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Monday, December 17, 2012


I was prepared In Kid's Word on Sunday that questions might come up about the Connecticut shooting.  I didn't know if parents had shared it or wanted to share it with their children so I opened divergently:  "Are there any things you' d like to talk about?"  Here's the first and only question from one often pensive child:

"How do we know God is with us?"   (Teaching children IS rocket science...)

I clarified with the child to be clear the question was whether God was present in our lives generally.  I turned the question to the other children.  "How do you know God is present in your life?"  Their responses could challenge those of doctoral theologians:

*So many people that I trust and respect come to church (tradition);
*Things have happened in my mom's life and my life that couldn't be just science (experience);
* The bible tells us God is, God loves, and God is here (scripture);
* The world is too beautiful and amazing for it to be science alone (reason);

That comment led to a child initiated discussion of whether they believed in the fundamentalist creation story or science (the rendition of the "Big Bang Theory" should've been caught on tape) and they all concurred they believe, using their words, in both the truth of "God and science."

I shared with them that they had just "nailed" John Wesley's quadrilateral though I'm a little nervous about how popular he is with Episcopalians today!  

God was present in our discussion today.  My only part was in facilitating the taking of turns to speak as everyone wanted to contribute.  As we closed, I offered if they believe God is omniscient, omnipresent and omnipotent, they should not be afraid of asking hard questions.  God will always be a part of the answer.

I also asked if it were especially hard to see God's presence when bad things happen to which I heard a sounding, "Yes!"  We closed with the key message of Advent:  Waiting with Hope.

It was amazing how we talked around the issue without any child mentioning the Connecticut shooting at all!  God is present --- in our most challenging moments.