“All in the Family”
One of the most enjoyable things about sharing this weekly devotion with the young people of St. Andrew is that it’s also seen by people we might call “young at heart”. It’s one of the nicest things about being part of our church family. Remember, a family doesn’t mean just the people who live in the same house, or who have the same last name. A church family is a group of people who are children of God, because he is the Father of us all, from babies to grandparents.
How would you describe a family? We might first think of parents and children, but families can include a lot of other people, as well. Can you picture in your mind the people you’ve seen on Sunday mornings at St. Andrew? Do you see babies and smaller children, or some close to your own age, or older kids, maybe confirmation students? Then there are the parents of your friends, maybe some people you don’t know, and some who are probably grandparents — just not your grandparents.
Jesus invites everyone to part of God’s family. He teaches us to be kind and caring to one another, and to share God’s love with others who might like to be part of the family. It would be wonderful if we could say, “Bring a Friend” Sunday is coming up, or ask every family to invite another family to come to church with them. But right now, so many places where people get together are closed, so we’re staying at home or in our yard. This means that going to church, being with friends and classmates, singing and learning together just isn’t happening.
But you can still share with your friends, neighbors, relatives and others who can’t come to church or be with you right now. With some help, see if you can call or Facetime with people you don’t get to see in person. You can tell them you’re thinking of them, that you love them, and are looking forward to being with them in person when it becomes safe for everyone’s health to get together. How about getting out markers, stickers, colorful paper, glue sticks, and cut out pictures to make a cheerful card to send to someone? Yes, that’s very old-fashioned, but you can be sure the person will just love it! If you talk to people or send them something you’ve made, you can also tell them how much Jesus loves you, your friends and family, and all people.
A wonderful way to learn, sing, and do some cool projects is on a Lutheran website: ministrylinks.online. You can take part in a Sunday School class, sing along with a family, listen to stories, and open the sites that we’ve suggested in the past few weeks. They’re along the side of the page, and I saw new ones for Science Friday and Random Saturday. Grandparents, aunts & uncles, neighbors — Please consider forwarding this ELCA website to the children in your lives, as it’s an outstanding source designed for these coronavirus times. Learning activities for a range of age groups are included.
Your St Andrew friend (and part of the family!) Mary Rogers