Our pattern of prayer in the Episcopal Church is one that shapes us for empathy and action.  It is a pattern of prayer that helps us balance an inward focus with an outward focus, and trains us to notice and respond to the needs of others.  

It is normal (and healthy) for a child's prayers to begin with those closest to them--family members, pets, best friends.  The Book of Common Prayer offers us a pattern of prayer that can help people of all ages build a habit for praying, not only for those who are near to us, but for the whole world.  

The Prayer Book instructs us to include at every Eucharist, our prayers for:

• The Universal Church, its members, and its mission (The Church)
• The Nation and all in authority (Our Country and Leaders)
• The welfare of the world (The Whole World, including all people, animals, and the environment)
• The concerns of the local community (Those Near to Us, including our city, our neighbors, our church, our school, our family) 
• Those who suffer and those in any trouble (The Suffering)
• The departed (Those who have died) 

For Children's Chapel at St. Mark's, we've set aside 6 small jars with visual prompts to remind us to offer prayers not only for ourselves, but for people, places, and things in each of these 6 categories.  When a child offers a prayer, they are invited to place a small jewel or pebble in the appropriate jar.  (I've made several extra copies of the visual prompts, in case you'd like to replicate this practice at home.)  

In the face of the needs of the world and the needs in our own lives, we don't need to tell God what to do.  God doesn't need our instructions or advice.  We just need to call on God--the source of all love, all life, all light; the Creator, Redeemer, and Sustainer of all things-- to draw near and dwell with us in the midst of all our pain, our suffering, our uncertainty, our need, our fear, our hope; and to grant us the strength, wisdom, and inspiration to respond with faith and courage to the needs of the world.  

The beautiful image of a fruit bearing tree planted by a river, which we find in the Psalms, has provided a central focus for our Diocese under the guidance of our new Bishop since our last diocesan convention in November 2018.  Our Bishop has invited all of us to imagine ourselves--the Episcopal Church in the Diocese of the Rio Grand--as a tree with Deep Roots and a Broad Reach. 

​What does it mean for you to have deep roots and a broad reach?  What does it mean for your children?  Your family?  St. Mark's?  Our diocese?  Our denomination?  

What helps YOU feel rooted?
What feeds & refreshes you, allowing you to grow, flourish and bear fruit in different seasons?
What is the relationship between rooting down and reaching out in your life and family?  

This Summer we will be creating a community mosaic, depicting a tree, in the courtyard at St. Mark's.  We hope that everyone in the St. Mark's community will get involved in this exciting project.  As we work on this project together this summer, and as we enjoy the finished mosaic for years to come, I invite you to continue reflecting on the image of a tree, and the concept of "Deep Roots, Broad Reach."   You can learn more about St. Mark's  "Tree of Life" Community Courtyard Mosaic Project here. 

This month's Song of the Month is a variation of a song by singer/songwriter Betsy Rose.  

*In other versions of the song this word appears as "fruit", "love", and "moon".  For purposes of Children's Chapel, we've chosen to sing "Word" as in Jesus, the Word, that comes down from heaven to give life to the world.  ​

Once you are comfortable with the words and the melody, try singing the song as a round in two or more parts!   

​St. Mark's children will share this song as the Offertory Anthem during Worship on Sunday, June 23rd.  

This month I'd like to introduce you to a song we've been singing regularly in Children's Chapel this spring, both on Sundays (with the church) and Wednesdays (with the preschool.) 

We open each session of Children's Chapel singing an adaptation (Hymn 714 in the Episcopal Hymnal) of a familiar Jewish round, Shalom Chaverim. 

The word "shalom" is often translated "peace", but it has more depth and richness of meaning than can be contained in any single English word.  If you're interested in a more thorough exploration of the word, this Wikipedia entry is a good place to start.  

In the context of Children's Chapel, this song provides a means for acknowledging, greeting and blessing one another by name as we gather, and for beginning to settle our hearts, minds, and bodies so that we can listen for God speaking to us through a story.  

I introduce the song by saying:

Then we begin to sing:

It is amazing to watch the children's anticipation build as their turn draws near, then to watch their faces shine with the joy and delight of being seen and known as we lovingly sing their name. 

