Teaching Children Faith: lend me your wisdom

I am supply preaching this week and am trying to come up with something for the Children's Time.  Sometimes this is more difficult than writing the sermon.  It seems like most material written for children boils down to either "Jesus loves you" or "Be good!".  Is that all our faith amounts to?  If not how can we communicate more depth to our children?

Perhaps "Jesus loves you" and "Be good" are the main elements of our faith, in a way.  But, when hard times come these ideas may seem simplistic and unhelpful.  Just a little less than a year ago, a wonderful women in our community died of cancer leaving three young sons without their mother.  The traumas and terrors of life are not kept away from our children.  It seems, then, that we should be teaching them a faith that has something to say to such awful realities.  How can we communicate such things to young minds unaccustomed to abstract thinking?  I don't expect to be able to explain the mysteries of the universe  (as if I knew such things myself) but is there a seed of deep faith that can be planted in young minds and hearts in preparation for whatever they face in the future?

I am probably over thinking all this.  I should just give them a piece of candy and send them on their way.

Do any of you remember things you learned about faith when you were a child?  Did some lesson stick with you over all these years?  Is there something you have tried with your own children?  Please lend me your wisdom and comment here or on facebook.

Right now I am leaning toward letting them shout alleluia's.  It's simple, speaks to the joy of Easter, and it's fun.  There are worse things I could do then allowing children to think church can be fun.  Besides, then I get to shout too.  Aside from sporting events, we don't often get chances, as adults, to shout in joy rather than anger.

There's a challenge for you:  Stop what you are doing right now and shout just for the joy of it.  I hope most of you are at work right now.  It is fun to imagine the faces of your coworkers.  Not much fun for me here.  I just took my own challenge and the only other person in the house went right on watching T.V. without so much as a blink.  Sigh.

Holy Week, Earth Day and Why I Feel Silly

Couldn't get one to pose in a car or wearing boxing gloves.

Earlier in the week I was reflecting on the fact that most of us, if we attend church at all, will jump right from Palm Sunday to Easter Sunday.  Seems like something is missing there, huh? Hard to celebrate Christ is risen if we skip over the fact that He died.  So, I wanted to write about Good Friday.  But, that seems like such a heavy topic and I like to have a little humor in this blog so that people might actually want to read it.  I needed a little bit of something to give us all a good chuckle before diving in to the Passion of the Cross.  As they say, "The Lord will provide." Here is a little humor at my expense:

Last weekend while trying to put an ear tag in a cow's ear, the cow threw a fit and swung her big, hard head right into my nose.  After I could see again, I assessed the damage: little blood, no black eyes, must be okay.  Later in the week I looked in the mirror and discovered my nose was crooked.  Long story short, a couple doctor visits later I learned that my nose has always been crooked.  Funny how I never noticed that in the thirty-some years I have had this nose.  Apparently the swelling accentuated the crookedness.  Do I feel a little silly?  Yes.  Am I glad I didn't have to have my nose reset?  YES!  In case any of you are worried about the cow, she is fine.

In the process of all of this there were several times when I had to tell the story of what happened to my nose.  At first I thought this was a relatively cool story.  Better than "I tripped over my own two feet, " or "I walked into the wall" (not that this has ever happened to me).  However, after trying to explain to a few people and seeing their reactions (definitely not "wow, isn't she cool"), I shortened the story to "I got hit by a cow."  Then images flashed through my mind of a cow in boxing gloves or a cow driving a car (was it a DUI, Driving Udder the Influence?)  Next, I thought of someone scolding me, "I realize you are upset at whoever hit you, but that is no excuse for calling her a cow."  So, after that, when someone asked me what happened and said, "Was it an accident?" I just said "Yes."  I did have to explain what happened on a the form I filled out for the doctor.  I suppose it is now officially in my medical records that I was injured by a cow.

Moooooving right along.  All this silliness seems a bit inappropriate for Holy Week.  But that's the thing about Holy Week: it is set down right in the middle of our ordinary lives.  Life goes on with bruised noses, births, deaths, tragedies and joys.  Even on the original Good Friday, when Jesus hung dying on the cross, people around the world were experiencing life as usual.  Someone somewhere was laughing.  Someone was being born.  Someone was buying shoes.

