Sing Loudly. Dance Often. Worship Fully. Repeat.

Welcome to another week of the CtK blog where we share stories of how God's love is coming to life at CtK!

This week, I'd like to introduce you to my friend, Jameson.

Jameson is a lovable, inquisitive, expressive, and curious toddler, who LOVES coming to church. Just like most adults, Jameson has his church routine. Here's a little bit of what it looks like:

1. Arrival at church-- This involves running through the doors with big eyes and hands waving ready to greet his pastors, but before he makes it to them, he looks around to see all the people, then veers off to greet or see someone else from his church family.
   
   
2. Assumes usual spot -- Jameson sits in the Prayground. Just like most adults in our congregation, he's got a favorite spot. The Prayground is his place he shares with his friends and his family, and it's the space in worship where he can see whats going on. In that space, he is free to roam, explore, and learn.
   
   
3. Practice songs- The short sign in the Prayground has become Jameson's music stand. After weeks of watching Heather and our talented song leaders, Jameson realized that he too has a beautiful singing voice, and takes the opportunity before worship to warm up along with them. To do this, he stands in front of his music stand and sings...sometimes quite loudly, and always with lots of passion and praise for God. He also sings in front of his music stand at various other times during worship. 
   
   
4. Greet the congregation- There's a stack of carpet squares near the small table of the Prayground that we sometimes use in worship. When they're not being used though, they serve as Jameson's steps to lead worship from. Sometimes he dances on them, other times he sweeps up his arms to instruct the congregation to stand before he yells, "GOOD MORNING!" to them...multiple times...no matter what time of day. :) From this place, Jameson can see his church family and watch what they are doing as he learns about worship. 
   
   
5. Liturgical dance- At some point during the worship service, Jameson offers up a spirited liturgical dance because he is so moved by the music. 
   
   
6. Remember baptism- Using the child-sized baptismal font in the Prayground, Jameson will take a moment to remember his baptism and to remind others of theirs. He will excitedly run up to the font, dip his finger into the bowl, then mark a cross on his forehead. After doing this to himself once, or twice, or 5 times, he'll then dip his finger into the bowl and approach his family to mark crosses on their foreheads, and remind them that they too are beloved children of God.
   
   
7. Share the peace- Along with everyone else in the congregation, Jameson walks around the Prayground with his hand extended to share peace with his siblings in Christ. 
   
   
8. "Dip Dip"- Jameson doesn't yet receive communion, but he understands that it's something special and it's something we all do together. So when the time for communion comes, Jameson takes the toy communion wafers that are in the Prayground and he brings them up to pretend he gets to "dip dip" into the grape juice so he too can be part of the meal. 

We give SO MUCH THANKS for Jameson and the ministry he offers all of us in the congregation. Through him, God's love is most certainly coming to life and reminding us all of the sense of wonder, awe, joy, laughter, and celebration that comes along with being a child of God. God is working through him to show us what it is to worship fully, to try new things, and to just be ourselves--singing loudly, dancing freely, and remembering that we are God's beloved children.

Peace be the journey,
​Pastor Dara