When everyone has been greeted and blessed by name:

In April we'll begin preparing to celebrate the Resurrection by learning two new songs. 

First, an "Easter Troparion" set to a familiar Hasidic walking song tune: 

This song is particularly fun because, honestly--who doesn't like stomping??

Next, a "Caribbean Hallelujah": 

Of all the possible settings of "Alleluia" we could sing, I chose this one for starters because of its fun Caribbean rhythm and the ease with which it can be integrated into daily life by inserting any number of phrases to replace the initial "halle, halle, halle." 

​ For example, you can sing your way through a wide variety of chores and daily tasks:

You can also use the song as a sort of "refrain" to repeat and amplify the thanksgivings of various family members as part of a daily prayer time this month:

I hope that you enjoy these songs, and the opportunity they present to bring a sense of joy and celebration into your everyday life!  

In traditional Ignatian Spirituality, a core spiritual practice is the "Daily Examen", or prayerful reflection on how God's Spirit is moving in one's life in terms of "consolations" and "desolations."  A balanced spiritual life requires that we pay attention to both "consolations" AND "desolations", both "highs" AND "lows."  

Last month, our "Song of the Month" invited us to daily reflection and sharing of burdens, hard and heavy things--what in a religious order we might call "desolations" or in a youth group we might call "lows."  This month, our "Song of the Month" invites us to daily reflection and sharing of experiences of life and love--what in a religious order we might call "consolations" or in a youth group we might call "highs." 

In particular, this month I invite you to pay attention to where you notice life, and feel most alive. "Resurrection" or "New Life" isn't just something that happens after we die.  God is bringing forth new life--in and around us--ALL THE TIME!  When we pay attention to where and how God is enlivening us, we can more fully participate in God's work of resurrection in our lives and in the world!  

Place a flower, plant, or other reminder of new life in a place where you can see it

• Reflect on the daily questions, above.
• Sing our "Songs of the Month" with movements to amplify your song/prayer: STOMP down everything that drains life and joy; REACH OUT to embrace everything that brings life and joy;  CLAP to celebrate God's gifts of life and joy!   

Lent is coming.  In Godly Play we talk about Lent as the season of "getting ready to come close to the mystery of Easter."  In "big church", our Lenten journey begins with Ash Wednesday, a somber day of penitence and reflecting on our own mortality.  

We often feel unsure about if or how we should talk about hard subjects--sin, repentance, death--with children.  I understand the impulse to avoid broaching these hard subjects with kids.  The Church has an ugly (I daresay sinful) history of using concepts like "sin" and "death" to inflict shame and fear on people of all ages, which has often led to devastating spiritual and physical consequences.  The amplification of shame and fear is never the work of God's people, who are called in baptism to "proclaim by word and example the Good News of God in Christ!" 

On the other hand, shame and fear, sin and death are real facets of the human experience and to pretend otherwise is doing nobody any favors.  As a perfectionist by nature, I can guarantee you that I have never needed the Church to shame me; I am perfectly capable of manufacturing buckets full of shame all on my own!  I have, however, needed the church to provide me with a community of loving support and effective practices (prayers, songs, scriptures, sacraments) to help unbind me from shame. 

At least one of my three kids seems to be naturally wired for perfectionism, like I am.  I see that, for this child, it is a diabolically short neurological leap from "I made a mistake" to  "I am unloved and unlovable."  It's heartbreaking.  It's also dangerous.

How different would our world be if, when our leaders were called out for making bad or hurtful choices, they didn't respond with tantrums, denial and defensiveness, but rather responded by simply and humbly  acknowledging their mistakes?   "I see now that I made a bad choice.  I'm sorry.  I want to do better.  What can I do to make things better, starting today?"  Can you imagine how revolutionary that would be?  

The good news is we can start training for that revolution today.  And we can give our kids simple tools to do the same.  We can help one another, and help our kids, grow strong in the unshakeable knowledge that we are "fearfully and wonderfully made",  fashioned in God's own image, infinitely and irrevocably loved.  And we can develop a regular, daily practice of unloading the "pebbles" of sin, anxiety, and  shortcomings, before they become boulders of fear and shame that weigh us down and impede our growth in love and joy.  

