This past Sunday was the feast day of Francis of Assisi who is the patron saint of animals and the environment. Our church, Trinity Episcopal, celebrates by hosting a blessing of the animals in the evening, and blessing of the stuffed animals in the morning.
We have been attending morning services less lately because Dylan doesn't do so well in the church nursery. The look he gives us as we wave goodbye is close to heartbreaking, and when we pick him up after the service he is sniffling like he has been crying the whole hour. While we love the chance to sit together in quiet and enjoy church as well as getting Dylan socialized, it just hasn't felt right lately. Ryan and I have always felt that church is something to attend as a family.
We had noticed in the past that every service starts with a song and then the children walking down the aisle with a leader. So a few weeks ago we asked Kristi, our favorite preacher, where they go. We found out that there is a service just for the kids! As it is held downstairs, it is aptly named the Church Down Under. We were so excited to attend, and how perfect for it to fall on one of my favorite saint's feast day.
Before church, Ryan and I got a few of Dylan's favorite stuffies out and let him choose which he wanted to bring along. He chose his soft elephant to be blessed.
I sat in the back of the car on the way to church and kept D company. I was feeding him animal crackers when all the sudden I looked over and he had fallen asleep with one in his mouth! Once we got there I pulled him out of his car seat and he just slumped onto my shoulder and went back to sleep. Ryan and I were shocked as he slept through almost the whole service!
All of the kids were invited to the front to have their stuffies blessed. Dylan was still snoozing, but we went to the front and had elephant blessed with an adorable prayer to keep D safe at night and during his daytime play. The kids were asked their toys' names as they went up and it was hilarious to hear what they had come up with. It was apparent that all the little ones thought this service was extra fun!
About half way through, Ryan and I looked at each other and smiled - this felt right. Church is something we want to enjoy as a family, and this was the perfect way for us to do it. The Gospel was the same as big church, and it was a full service with Communion. The acolytes were older kids, and even the gifts were brought to the altar by youngsters. There were sweet prayers and songs tailored for the kids, with arm movements and dances. Kids were talking over Kristi as she presided, and a few of them ran rampant, but no one blinked an eye. It couldn't have been more perfect!
After the service we met and spoke with Kristi's kind husband who summed up Church Down Under in the most appropriate way. He said it was "church with a lot more wiggle."
Dylan woke up finally and was pretty startled to see kids everywhere and hear everyone chiming tiny bells - he let us know with a giant cry, but he eventually calmed down and started to enjoy himself.
We can't wait to go back and make new friends!
Ryan, Dylan, & I can't wait to see what awaits us at the next Church Down Under.
1 comment:
What an awesome kids service!!
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