This week at St. Thomas Episcopal Church, the halls and rooms have been filled with laughter, squeals and the sound of running feet. It is my favorite time of year. We open our church doors wide to welcome our own little parishioners, children that attend the Day School,  friends of friends and some community kiddos whose parents saw our amazing VBS banner on Hilton Avenue. 

Each day we gather, in Jesus’ name, for a journey of Living Into God’s Dream and recognizing that all of God’s people are made in God's image and are worthy of love. We are learning to to value diversity and differences as beautiful and intended by God. Because we each have strengths and weakness, we are learning that by relying not on our own understandings but by working together, collaborating, our end project is much more beautiful. We are beloved. 

Throughout our history we have not always been kind. We have not always loved our neighbors as ourselves. Sometimes in our lives we are faced with making unpopular choices. When we experience these difficult moments we must always remember to trust in God and always rely on loving like Jesus. God’s love makes all things new and we are learning not to live for ourselves but for him who died and was raised for us. We are brave. 

When we take a close look at our friends, family or a person on the street, are we judging them? Take another look and think what if I was looking through God’s eyes? Everybody has a story. We also have our belief system and our own opinions. There is a quote that I often have to remind myself of if I am having a disagreement with someone. “We don’t have to agree on anything to be kind to one another.” Compassion allows us to find value in every person’s story. It encourages tolerance and acceptance of others. God wants us to overlook barriers and instead accept love. We are compassionate. 

Living Into God’s dream is a lifelong journey. We have to remind ourselves and others to turn to God to remember that we are beloved. We are brave. We are compassionate. We are resistant to injustice. It is then that we realize it is time to take action. We can become God’s hands and feet to do the hard work of sharing the good news and our love with the world. 

God is inviting us to make the world a better, more loving place by being beloved, brave, compassionate and resistant to live into God’s dream of a beloved community. It is my dream that each child, teen, and adult that participates in VBS at St. Thomas this week will leave saying…I am ready. 

Ms. Erin Redden
Children’s Formation Director