The New(er) Routine

For many, many years, my Sunday morning routine would be to get up at a reasonable time, get ready for church, pick up my church bag, and leave the house by 8:00 a.m. or so, maybe as early as 7:30, depending on how much I would need to do to get the Sunday School room ready for preschoolers.

Sometimes, I might need to laminate pictures for a game (requiring turning the laminating machine on and waiting for it to heat up). I would probably need to return the past week’s puzzles to the resource room and pick up some different ones, instead. I would put away materials from the previous Sunday and put out new items. Just business as usual.

Our play dough might be getting stiff; we would need to make a new batch, so I’d need to get out the ingredients, measuring utensils, and the electric skillet. And a wooden spoon. Kids really enjoy stirring the play dough ingredients in the skillet. Sometimes I have to remind them that it will never be play dough if they don’t stop stirring and let me move the skillet to the counter where I can cook it.

These days, I’ve lolled myself into a new, lazy routine. Now, our church service begins, online, Sunday morning at 10:45. I don’t have to gather up stuff; I don’t have to tote anything to a different location; I don’t have to drive anywhere. I do get dressed, but, really, I could be attending church in my nightgown every Sunday morning.

It’s calm. It’s restful. But, it’s not as much fun as spending the Sunday School hour with a bunch of little kids. And, who knows when we’ll be back to a usual routine. In the meantime . . .

Here’s what I’m doing. I have the take-home pupil leaflets for each Sunday School lesson. From the beginning of “not going to church on Sunday,” I’ve mailed those leaflets to the kids, along with a little “I miss being with you” note. After a couple of weeks, I sent other things, too.

One of my favorite enclosures was a blank 4×6 index card. On one side, I had my mailing address, my return address label, and a postcard stamp. I suggested that the kids draw a picture for me and then mail it to me. Several children did that. Then, I took photos of myself, holding each individual child’s drawing, and I e-mailed them a thank-you note.

Getting mail is fun for them, and getting mail is fun for me, too.

Peter was here last weekend. On Sunday morning, we watched a video Sunday School lesson presented by his Sunday School teacher at his church. And, we watched an extra lesson recorded by his mom, who is the church’s Children’s Minister. Then, Peter watched the Facebook worship presentation from our church. And, later, at 1:00, he participated in the 1st-3rd grade Zoom Sunday School from our church. They had suggested that all the kids bring something from their kitchen. Peter took a large pot.

The Bible story was Jesus’ teaching from Matthew 25: ^“When I was hungry, you gave me something to eat, and when I was thirsty, you gave me something to drink. When I was a stranger, you welcomed me, and when I was naked, you gave me clothes to wear. When I was sick, you took care of me, and when I was in jail, you visited me.” The Sunday School teacher explained that doing kind and helpful things for others is like doing kind and helpful things for Jesus.

Then she asked what kind and helpful things the children could do for other people. She waited for a moment, giving the kids time to think and answer. And, Peter said (without prompting), “Tomorrow, my grandmother and I are going shopping to buy things for, um, (prompt from me) the Family Pantry.”

That was, indeed, the plan we had made. Our church is partnering with several other churches around town and a couple of local helping agencies to provide a place where people who have lost jobs and have great needs and little income can get food and other supplies for their families.

(The kitchen items they brought to Zoom Sunday School were also a prompt for talking about ways to help people who are hungry.)

And, Monday morning, before Peter went back to Fort Worth, we made a trip to Dollar Tree. The helping agencies make a list each week of the needed items, and people from the churches shop for those things, as much as they’re able to provide. We then deliver them to a local church that has made its Fellowship Hall into a store for these families. (It’s a ring-our-bell-and-we’ll-come-out-and-get-your-stuff arrangement, so that no one’s too close, and we’re all masked up.)

For now, the house of the Lord is my office space, where I attend worship service at Calvary Baptist Church of Waco each Sunday morning. I do put on clothes, and don’t stay in my nightgown all morning. Our service is live, and not a recorded video. Announcements, music, everything is live. Peter’s church’s service is recorded (which has its benefits, as church members can view it any time that’s convenient for them). Our service looks different, because it’s not taking place in the church’s sanctuary. Our preacher preaches from the living room, or even the patio (which Peter found amazing), now that the weather is warmer. I must admit, that, now that I’m at home . . .

I can knit while I’m at worship service.