As we welcomed back our preschoolers to Sunday School this September, we began with a four-part series on the Season of Creation. When we asked the children, “Does God Play?,” we got head shakes and a couple of tentative nods, but the preschoolers had a hard time picturing God frolicking, exploring, and experimenting with His vast creation. Yet this is exactly how God is described in our series of Psalms, and our youngest children are the greatest teachers of this lesson.

Creation’s wisdom is alive in our children. We can try and see through their eyes and be willing to hear, taste, smell, and touch the treasures of God’s Earth. Young children are so much better than we at living in the wildness and freedom of creation, and we can see through their profound curiosity, wonder, and joyful spirit that God does, indeed, play.

While exploring creation in our own backyard, our preschoolers reenacted God’s joyous creativity. Their wisdom as they worked: “Trees need leaves.” “The dogs are with the mountain goats on the mountain.” “Birds are chirping.“ “Some flowers smell like bees.” “This is a farm.” “I can slip and slide on ice. I jump from snow to ice.” (from wiggle walk to the concrete circle) “Bees are on the flowers!” “Forest, river, tallest mountain …” “The elephants are eating the coconuts (flannel-graph desert scene).”  “I found a pine cone!”

After a wonderful week and a joyful Sunday celebration, our Vacation Bible School is finished — but the lessons and connections live on!  Here’s a lovely article in the Concord Journal.

At VBS this week, our campers have been learning about animals and the habitats they live in.  Each morning, they sing “Habitat, Habitat” with Chris, remembering that all creatures “have to have a habitat to carry on!”  Yesterday, they got a visit from a special animal friend (thanks to Priscilla) and worked hard with Ruth and Janice, building habitats for the stuffed animals they are caring for this week.  The church is full of life and fun!

The first two days of VBS have been full of songs, stories, snacks, art, and experiments!  Here are some words of wisdom from our kids when asked, “What is the Earth?”

• It is not pretty when people litter.
• All the Nature is just God’s creation.
• Earth is where I live.
• The earth is really pretty, the grass is soft, and the sunshine is bright.
• It is dangerous because of rhinos. Rhinos can plow you over.
• The earth is up in the sky behind the moon.
• It is big.
• Spins around once a day.
• Has just the right amount of atmosphere that humans can breathe.
• Orbits the sun once a year.
• Created by God.
• Made of clay, or mostly of clay and rock.
• On the 3rd day God made animals.
• The earth is a planet in the universe. It has more than 7 million people on it.
• Scientists say that it was created by the Big Bang. It has 7 continents.
• It is dangerous because of burrowing worms. Thankfully they don’t live here.
• There are more bugs than people on earth.

Marjorie’s new approach to Vacation Bible School has attracted the attention of the Concord Journal:

In an effort to try to address some of the modern cultural challenges children face, Marjorie Masse has developed her own vacation bible school curriculum for the West Concord Union Church.  The school is set to take place from Aug. 19 to Aug. 23 from 9 a.m. to noon each day and is a summer program for children.

Masse, the church’s director of children’s ministries, said she was able to create the curriculum, titled “God’s Good Earth in Our Hands,” due to her background in environmental science, her past job as the education director at a children’s museum and her experience as a university education professor.

Masse said she created the first version of this new vacation bible school curriculum while a volunteer at a Presbyterian church in Pennsylvania some years ago after not being happy with the model the church was using.

We took time in our service on Sunday to bless the wonderful Seniors who are about to take off for new adventures.  Please add your prayers for these wonderful young women.

God, we give you thanks for these three women: for the gift of their lives, and for the gift of their presence among us.  Grant them courage and strength as they venture out to new places.  Help them to remember that they are precious in your sight, made in your image, holy and blessed.  Help them to remember that they are beloved: loved by their families, by this congregation, and by you.  Help them to remember that they are called, created to cultivate beauty and justice and joy.  Fill their hearts with your spirit, and keep them safe in your grace.  Amen.