it is. But there is something about sitting with my own son while he is in pain that makes me more able to sit with others who are hurting. There is something about dealing with our own family's mess that allows me to sit in other people's mess. Being a mum is not a hindrance to my ministry, but enhances it. 

Yes, weeks like this one are an enormous challenge, but I wouldn't change it for the world. I am human. I am part of a family. I have needs. I have responsibilities. All this makes me more genuine and more real not only in my family life, but in my ministry as well.

Joy, Paint Pots and the Sizzler

I spent much of yesterday watching children have a fantastic time. In the morning, Margaret River Church had their first session of 'Ready, Set, Go', a program to help parents and kids get ready for starting kindy next year. There was singing, wonder as we looked at flowers, painting, playing in the sand, gluing, dressing up and stories. Some children were a little overwhelmed, and others couldn't get enough of all the activities. 


In the evening, our family went to the annual Margaret River Agricultural Show. Arrangements for this big night started a week ago. As parents, we had a schedule. At 5.30pm we were meeting this friend at the Tumbler, at 6.30pm we would meet and have dinner, at 7.30pm another friend would be met at the Tumbler and at 8.30pm we would watch the fireworks. The excitement was oozing!!

The look on my daughter's face as she tried to take in the different show bags and work out which was the right one for her was priceless. Wonder, confusion and excitement all wrapped up in one little expression. Watching the anticipation as they waited in line to go on the rides and then the smiles and the hair flying as they whizzed past us on the Sizzler.We joined the circle of parents with their cameras, waving as they flew around.

Adulthood has a way of bringing restraint into our lives. Everything is more measured and contained. I guess there is a need for that in many ways, especially when it comes to spending money at the Show. I wonder how much more joy we would have in life if, just occasionally, we let ourselves go. What would happen if we allowed ourselves to splash paint on a canvas, not worrying about the cost or the mess we were making? When was the last time we felt our heart pounding in anticipation of going on a 'freaky' ride at the Show? When did we last squeal in delight? When did we last let our hair down and let it fly in the wind? Do you remember the last time you ate fairy floss?

I often here people talk about childhood like they would love to go back to those carefree days. I would like to ask the question, "Why can't we reclaim childlike joy for ourselves?" I guess it's a choice we make. Do we risk being vulnerable and experience a sense of wonder and laughter or do we stay safe, contained and in control?

Treasure

Its school holidays and both of my kids have been given some money by their grandparents to spend. I've found it amusing watching how my two handle money and the whole idea of saving. My oldest seems to understand how money works. We have a system where if they choose to save their money in the bank we will also add to the total helping them on their way to their saving goal. My oldest gets this and will put some of his money away. It seems to burn a hole in his pocket, though, and it doesn't take him long to find something he would like to buy. Similarly, this money from his grandparents needed to be spent as soon as possible. He didn't spend it all on himself, he bought each member of the family a gift. Even his sister!!

My youngest is very different with money. Although I have tried numerous times to explain the merits of saving in the bank (especially with our little bonus system), she still insists on saving it in her purse. I asked her why this was important to her and she explained that when it is in her purse she can look at it and count it whenever she wants. It is important to have it close to hand. She is not quick to spend, but can be very generous when she chooses.

My kids were on camp last weekend and were learning about 'Treasure'. They have both brought their bibles to me in the last few days to show me the passage from Matthew 13 about hidden treasure. I wonder if how we are with money has any relevance to how we are with the treasure that God offers? Do we hide the treasure away in hope that it will grow or multiply? Do we keep it close by in order to access it at a moment's notice? Do we feel a need to give it away either in generosity or in fear of what will happen if we hold on to it?

I don't think it is any accident that my pet name for my children is 'Treasure'. They are coming to the age now where it is a difficult balance between protecting them and allowing them to become independent. Is this how it is with God's treasure in our lives? We need to find a balance between protecting it and sharing it with others in our lives. Like learning how to be good with our money, sometimes understanding the presence of God in our life can take a life time.

Come as a child

The Gospel reading in the lectionary today is Mark 9: 30-37. Jesus and the disciples are on a journey towards Jerusalem. Along the way the disciples were arguing about which one of them was the greatest. Jesus decides to teach the disciples by bringing a small child and standing him among them, a tiny little figure. We can imagine that maybe Jesus picked the child up and possibly even sat him on his knee, as an example of those who have no status yet have everything. What a beautiful image! Who is the greatest? Who will welcome this little child?

We try so hard to be successful, to get it right, to be special and to be valued. We put so much effort into self-validation that we somehow lose the plot. There is a story, you may have heard before, of a couple who had just given birth to their second child. As soon as the newborn was brought home from the hospital, the two-year-old son asked to hold the smaller child. But when the infant was put into his arms, the boy would specify that he wanted to be ALONE with the baby. Understandably, the parents were unsettled and didn't think this was a good idea.

Anyway, a few months went by and still the two-year-old insisted that he wanted to be alone with the baby. The parents put it off as long as they could, hoping that the older kid would forget, but his demands just got more and more persistent. Finally, they agreed to leave the two very young children in a room alone for a few minutes. Standing just outside the room, they listened for anything out-of-the-ordinary, while their son was FINALLY alone with the baby. And this is what they heard.

The two-year-old said to the newborn: "Tell me what God is like, cause I'm starting to forget.."

God wants us to come as a child; vulnerable, humble and with nothing. All of our other attempts at self-validation will finally fail, but we will always be a child of God. I wonder if you have allowed your inner child to surface lately. Many of us are afraid of our inner child and keep him or her securely locked away. I can only speak from my own experience, that when I let my inner child approach God I get to know God on a whole different level.

  

I wonder how easy it is for you to be that little child that Jesus took upon his knee. Maybe it is more comfortable for us to be associated with the disciples and their attempts to outdo each other. Become the least, and you will become the first. 

The Boy, The Kite and The Wind

A few months ago I used this video clip at a family service. We were talking about the Spirit being like wind. This wonderful video is a retelling of the children's book by Al Andrews. I think it has a message that we need to hear. What are we passing on to our children? Are we gifting them with the things in life that will be eternal? This raises lots of questions and wondering about Spirituality with children. Enjoy the clip!