This little light.

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Once a week, I get to lead chapel for our Trinity Day School students. We usually gather in the church to sing, pray, and hear scripture. It is a delight each week to see those sweet little faces, even the ones with runny noses.

Like in adult church we have some children are really tuned in, singing the songs with the hand motions, screaming "NO!" they will not hide their little light under a bushel. Some are eager to raise their hand, even before I finish the question, "Who here has been in the belly of a whale? Oh really??" 

We have others who are enjoying the wonders of imagination, and staring off at some of our stained glass images, or just daydreaming about being anywhere, but in chapel. I know their little brains are soaking it all in anyway, or at least the important stuff...just like the day-dreaming adults on Sunday. 


The chapel service is the most consistently attended of our weekly services. While it is adapted for the little ones, we still use elements from our liturgical tradition: we carry a cross, flowers, and candle to the altar, then one of the older children lights the candle. At the end the same child comes back to extinguish the candle and sometimes peek inside the snuffer to see if the flame is tucked away in there. 

Sometimes when we are singing those simple songs, I am on the verge of tears. "Jesus loves me this I know..." I hear them sing, and my mind wonders what challenges they will face later in life that will challenge that truth. God does love them, and life will become difficult. My prayer for them is that these songs get down deep in their hearts and they remember to always let their God-given light shine; I hope that they will remember that God loves and welcomes them no matter what. 

I want them to carry that confidence and empowering love with them through their life no matter where they go, and no matter what church they go to or not. Yes we are an Episcopal school, but we aren't trying to make everyone be Episcopalian. I hope they will become the wonderful person God created them to become, whatever denomination or faith tradition feeds their soul. 

And you, if it's been too long since you have sung, "This little light of mine...", let this be a prompt! Sing it from your soul and mean it. We need your light to shine, not hidden away under a bushel. Humanity  is created in the image of God, and when all our lights shine, we get a fuller understanding of God's image. Without your light, or without the lights of those little students shining their God given light, we are missing something of God. 

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