My favorite memory of our Maundy Thursday gathering this past Lent was sharing Holy Communion with one another, each person passing the bread, “The Body of Christ…” to the next person, the wine, “The Blood of Christ…” to the next. I was at the end of the line, and the person serving me communion was one of our youngest members. This child looked up at me with so much seriousness in her eyes that I was drawn in, knowing without a doubt that she was handing me the Body of Christ, passed from 
her hand to mine. In that moment, I understood the power of shared communion and its ability to connect person to person. I also understood the exponential blessing of having children lead us on the spiritual path towards transformation, for it is the child who often pays the closest attention to the nuances of the Spirit, it is the child who often sees the mystery with awe and joy. We adults can be quick to run past the subtle movements of God in our lives, but children take the time to notice the little things, and thus, help us notice as well.
On the first Sunday of the month at our 10:30 service, our children lead the way in very tangible ways. They read scripture, take up the collection, hand out bulletins, and help at the altar. While they are learning to participate in worship, it is clear that their service is a great gift to the whole assembly. I always listen a little closer when a child reads, have a little more fun when a child is helping me at the altar, and dig a little deeper when a child is handing me the collection plate – because their successes are our successes, and their leadership makes me want to be a better Christian role model.
This summer, we will open our campus for a week of stories, song, crafts, and most importantly, connection. Children from all over Fremont and beyond will come together to participate in God’s story for the purpose of understanding that it is their story as well. The children gain a lot from the week, no doubt. But I know for a fact that the adults that participate gain maybe more from the week. Seeing the interaction of God through the eyes of a child and in the life of a child brings us all closer to the sacred wonder and mystery of the divine. I find the week to be one of the most gratifying weeks of the year because the children remind me that the Body of Christ is as near as a child’s hand.
~Lori+