Sophia and Sundays
Sophia likes Sundays. Even though it's a workday for me and requires much from my family, Sophia loves them. People don't show up at our apartment until 5 PM but we start getting ready early in the morning. Part of our getting ready is to think and talk about those with whom we will be communing. As we change Sophia's morning diaper we tell her it's church day. She immediately gets excited. We ask her who she is going to see and she starts in on the list: "Nassah Gwace, Liz and Bwyan!" Who else? "Gina and Tom!" We continue this conversation until everyone is named.
At about 3 PM we start cleaning the apartment. Sophia chips in. She puts away her toys and books - sometimes reluctantly and sometimes joyfully but always slowly. (Why do you think we start at 3 PM?) We give her a wet-wipe and she goes around the house wiping down anything in sight. Her work is pretty shotty but we'll give her some more time before we dock her pay.
By the time people start coming she is ready. She works her brothers and sisters in Christ. Everyone is greeted and some are invited to her room for play. She gladly eats with us all. It's not uncommon to see and hear her ask someone other than her mom and dad for another piece of pizza or more water or another cookie. By the time we start singing or reading or praying Sophia and Manassah Grace are running around enjoying each other's company. On some Sundays they go back to Sophia's room for a structured class but on most Sundays they are welcome to pop in and out of what is going on in the living room. But every Sunday we ask Sophia and Manassah Grace to join us as we share the communion meal. They too eat the bread and drink the juice and as Laura whispers into Sophia's ear, "this is the body of Jesus, broken for us," and "this is the blood of Jesus, shed for us," I hear from Sophia, "thank you, Jesus."
I learn a lot from Sophia every Sunday. And the more time I spend with her I am made more aware of what Jesus meant when he said, "for it is to such as these that the kingdom of heaven belongs."
At about 3 PM we start cleaning the apartment. Sophia chips in. She puts away her toys and books - sometimes reluctantly and sometimes joyfully but always slowly. (Why do you think we start at 3 PM?) We give her a wet-wipe and she goes around the house wiping down anything in sight. Her work is pretty shotty but we'll give her some more time before we dock her pay.
By the time people start coming she is ready. She works her brothers and sisters in Christ. Everyone is greeted and some are invited to her room for play. She gladly eats with us all. It's not uncommon to see and hear her ask someone other than her mom and dad for another piece of pizza or more water or another cookie. By the time we start singing or reading or praying Sophia and Manassah Grace are running around enjoying each other's company. On some Sundays they go back to Sophia's room for a structured class but on most Sundays they are welcome to pop in and out of what is going on in the living room. But every Sunday we ask Sophia and Manassah Grace to join us as we share the communion meal. They too eat the bread and drink the juice and as Laura whispers into Sophia's ear, "this is the body of Jesus, broken for us," and "this is the blood of Jesus, shed for us," I hear from Sophia, "thank you, Jesus."
I learn a lot from Sophia every Sunday. And the more time I spend with her I am made more aware of what Jesus meant when he said, "for it is to such as these that the kingdom of heaven belongs."
posted by jch at
9:23 PM
3 Comments:
Sounds just like the house church we left in Texas. Makes me homesick...
BTW, I am so very glad that Sophia shares in this meal with you. Jesus would not have turned the little ones away.
Great post. Why do we not let our kids participate in communion? Why do we pass the trays high above their heads, just out of their reach? It doesn't seem to line up with what the adults did with their children at the Passover meal. Thanks for helping me reevaluate!
We let our kids (ages 6 & 4) participate in Communion. It gives us an opportunity for them to feel like they are part of the community. It also gives us parents 1 more moment to tell them about the body & blood of Christ & what it did/does for us.
Continued prayers for your whole family!!!
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