Playing Church

(More on this past weekend's adventures later, but a quick story first...)

Sitting in bed this morning with Calla and Joe, starting to get our day going. Calla grabs my fist, pumps it up and down vigorously and says "Peace to you!" Then reaches under the pillow for Joe's hand: "Peace to you, Daddy!"

I spend most of my time in church trying to distract Calla (and ultimately, me) from what's going on in church: books, cheerios, juice, crayons, coloring books, "shhhh... use your whisper voice," stickers, more books, emergency raisins, "shhh... that's NOT your whisper voice!" A diaper change or three that lasts the entire sermon. Maybe there's a hymn and part of the liturgy that I notice, but most of it comes and goes and I'm focused elsewhere.

But in spite of all that, she's starting to get it. She sternly told our pew neighbor yesterday that we have to "wait our turn" to go up for communion. She's excited for her chance to "see Pastor" during the children's sermon, even if she gets nothing out of it. And now her latest game of passing the peace.

Sometimes, I forget how much she really notices going on around her.

Peace to you today!