Light Side

Lutheran, The, Mar 2005

Kids and communion

MY son, Cullen, 3, needed to take cough medicine. I couldn't find the medicine dropper, so I asked him to drink it from the little plastic cup. Apparently, he thought it looked a lot like the cups we use at church for communion. He dutifully drank the red liquid from the little cup, looked me in the eye and said,

"Amen."

Michelle Cleary

Pittsburgh, Pa.

A girl who hadn't received first communion yet was paying close attention to people's outward actions as they received the sacrament. She noticed that some people said a silent prayer upon returning to their seats, so she decided to say one too. Her big sister watched and then quietly asked, "So what did you pray for?" The girl whispered, "I can't tell you or it won't come true."

Julie Bergdahl

Plattsburgh.N.Y.

It was a week before my daughter Rachel's first communion. As we sat in church she said to me, "This is the last week I get patted on the head!"

Rose Conrad

Zionsville, Ind.

One of our communion assistants was holding the grape juice and, as a result, not too busy. So when my wife came along he said, "At last, I have a customer." A new communion blessing?

Robert S. Ove

Rio Rancho, N.M.

Sexuality study humor

An article about the ELCA human sexuality study and a notice for members to sign up for photos for the church directory were on the same page of the McFarland [Wis.] Lutheran Church newsletter. The newsletter's index read: "Page 11 - ELCA studies on human sexuality, sign up for photos."

Delyla Smith

McFarland, Wis.

While teaching Sunday school at Holy Cross Lutheran Church, Wheaton, 111., I asked the 6year-olds what "Lent" means. Lauren excitedly raised her hand and said, "It's the stuff you take out of your belly button." To the same class, I asked if anyone had heard of the word "hosanna" because we'd be hearing it on Palm Sunday. Alyssa said she'd heard it in a song and proceeded to belt out "Oh Hosanna" to the tune Oh Susannah. My work is far from done.

PattiBack

Wheaton, III.

More Hosanna

We were meeting with friends, some of whom happen to share the same first name. My son was curious to know if other people share the same first name, so we started through a list of his relatives, naming other duplicates he would recognize. Since many are Danish, we didn't think he'd recognize a double. There's not another Sanna like his cousin, for instance. But yes, he countered, "We sing about another Sanna in church, Daddy. Her name is Ho-Sanna." May we all be listening so alertly, making connections between what we learn in church and what we already know about the world.

Daniel K.N. Johnson

Wellesley, Mass.

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