Last Sunday marked the first Sunday of Advent, and our Multiage class met together with the preschool class to greet this new season with a beautiful opening ritual with candles, song, and prayer. After our opening gathering, our multiagers continued our exploration of Advent with a lively discussion based on the passage of Isaiah 40, which speaks words of comfort and hope for the people, as well as of a God who has unending strength, wisdom, and power. Our conversation steered toward the birth of Jesus and how this baby represents the comfort, hope, and peace that was foretold in Isaiah. As always, many wondering questions erupted from this conversation. Here are a sample of just a few:

We wondered: if God came to earth as Jesus, and God and Jesus are one, how is God Jesus’ father too?
We wondered: if God made the whole universe and knows it so well that He can name every star, who made God? How was God born?
We wondered: why are we making Christmas cards for criminals? Then we wondered: what would Jesus do? Would Jesus make cards and gifts for people in prison or would he ignore them and think they should be punished?

Some of these questions gave way to relatively simple answers, and some were much more difficult – prompting even more discussion. This is nothing new for our class though. Our children, ages six through eleven, often numbering 17-20 (or more!) children every time we meet, never fail to astound me with their depth of thoughtfulness and understanding. It is a joy to watch them process, wonder, and learn each week – the tough questions, the simple lessons, the classic stories – and in turn, teach me so much about God and the bible and the lessons within. We ended our discussion together last week with one last wondering question: what is your family’s favorite Advent tradition? Now this was a question that was easy for them to answer, and some of you even participated last Sunday at the Advent Event, adding your responses to our Christmas tree displayed downstairs. Here are some of the posted responses to your favorite Advent traditions:

Cookies!
Going sledding
Having Swedish meatballs on Christmas Eve
Watching Charlie Brown Christmas and A Christmas Story
Spending time with family
Putting up the crèche that I made many years ago – and having my granddaughter help this year!
Family gathering together
Making mint brownies!
Working on the Advent Craft Fair
The Advent Spiral
Making an Advent calendar
Singing Advent hymns as table graces – one for each day
Decorating the tree!
Picking out presents for needy children
We donate to an animal rescue
Having lobster on Christmas
Cleaning out old toys to make room for new and donating them to other children
We wrap 24 books (that we already own) and open and read one a night to count down to Christmas
Playing our special Christmas CD while we decorate
Watching The Grinch Who Stole Christmas as a family
Picking a Christmas Tree!

May your Advent be filled with wonder and joy, two things our children bring consistently to their learning and explorations each time we meet. To experience this season through the eyes of a child is a gift, and one that I am blessed with every single Sunday. Thanks be to God!

Using Anne Lamott’s book “Help, Thanks, Wow!:  The Three Essential Prayers” as a starting point, the youth have been exploring the topic of prayer and examining the use of prayer is Scripture and in our own lives.   We came up with two additions to Lamott’s list – the “I’m sorry” prayer and the “Shhh” (or listening) prayer.  After discussing these five types of prayers and sharing examples with one another, we took a short field trip outside to experience walking prayer in our church’s beautiful stone labyrinth.  Each participant was asked to choose one of the five styles of prayer and meditate on it as they walked in this ancient tradition.  The sharing and reflections that followed were inspiring!   When and how do you pray?  Do you tend to use one style more often than others?  What works best for you?  What makes prayer hard?  We’d love to hear about your experiences with prayer!

Faith Formation is probably the single most challenging thing that I have ever taught, and I have taught 5th grade math and college physics. Yet, I have been guided by something my graduate adviser used to say repeatedly, probably hoping that at least some of her students would get this message; “You need to tell students what to look for without telling them what to see.” In other words, you have to trust that the children will construct their own meaning. Although I leave WCUC with many emotions, one thing I feel certain about is that I do trust these children. As they have demonstrated over the past few weeks, learning about the many references and images of God, they have real vision! I hope that I have created an environment in which each child may continue to feel safe to look and see through the filter of their own lives, develop a deeper faith, and bring that faith out into a world that is in great need of God’s love.

Blessings, Marjorie

On Children and Youth Sunday, our youngest members led us in reflections about how we imagine God, using Sandy Sasso’s book “In God’s Name”.  Here are some reflections shared by our Youth:

Based on Psalm 23:

• God is my teacher. Even though I am uncertain about many things, surely God will show me the way.
• God is my friend. Even though life can be hard, surely God will be there for me.
• God is my guidance counselor. Even though I might be in trouble, surely there is a better way.
• God is my glory. Even though I may feel sad, surely there is a bright side.

