Youngchurch
Getting down and dirty
O
n this Sunday, parents let their kids play in the dirt. For years members of Prai- rie Lutheran Parish in Stanley, N.D., have celebrated Rogation Sunday. Farmers are invited to bring in water, soil and seeds. Ranchers bring in pictures of their farms. These are all displayed as visual reminders of how God is at work where people make their livelihoods. The display includes signs such
Send stories of your youth group (pre- school-confirmation age) to: Andrea Pohlmann Kulik , 8765 W. Higgins Rd., Chicago IL 60631; andrea.pohlmann@
thelutheran.org.
as “Remember you are but dirt”; “Washed in the water”; and “Where the word plants its seed.” The items are then blessed, repre- senting God blessing the many ele- ments that go into feeding the world. The local soil conservation district provides materials about being good stewards of the land and prayers and thanksgiving to God. Last year’s event focused on ask- ing for God’s blessing on the fields and the many hands who do the work. That includes family members who cook large meals to feed the crew—no small task, said Renita Eidenschink, a pastor of the parish. In addition, Rachel Kurtz, a singer, song- writer and speaker from Minneapolis,
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Collins Wendt and Annie Roise enjoy a morning making art- work with glue, dirt and seeds during Rogation Sunday held by Prairie Lutheran Parish, Stanley, N.D.
was on hand to talk about trusting God in the good har- vests and in the challenging years. A helpful message, it turns out, since a rainy season was a challenge last year. Eidenschink said many farm- ers struggled to get their crops in and out.
And then it was time for the kids to get down and dirty. With poster board and glue, the seeds and soil that the farmers brought in became artwork. The youths’ creations included such messages as “He is risen” and “Jesus loves me.” A few of the creations were displayed at the churches in the parish while some children took their artwork home. And all were invited to take home a homemade cross with a prayer on it. “Did it get messy? Sometimes,” Endenschink said. “But what a perfect
image of the gospel—we weren’t able to keep the seeds from spreading all over the place.”
For more information, contact Renita Eidenschink at
renitaeidenschink@msn.com
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