sense of belonging I want to give each child, my own and those I teach in Sunday school. Daily life is both common and amazing. It’s the place
where God meets us. Attending to God’s presence in daily rhythms is a perfect place to start forming faith in children.
Songs of faith
to sing at home Pushing a button on a CD player or iPod is easy, but
there’s nothing like the voice of a parent or grandpar- ent. Songs of our faith tradition don’t just belong in church, but can be incorporated into home life. Invest in an Evangelical Lutheran Worship or ask your church if it has an old hymnal no longer in use. Sing to (and with) your children: • Songs of faith for the seasons “In the Bleak Midwinter” (ELW, 294) “Beautiful Savior” (838) “Now the Green Blade Rises” (379) “Shine, Jesus, Shine” (671)
display such seasonal items as seed pods, flowers and pinecones. Take nature walks. Give thanks for specific changes in weather and environment. (See below for more ideas.) Te sweetest thing to see as a mother and a pastor
is a child who gleefully puts her hand in the baptismal font, splashes around and traces a cross on her forehead. Tis child knows she belongs in worship, belongs in the water and belongs to the promise it contains. It’s this
Activities to mark
the seasons Just as we observe the
seasons of the church year during worship, we can do so at home. Children enjoy making such celebrations part of their family tradition. • On St. Francis Day, Oct. 4, bless all household pets. Stuffed animals too.
• On Epiphany, the day the wise ones came to honor Jesus, donate new or gently used books to your library or an organization that collects them. Let the children select and deliver the books. • Create an Advent wreath, letting the candles mark the passage of time. • When jumping into the lake, ocean or pool this summer, shout: “Remember
• Songs for waking up “For the Beauty of the Earth” (879) “Morning Has Broken” (556) “Mothering God, You Gave Me Birth” (735) “We Are Marching in the Light” (866)
• Songs for bedtime “Joyous Light of Heavenly Glory” (561) “Children of the Heavenly Father” (781) “The Day You Gave Us, Lord, Has Ended” (569) “Thy Holy Wings” (613)
your baptism!” • Weather (and local ordinances) permit- ting, celebrate Epiphany, Easter or Pentecost with a family bonfire. Invite the neighbors. • On the night before Ash Wednesday, spell “Alleluia” on a long strip of fabric and let your children hide it in the house where it will wait to be rediscovered at Easter. • At winter or summer
solstice, take a nighttime nature walk with lanterns. A small candle in a jar with a wire handle makes an easy lantern that can be set in a window later. Give thanks to God for light.
Author bio: Andrews is pastor of Salem Lutheran Church in Spokane, Wash.
April 2014 21
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