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Sunday School Moving by The Rev. Hartshorn Murphy Many of us have fond memories of growing up in the church and of Sunday school. My own memories of growing up at St. James Church, Lafayette Square, were shaped by two realities. One was the Holy Communion. In those days, children could not receive the Eucharist until they were confirmed in the faith, about the age 12 or so. I remember my parents walking up the long center aisle while I stayed behind in the pew. As we typically sat in the back of the church, it seemed like they were gone forever. I would invariably lose them in the crowd of people. I recall how hard it was for me to see over the pew in front of me when I was kneeling, as we all did for much of the service in those days. And as I watched, eventually they would reappear, coming down the side aisle through the narrow doorway by the big pulpit, making their way back to me. Today, I have words like "abandoned" and "threatened" to describe the feeling that accompanied the mysterious act of Holy Communion in that wonderful, huge, old gothic church. It is amazing how strong that memory is still in me and how if that were the only memory, it might be alienating and off putting. But the balancing memory was of fellowship hour and of Sunday school. After church, we'd all walk down the block to the fellowship hall. Ladies in dresses, high heels and big hats would bring, it seemed, dozens of trays of donuts into the parish hall and the kids would scramble for a treat. And then it was off to Sunday school, where we sat in a classroom and heard wonderful Bible stories about Jesus and David and Moses and Samson and so many others. While the church felt very adult and serious and − to be honest − somewhat grim; fellowship and Sunday school were light and fun and above all safe. Looking back, it is that second set of memories which formed me as a follower of Christ. We know that our parents here at St. A's are truly trying to bring their children up as disciples of Christ. Most families have some prayer practice they have instituted, some time of sharing together as a family perhaps in which there is some effort to connect what's happening in their lives with the gospel message about reconciliation and forgiveness; compassion along with justice. Many families have liturgical rituals which shift with the seasons, especially around lent and advent. Some make it a priority to attend the parish weekend as part of the church family. These are the essential things; the important and basic things. The Sunday school's mission is to support the efforts made in the home. It is to provide children with an understanding of the faith, appropriate to their age and taught in various modalities; so that the stories of the faith might be more familiar to them. That is the pedagogic function of church school. But the greater mission is to provide children a safe and nurturing place within what is often experienced by little ones as a for grown ups experience. It is as much experiential as it is educational and if successful, provides a foundation of fond memories such that after they drop out of church as teens and college aged young people, when they settle down, have careers and families and perhaps children and they begin to wrestle again with the larger questions of life, they will remember the church as a good and healthy and wholesome place in their history and will come home to church. To enable this to happen on a more consistent basis, in the fall, the Sunday school will change from meeting at 9:30 − 10:15 during the "educational hour" to meeting simultaneously with church at 10:30 a.m. The plan is simple. Families will gather in church together at 10:30 a.m. for the beginning of worship. At the end of the opening hymn, those attending Sunday school will be led downstairs in procession by the crucifier. While the adults have the "ministry of the word" on their level (collect, lessons, sermon and intercessions) in church, the children will have the word on their level in Sunday school downstairs. The children will rejoin their parents in the sanctuary at the "peace" and will join their whole church family for sharing the Holy Communion. And of course, all are welcome to share in the fellowship hour after church as we do now. (Note: the educational hour for adults and teens will continue meeting from 9:30 − 10:15 a.m.) For this to be successful, we need adults willing to forego being in church for the first part of worship (the Word) for a block of Sunday school instruction (basically 5−6 weeks at a time). That is a good and worthwhile sacrifice − and a generous gift − to give our youngest members a fond memory they will carry all their lives. Sunday school will begin, with this new schedule, on Sunday, September 16th following Homecoming Sunday on Sept. 9th. Copyright © 2007 St. Augustine by-the-Sea
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