Let the little children come to me

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 Let us pray. God our Father, you see your children growing up in an unsteady and confusing world: Show them that your ways give more life than the ways of the world, and that following you is better than chasing after selfish goals. Help them to take failure, not as a measure of their worth, but as a chance for a new start. Give them strength to hold their faith in you, and to keep alive their joy in your creation; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

I intended to refer only to a small part of this prayer, but the whole prayer, from The Book of Common Prayer, 1979, is so rich I decided to share the whole thing. Whether you have children living in your household or not, it's a good prayer to use as our world continues (generation after generation) to be unsteady and confusing. 


On a recent Sunday, we celebrated our Day School ministry. I want to continue that theme, and say thank you to our teachers who incarnate the love of Jesus Christ in caring for and teaching the children who are given into their care day by day, week by week, and year by year. Some of you can remember the five student Mother's Day Out program started at Trinity by the Sea by Nana Ward. Under her leadership, it has grown to five classrooms. The students attend a chapel service once a week, but again, the real teaching happens in the classroom in the way the teachers care for their students. 

The same goes for our public schools. We have personally have been the beneficiaries of amazing teachers, administrators, and staff who are helping us raise our son. They too share that love with their students as they show up day after day to encourage and set boundaries for our children, helping them to learn and become responsible citizens. A popular St. Francis saying is, "Preach the gospel at all times; if necessary, use words." Though our public schools don't use religious language, they exemplify the gospel in their actions. 

Jesus welcomed little children to come forward to him so they could hear his teaching and receive the love of God. Our teachers, across our Port Aransas schools, embody his example. Thank you to all our teachers! Thank you also to this community and local businesses for supporting our schools through our foundations as well as bonds that help make our school district stronger. In the midst of this "unsteady and confusing world", I am grateful to be able to entrust our children into the loving care of our Trinity Day School and our public schools. 

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