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August 25, 2007

Passing on the Faith…Walking in the light of God

Michael Taylor, our music director, has written a beautiful and simple song for the children to sing for the occasion of Mike’s Installation as Rector and my ordination to be a deacon on September 15. The entire lyrics to the song are: “We are walking in the light, in the light, in the light, we are walking in the light of God.”
I feel that we are walking in the light of God together as we move into a new program year with our new services and our new emphasis on “growing together as a faith community.”

This has special meaning, I think, for children and families at Trinity. Growing up in a loving faith community is so important for our children. They live in a highly competitive and affluent society that values what you “do” and your status level rather than who you are inside. Church is a place where we can be ourselves and discover who God wants us to be—which may be different from what society tells us to be. Church is a place where children can get to know people from other generations, and other walks of life. On Sundays we come together to worship God and become “one body in Christ”, whoever we are. This is a powerful lesson for children…and for us as parents. At church we encounter parents who are on a similar journey as ourselves and we also may worship with people we might not meet anywhere else. Church broadens and deepens us. Together, we’re all part of the Trinity community, growing together in faith, and growing in grace, week by week.

So, coming to church as a family, can have a very positive effect on all of us in the family. I’m going to give a little personal testimonial here. I know how busy you all are. My family is in the midst of the teenage years and over the past ten years our kids have done the following activities: soccer, swim team, tai kwan do, rugby, piano lessons, cello lessons, tutoring, tennis camp, ballet and modern dance. And we’ve made going to church together a priority. It has been a constant in our lives that I believe has formed our kids positively in ways that they’re just beginning to understand. They know the liturgy and find comfort in worship. They know they belong to the larger community of faith. Through their relationship with the church community, they know God is in their lives. They seem to know when they’re “walking in the light,” and where to find “the light” in the darkness. For this I’m very grateful.

Beth Foote
Family Ministries Director