More images of God inspired by Scripture and a Labyrinth Walk:

• God is like a forcefield, always surrounding and protecting us.
• God is like the stone under our feet, providing a strong foundation -solid ground for us to walk on.
• God is like a bird’s nest, giving us shelter and a place to call home.
• God is like a tree with deep roots and many branches that offer the possibility of new growth.
• God is like the sky, inspiring us and giving us something to reach for.

Thanks to everyone who came together to make this a great year, and a great Sunday!

The youth of WCUC were quite busy in April.  After wrapping up our lenten series on Prayer, participating in the  Palm Sunday service, working our way through Holy Week with Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, the Easter Vigil on Saturday and finally celebrating Easter, the youth had plenty of inspiration to begin a different kind of “Holy Week”.  School vacation immediately followed Easter this year and the youth got busy living out their Christian faith through service to others.

On Monday, we traveled to Lawrence to volunteer at Cor Unum which is a meal center that serves free breakfast and dinner 365 days a year to anyone who walks through the door.   At Cor Unum volunteers are asked to either work in the kitchen, serve the food, or clear and set tables throughout the night.  It was a busy night when we were there, but we were joined by other volunteer groups so many hands made light work.  The spirit of generosity and camaraderie was palpable in this place!

On Thursday, the youth traveled to Maynard Boys and Girls Club to meet and play with kids who were participating in the vacation week program.  We then were lucky enough to help chaperone a trip to Boston for a Fenway Park Tour.  We joined their 62 kids and 5 adults for a fun afternoon and even caught a glimpse of Dustin Pedroia playing ball with his kids on the mound as a little pre-game warm up before the evening’s game.

The highlight of our “Holy Week” came on Saturday morning when six youth and two parents showed up at Household Goods to help in any way that we could.  We ended up receiving and sorting donations, cleaning and organizing various rooms, putting bed frames together, folding table linens and sheets, sweeping and vacuuming floors, and dusting shelves and hanging pictures. Many other adult volunteers there commented repeatedly about how impressed they were with the teenagers’ work ethic and positive attitude.  Likewise, the youth were really impressed with HG and the amazing work that they do to help people who are trying to get back on their feet turn their houses or apartments into “homes”.  WCUC’s Pris Clark works at HG on a regular basis and was there on Saturday working beside us.  It was fun to see a familiar face and to share the experience with her.

On Sunday at church, Pris shared a bit of her perspective of the day with the church.  Most notable was her testimony of the statement that one HG adult volunteer, who is a parent, made after our WCUC youth group had left.  She said:

“Boy, if that is an example of what today’s church can do for youth, we might need to change our family’s priorities!”  What a witness these young people are to not only their own character, but also to God’s Love and to the ways that we are indeed God’s hands in a world that desperately needs generosity and support.  Thanks be to God for this amazing “Holy Week”.

~Joyce

 At the beginning of Lent, our church began a fundraiser for Heifer International, a well-known organization which supplies families in need around the world with education, training, and animals, resulting in food, a sustainable income, and a way to rise above hunger and poverty. Through a vote, our children decided that we would be raising money to purchase several flocks of chicks (costing $20 per flock) and several rabbit trios (two does and a buck—each trio costing $60). For one of our children, Kaya —a kindergartener in our Multiage class—the idea of sending a family a flock of chicks resonated deeply. Kaya helps to care for her neighbor’s chickens and loves collecting the eggs, and she could easily imagine the happiness a family would receive from a healthy flock of chickens and a multitude of eggs. So Kaya decided to promote her own neighborhood fundraiser, producing her own flyer and distributing it throughout her neighborhood and at her bus stop. On the flyer she advertized that she would be hand-painting hard-boiled eggs and distributing them for a donation of $1 per egg or $5 per six eggs. Neighbors were encouraged to place orders so Kaya could plan how many eggs to paint, and she received enough orders to paint four dozen eggs! At the time of her egg delivery, Kaya had raised $53 for our Heifer Project—almost enough for three full flocks of chicks! The energy, creativity, and generosity of this story is truly inspirational and a testament to our children’s amazing understanding of need, justice, and love. To embody this spirit is the Christian faith in action, and something that should be honored, celebrated, and continued in our own lives every day.

God bless the chickens, the eggs, and the children who help teach us how to live in the spirit of Jesus Christ. Amen.

~Jessica