Sea To Shining Sea!

In the first Messy Church Book, Unit 15 describes the background to Bible Seasides as:

"In the Bible, the uncontrollable nature of the sea is traditionally associated with the powers of chaos and evil and the symbolism of moving through chaos into order.  This is evident right from the very beginning of time, when God created everything out of the chaos of and earth that was 'barren, with no form of life...  under a roaring ocean covered with darkness ' (Genesis 1:1-2).  Again, in Exodus we find order rising out of chaos as Moses leads the Israelite out of Egypt, through the Red Sea and into the promised land (Exodus 13:17-14:30)."

I don't know about you but the words used are very visually powerful.  I can identify with life being full of chaos and calm, like a sea. 

I can imagine chaos crashing like giant waves, all around feeling like there is no end in sight.

I can think of "everyday" as a sea with little waves moving you along.

The calm sea is frightening to me, nothing in nature should be that still.

I like surfer waves:

These waves can be "tamed".  They can be scary but if you have the knowledge and the physical stamina you can enjoy the ups and downs.  You can feel the pattern and life of the wave, making order out of chaos.

The sea is amazing.  There are places of the oceans that no human as seen.  Animals that we haven't found yet.  Creatures that could not survive outside of cold waters, and some that would not survive if they left warm waters.  Some marine life thrives on waters that are almost boiling and full of toxins.  

We are like those animals.  We thrive in certain environments and some we are there simply because that's where we were born.  We are made to be different, but can have similar situations.  

You might not like the surfer waves.  You might like the rolling crashing thunderous waves.  Or that's just where you are.

I'll say it again, the sea is amazing.  Creatures can be amazing.  Creatures work better in an ecosystem, an ecosystem that lets other beautiful creatures coexist with one another like a coral reef.  

You are welcome here.

You know, BOTB....you know, right??

Blessing of the Backpacks

We do this thing, we get backpacks then fill them with school supplies.  

*whispers* I hear there's going to be ice cream involved....

We do this thing every year, although I've only seen one- I'm an ACC newbie,and it's pretty awesome.  *whispers* I hear there's going to be ice cream involved....  I don't know if any of you awesomamazing readers are local, but if you felt the urge to get an extra box of crayons, or paper, or folders...I'd be glad to swing by and pick them up to take to church!  


Of course, you are welcome to drop them off yourself  if you wanted, in the boxes at the entrances and in the Fellowship Hall!  *whispers* I hear there's going to be ice cream involved....

(i could watch ALL of these all the time.)

Paula reminds us that:

• Blessing of the Backpacks will be a the 10:30 service on July 29 since school will start August 1.  *whispers* I hear there's going to be ice cream involved....
• Due to the early starting of school, we are behind by about 2 weeks.

BUT.....


*shouts*  
I hear there's going to be ice cream involved!!

A time to play and a time to.....play

This morning's sermon spoke to me, I love it when they do that, but really why wouldn't it?  I could be attuned to anything that would work with the Messy Church Ministry, and that's ok too. 


Dare to have fun at church.  


Be childlike in your faith.


After the Children's Moment and they went back to Worship and Wonder, the adults sang...

I can't tell you the last time I heard this, let alone SANG it!  


Really, we do this.  We "outgrow" playing to learn in favor of (well, forcibly! lol) book learning. I couldn't WAIT to grow up, to be "counted".  I see that in my daughter now, and I see myself helping this along "not now", "be still", "shhhhh".   A time and a place for everything yes, but I hear myself say these things when I could be joining them!  How can we as a community slow this or stop it?  


I think Messy Church can do this for many families.  
I think it can help the adults let the kids be kids and learn through play. 
I think it can remind the grown ups how much fun playing can be!!! 
I think it will remind us how much we can learn about ourselves while playing and what WE can learn about/from our children while watching them play.


To let them get messy.  Do you remember finger painting? How freeing that was!  Jumping rope, singing a well loved song that EVERYONE  is singing...and if you want to top it off, we are singing it in a round!  Glue and glitter should be involved somewhere.  Some sand, yes...some colored sand.



How can we get the teenagers to remember this is fun, how can we let the kiddos do for themselves and get messy, and how can we integrate age appropriate crafts for adults?  


Psalm 100

Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth.
²     Worship the Lord with gladness;
    come before him with joyful songs.
³ Know that the Lord is God. 
    It is he who made us, and we are his^[a];
    we are his people, the sheep of his pasture.

⁴ Enter his gates with thanksgiving 
    and his courts with praise;
    give thanks to him and praise his name. 
⁵ For the Lord is good and his love endures forever; 
    his faithfulness continues through all generations.

We also sang this...complete with movements...  Great thing, a whole congregation clapping and stomping together.  We were all grinning like happy children!

Lets all get our hands dirty, get down on the floor with our tweens and teens and remember that we don't have to stay "clean" and neat and tidy.  Sometimes to learn what is in our hearts, or being put on it, we have to play and be messy..