Yesterday evening about forty or so of us gathered at church for a lovely barbeque and simple Eucharist service. The food was delicious and it was a great opportunity to connect with one another in a relaxed setting. As a bonus, we also had the children and parents from Vacation Bible School with us, which included families from both Holy Trinity and Imanuel Indonesian Churches. Thank you to all who helped make it a delightful time!
During the Eucharist service, it was also a joy to partner with Pastor Esther at the altar as we shared the bread and the wine together with those gathered. We are so glad she and her family are finally with us and I know the Imanuel community is too!
During my short homily, I reflected on that scene in Mark's gospel where, to the great irritation of his disciples, Jesus' pauses his ministry to play with children, to put them on his knee, and to bless them. He reminds his followers that, far from being a distraction to the work of ministry, children are precious gifts from God and that it is to "such as these that the kingdom of God belongs." Mark 10:14.
Summertime is in fact an apt season to attend to our own "inner child" and give him or her some space to play, just as Jesus did. In my humble opinion, our culture desperately needs to recover the holiness of "doing nothing," the sacred dimensions of sheer play that is part of what sabbath means. Far from being a mere distraction from “real” work and “real” life, play is in fact the basis of life: it is a life-giving impulse as integral to our health and well-being as sleep and nutrition.
Play is a wonderfully purposeless activity, voluntarily done for its own sake, that is inherently attractive, that frees us from a sense of time, diminishes our self-consciousness, is full of potential for improvisation, and begs for more. We play because play is fun and makes us feel alive and connected to the world around us.
More deeply, play is an expression of our creative freedom. Play frees us from all those things that bind us: the need to be practical, to follow established rules, to please others, to make good use of time. Play is its own reward, its own reason for being. It is filled with wonder, surprise, expectation, pleasure, insight, beauty, and power. When we play, we are open to new possibilities and sparks of new insight and thought. Play provides the glue for our relationships and fuels our creativity.
The pure freedom and ecstasy of play is, I am convinced, exactly what Jesus had in mind when he told the disciples that day to stop what they were doing and to spend time with some children. We should do the same. So, go out this summer and have some fun; whether it is with your children, grandchildren, or your own inner child, find time to play!