This year Good Friday even coincides with Earth Day.  Life and green living go on.   I have read several blogs trying to mesh Good Friday and Earth Day together by writing some version of "isn't it nice that Christians now care about the environment too?"  Not that I disagree, but I think this fails to take either Good Friday or Earth Day seriously.  There is a deeper and more profound connection.  Good Friday is when God meets all the pain, sorrows and heart wrenching longings of the world and claims them as holy.  Earth Day is intended to draw attention to the crisis our environment faces which jeopardizes creatures, humanity and life as we know it.  Romans 8:22 says, "We know that the whole creation has been groaning in labor pains..."  Creation longs to be freed from sin, death, and decay.  Our souls long for a time when death will be no more.  The world, for all its beauty and flashes of brilliance, is not all it is meant to be.  Humanity, for all its great acts of love and kindness, is mired in sin and sorrow and far from fulfilling its promise.  Our hearts and souls long for things to be different.  And so Christ died for the sake of all of creation, suffering agony, abandonment, and death so that the longings of our souls and the groans of creation will one day be satisfied.  This is God loving God's creation wholly and deeply.  This gives us hope even when we stumble.  This gives us hope even when all seems lost.

In the words of the old hymn: "Sometimes it causes me to tremble...."

Blessed Holy Week to you all.

A Prayer For Elected Officials

This is my last official day of fasting.  My final action in relation to this fast is to write a letter to my representatives.   I share this letter here so that you may share in this prayer if you choose.  I also post this here because the cynical side of me thinks it about as likely that my elected officials will read this letter on my blog by some random set of circumstance, as that they would actually read beyond the subject line when I send it to them.  Cynicism aside, prayer makes a difference.  So, here it is:

Dear Elected Official,
For the past several weeks I have engaged in fasting, prayer and action each Monday,  focusing on the poor and vulnerable who will be affected by upcoming budget cuts.  I was disappointed that the budget cuts were made in a way that placed the burden so heavily on those who can afford it the least.  Yet I do not feel that my fasting was in vain for it has increased my compassion for the poor.   While my fasting will be discontinued after today, I am determined that for the rest of my life, every time my stomach rumbles with hunger, I will pray, make a donation, or act in some other way to increase justice for the poor and vulnerable around the world.  


That is a very little that I can do.  You are in a position to do so much more.  So, this is my prayer for you:  Each time you feel hunger, may you be reminded that you are called to speak for the poor and the powerless.  May each rumble of your stomach increase your hunger for justice for all people throughout the world.  May that hunger increase so greatly, that you are moved to fight with all of your will, might, and heart for the sake of the poor, the powerless, and the voiceless, regardless of the consequences to your own political career.  Then, may you know a sense of fulfillment and purpose that fills you with joy.
Sincerely,


Sheri Ellwood

Aslan: The Hunger for Truth

Needle felted lion made of angora with details of llama wool and mohair.

It may not be surprising that I think my own children are wonderful, but how many people can say their nieces and nephews are awesome too?  I feel very blessed by this fact.  One of my nieces had a birthday this week.  One of the many things that I think is wonderful about this particular niece is her fondness for the Narnia books and her love for Aslan the lion.

I love C.S. Lewis.  His "A Grief Observed" helped me to feel a little more sane when grief had torn my life asunder.  I have enjoyed other books by Lewis as well.  But, the Narnia series is truly something special.  C.S. Lewis manages to tell the truth of faith in a way that reaches beyond our preconceived notions.  That is what I love about Fantasy/Science Fiction.  Such stories take us out of our usual context and put us in a setting in which our prejudices no longer apply.  In such a setting, we can sometimes hear truths to which our minds would otherwise be closed.

The Narnia books tell of a great, loving, and untamed truth.  The name we have for this truth has been nearly smothered in the baggage of human stumbling about.  Sometimes, as with the Narnia series,  someone finds a way to express this truth without using a name so that preconceived notions may be avoided.  Truth can sometimes be best expressed in fiction.

My niece's love of Aslan tells me that her young soul is hungering for this truth.  In honor of that hunger, I made the above pictured lion for her.  In honor of her hunger for truth, let me also give her these words:  May you always seek the loving and untamed truth of God with an open mind and heart.  Beware of those who shun words such as "mystery" and "doubt".  To think that you understand God is to attempt to put God in a box.  That would be like trying to put Aslan in a box!  Getting a pet cat in a box is not easy (please don't force this experience upon your cat) and Aslan is no one's pet!  Happy Birthday!

Act Locally

Contemplating what to write today, I kept finding myself up on one soap box or another.  The budget, politics, and many other worries kept creeping into my mind.  But, who wants to read that kind of stuff?  In fact I had just about decided I need to quit reading that stuff, as in quit watching or reading the news, when a familiar phrase ran through my head, "Think globally, act locally."

