Little Feet

            Well I am back after a busy Christmas, a much needed vacation and now recovering from bronchitis. I am not going to lie; I am having a hard time getting back into the groove of things.  I am one who moves at a pretty fast pace and right now I am more like the slow and steady turtle, hoping that each step will bring me closer to the finish line or in my case -my old self.

            Moving slowly isn't all bad; it often allows me to see the little things that I might whip right by otherwise.  Such was the case this past Sunday.  After blessing the elements for communion I stood back as two members of the congregation served; keeping my germs at bay.  As is typical on Communion Sundays, little feet enthusiastically tip tapped in from Sunday School, I watched as they lined up in a haphazard manner, smiling, as they receive their bread and small cup of juice.  I watched as some ate and drank right on the spot, as others carried their items back to their parents, but it was the children that took their items to the rail that caught my eye.

            I watched as some kneeled while they ate and drank before depositing their cups in the carved out holes.  One little boy stood watching others as they approached the rail, his eyes were intent while holding his cup and bread, before dipping the bread in the tiny cup and eating it that way.

1 Corinthians 12:1-3

What I want to talk about now is the various ways God’s Spirit gets worked into our lives. This is complex and often misunderstood, but I want you to be informed and knowledgeable.

            God's Spirit has been worked into the lives of these children.  They have been watching, they have been listening and now they are responding. This scripture is really about the gifts bestowed upon each of us to continue the ministry of God, how can we know or even look for these gifts if we first do not know God.

            After the service, I looked down at the empty cups staggered on the rail, no knowledge of what hand held each cup, though I could see where the children had milled about. Their parents would no longer carry them up for communion.  No more kids table, well really a pew or a parent's lap, they have moved up!  They have claimed their place at the big table!

            These little feet are learning the way.  They began with their first piece of bread often offered as they tucked their faces in an adult's neck and now they are bringing themselves, what more could God ask?