Second Church Steps

It doesn't matter if it is in a restaurant, at work, at home, or just about anywhere.  If you ask me, "Do you need anything?" I am probably going to respond, "World Peace." I figure the ONE time I don't ask will be the ONE time we could get it. Well, we could all use a little more peace these days. This past Spring, I was in a meeting and gave my usual respond, "World Peace." The person asking was taken aback and asked, "What do you mean by, 'World Peace'?" I have thought about this alot. Thanks to Eden Theological Seminary and Joretta Marshall in particular, I was prepared with an answer. My quick answer, "Peace is persistent relatedness in the face of a disconnect," raised more questions.  The easier answer would have been, "Shalom." At the risk of hearing from every academic library class participant I ever taught, I will use the Wikipedia definition of "Shalom." There are many, but I would...

I rarely bought baby food for my children when they were young.   Maybe it is because I couldn’t really afford it, but mostly it is because I just gave them a child-sized bite of real food -- whatever I was eating. This bite would be smaller, a bit leaner, a little less salty but it was real food.   When I think of it, that is what I try to do with children and the church. Whether children are playing games, listening to Bible Stories, or participating in a mission/outreach project—I try to be sure that they are having a “child-sized bite” of the life of the church.   Are you gathering food for the Food Pantry?   Let your child select their favorite food to contribute. Are you delivering Christmas gifts to a family? Let your child help wrap them and deliver them. Are you praying for the victims of a natural disaster?   Let your child make a card, pack a bucket of supplies, or lead you in prayer. Children are present and full-members in the body...