A Weekly Reflection, Sunday, May 7, 2017
By: Ashley Barlow
As a child, my memories of Sunday mornings are filled with warm, sunny drives down River Road to St. Mary’s. Somehow the sun always seemed to shine on Sunday mornings. My mother’s memory of Sunday mornings, however, is probably quite different; shuffling kids in church, managing meltdowns over shoes that were too tight, and dresses that were too itchy. What strikes me as an adult, is that now I am in her position. I’m juggling the same challenges of bringing my own children to church.
This morning, we have the pleasure of being led in worship by the youth and children of St. Mary’s. It is a powerful reminder that although we are often the ones teaching our children about our faith, attending church, and being good stewards, they will ultimately be the ones leading us some day in our faith and in our Church.
As a member of St. Mary’s, I have the opportunity to teach my children about attending church not only as a parent but also as a member of the Children’s Ministries Committee. My own faith and relationship with God has been deepened through this role. As you will see today, we all have so much to gain by being engaged and active in the faith and lives of the children and youth here at St. Mary’s. As a congregation, we pledge at baptism to do all in our power to support these persons in their life of Christ. Being a member of a committee is only one small way to do that. St. Mary’s offers many other ways in which we can all fulfill our Baptismal promises, such as teaching Sunday school, volunteering with vacation Bible school, or supporting our youth in their mission trips.
Let us all be shepherds to our sheep. As Jesus promises in the Gospel this week, he will meet us and our children at the gate. If we can get them here, they will follow him because they will know his voice.