Fortunately, there is an excellent opportunity tonight for me to "act locally."  The Kansas Mennonite Relief Sale is taking place this weekend (http://kansas.mccsale.org).  We are planning on attending.  I have to admit that our appetites are a large motivation for this trip.  My husband would not miss the German Buffet.  There is definitely a deeper reason for going, however.  This event raises thousands of dollars for great causes around the world.  The quilt auction is impressive to say the least.  I am always impressed by how well the event is run and by the generosity that is displayed.  I am always drawn to wonder how many more wonderful things could happen if individual churches and denominations could set aside their pride and jump on the band wagon whenever another denomination figures out how to do something so well.  Oops, I am in danger of stumbling onto another soap box....

Moving on... I am so grateful for opportunities to act upon the passion and compassion that is stirred in my heart when I hear the latest injustices pouring forth in the news.  Tonight I will have opportunity to put my money where my heart is by supporting the MCC sale.  Monday I will have opportunity to put my stomach where my heart is as I fast and pray for the sake of the poor and vulnerable of the world.  It never seems like enough.  Yet, perhaps it is enough to make some small difference or at least to keep me from burying my head in the sand out of despair.

If you, too, find yourself shouting at the TV when you watch the nightly news, join me in diffusing some of that frustration by acting locally.  Find a benefit sale nearby (there are MCC sales around the country and I am sure many other similar events).  Take a bike ride for charity.  Help out a neighbor.  Make a donation to your favorite charity.  You could even join me in fasting for the next few weeks (See my previous post http://faithfromthefield.blogspot.com/2011/04/fasting-for-hunger.html or go to  http://hungerfast.org  for more information).  Some groups are dividing up the week so that someone is fasting every day.  I've got Monday lunch but there are still six days of the week left.  Any takers?

Tonight I will soak my compassion fatigued soul in an atmosphere of generosity...and a little bohne berrogi with perhaps a slice of pie on the side.  What feeds your soul?  How do you "act locally"?

Fasting For Hunger

Just two weeks ago I shared my past failure at fasting and my determination not to fast again unless I had a purpose.  Naturally a few days ago I was presented with an opportunity to fast for a purpose and in a bite-sized, once a week format (isn't that pun-ilicious).  The purpose of this fast is to set aside at least one meal a week during the month of April, for fasting, prayer and action regarding the budget that congress is considering.  Many of the proposed budget cuts affect the poorest and most vulnerable amongst us.  I realize we need to address the deficit.  These are difficult times.  But considering the size of the overall budget, cutting these programs seems to be the equivalent of an individual household trying to get itself out of debt by ceasing to put change in the Salvation Army kettles at Christmas time.

I feel a bit conflicted about undertaking this fast.  I spent a good bit of time recently seething about the injustice of environmentalists and animal rights activists passing judgment on farmers and ranchers.  Such activists often know little about the ins and outs of farming.  It seems so unfair for some to sit in judgment from afar eating their hamburger or veggie burger with clean hands while those of us engaged in this industry make difficult and sometimes heartbreaking decisions trying to balance compassion, environmentalism, and economics.

So, how can I judge politicians when I know so little about politics?  How can I voice an opinion when I haven't seen the proposed budget, wouldn't understand it if I did, and know there is no such thing as unbiased news in this world?

For one, I can look to the opinions of those who are engaged in feeding the hungry.  They would be experts on part of the issue.  Some well respected groups are listed as standing up against the proposed budget cuts.

Ultimately, however, I decided that I will attempt to refrain from passing judgment on the politicians and the budget.  I will focus my fasting, prayer, and action on insuring that those who are making the decisions are aware that many of us care deeply about the poor and believe that care of the most vulnerable should be among the highest priorities of this nation.  Beyond that I will pray and trust in God to work mysterious wonders so that all of God's children will be treated with justice and compassion here and throughout the world.

I am trying it again, the fasting thing.  But this time with purpose and in smaller, easier to digest (I love puns) pieces.  If you wonder "What is she talking about?" check out  http://hungerfast.org which explains the who's, why's, and how's.  There are many ways a person could participate.  For example, it is suggested that we try to eat on $2 a day like billions of people around the world are forced to do.  I tried this out as a first step when I ate at a fast-food restaurant yesterday.  My rumbling tummy the rest of the day gave me plenty of opportunity to think about those who are hungry.  However, figuring this out when eating at home would involve way too much math (one cup of flour that's about one twentieth of a bag, 20 goes into $3 divided by 4 people in my family....AHHHH!).  So, I am sticking with the once a week fast which was suggested to me in an email from Sojourners (www.sojo.net.)

Whether you like this idea or think I am nuts, you are now forewarned: you may want to steer clear of me on Mondays for the next month.  Being hungry makes me cranky.