Below is a beautiful storybook, called "What is my Song", that I look forward to sharing with the children of St. Mark's during Lent.  I commend it to you as a great place to launch your own Lenten Journey and further reflection on the vital role a spiritual community can play in the important work of repentance, reconciliation, and restoration to our best and truest selves.

Perhaps we can think of this month's Song of the Month, the Kyrie, as a prayer song the rinses our hearts, minds, and ears,  so we can begin to hear our own, unique, God-given songs more clearly.  

• What weight or burden are you carrying?
• What do you need to let go? 

​

• What is your song?
• When did you hear your song most clearly today?
• When did your song get mixed up or muffled? 

• How have you hurt yourself, someone or something else today?  
• What support do you need in order to accept/welcome/receive healing and forgiveness?
• How support do you need to offer or share healing and forgiveness? 

Our "Song of the Month" for February 2019 was composed several years ago by my friend, Kerri Meyer.  In the recording below, you can hear Kerri Meyer teaching the song to a group of friends at church for the first time.  The sheet music can be found in Singing In Community, a songbook published by Augsburg Fortress.

The lyrics for the main part of the song are simply:

There is enough
There is enough
There is enough
Oh--enough and some to share

An optional second part or descant goes

God has blessed Her people
God has blessed Her people
God has blessed Her people
God has blessed us.

[Note: Of course we know that God is neither male nor female, God is GOD, but we sometimes choose to use gendered "he" or "she" language to refer to God because it feels more personal. If you prefer not to use gendered language for God, you can simply sing "God has blessed the people" instead.]

A few weeks ago the Gospel assigned for Sunday was the Wedding at Cana (John 2:1-11).  I wonder what it says about God that this was Jesus' first miracle?  Turning water into wine?  LOTS AND LOTS of wine?  I believe that the story of the Wedding at Cana reminds us that, from ancient times until today, our human economies and behaviors are often based on our anxious concern that there is NOT enough.  Meanwhile, the divine economy and behavior is always revealing a deeper truth--that there IS enough; enough and some to share!

Several years ago, when we were living in the San Francisco Bay Area, money was REALLY tight in our family.  Anytime my kids asked for anything, my answer was always the same "We don't have enough money for that."  Soon I heard my oldest child begin to echo me.  Johanna wants dance lessons?  "We don't have enough money for that!"  Lucia wants a goldfish? "We don't have enough money for that."  YIKES. This was NOT the refrain I wanted imprinted on my children's hearts as they grew up!  This was not the refrain I wanted imprinted on my heart and mind for that matter!  "We don't have enough" is a refrain that very quickly makes me anxious and grouchy and stingy and scared. 

We didn't have much.  We could barely pay our exorbitant Bay Area rent each month, much less offer a full "tithe" of our earnings to the church.  But I firmly believe that everyone can share something.  And so we chose to start where we were--sharing $30 a week. And we decided to do it in a way that included our whole family and all of our senses.  I went to the bank and got $30 in singles.  We sat around the kitchen table and discussed who we, as a family, wanted to share our money with.  Together we labeled and decorated four envelopes: one envelope for "Church", one envelope for "Food Pantry", one envelope for  "Homeless", one envelope for "Animal Shelter."  We divided our dollars up evenly around the table--each of the 5 people in our our family had 6 dollar bills to share in hand. And as each person divided up their dollars between the envelopes on the table we sang:

"There is enough! There is enough! There is enough--oh enough and some to share!"

As we sang, the weight of  anxiety and "not enough" began to lift.  There were still bills to pay.  But we were filled with the deep joy and assurance of remembering that we did have enough-- enough and some to share!  With this practice and this song, a new refrain had been planted in my children's heart.  And in mine. 

It may be counterintuitive, but I know no better cure for anxiety than gratitude; no better cure for scarcity than generosity.  The song of scarcity is loud and strong.  We learn it early, rehearse it often, and hear it everywhere. But we can choose to sing a different song.  This song is not new.  In the beginning it was woven by the Creator into the very fabric of creation.  It is the song of angels and archangels and all the saints of heaven.  And it is the deep song of our own hearts, as well:

"There is enough! There is enough! There is enough--oh enough and some to share!"