(image originally uploaded to Flickr by pixel pro photography south africa)

Here are some thoughts I sent to the 4th and 5th grade leaders that I have the privilege of working with at MPPC:

I’m not sure where the week went… I don’t know about you, but every year I promise to slow down at Christmas (the other time is Easter). Then Christmas rushes on by like a bullet train, leaving me gasping for breath and my head spinning. I feel bad for not reflecting… for not having that “Silent Night” moment. As I’ve been writing the storyteller scripts for the Christmas lessons, I rediscovered something: there was nothing calm or “silent” about the circumstances before, during and after Jesus’ birth. From a scandalous pregnancy, to a 3-day journey on foot, to a baby born amongst the smell of hay and animal dung, to shepherds running through the town, to a busy temple where two people prophesied over him, to strange foreigners visiting from the East, to a flight to a foreign country avoiding a homicidal king…  and not to mention angels popping up here and there! God did not stop time and space when he showed up. He jumped into the fray (and dare I say made it even more chaotic). If he can do it back then, I’m pretty sure he can do it today. So, instead of beating myself up this year for not slowing down, I think I’ll take Jesus’ hand and jump into the craziness with him. And just maybe, along the way, he’ll open my eyes to see how he can use me to bless those around me in little and big ways.

My main concern is that now anyone can post what they want with no peer review and there are many out there who read these blogs and take what is written in them as authoritative. I think there is a HUGE danger to that. Blogging also perpetuates our narcissitic egos that people actually want to read/hear what we have to say. We, in essence close our minds to thoughtful and reflective discussion and simply air our opinions as if our opinions are the only ones that matter.

I find myself starving, once more, for face-to-face networks with people I can spend time with in person. I do value the networking that happens virtually, but there is only so much that can happen through the ether of the information highway.

Especially in children’s ministry, I think we need to step away from our computers and RSS feeds more often and get out there and actually talk with those children’s ministry leaders that may just be down the road. Get out there and read something that is peer-reviewed and learn… actually learn something new.

So, I guess I better get done with my own (somewhat hypocritical) rant and get of this computer for a while as well.