Don't mind me, over here eating my City Barbeque leftovers and Girl Scout cookies for dessert while floating on fumes of happiness and gratefulness after an extraordinary Children's Sabbath & Scout Sunday! Alaric, our 9-year-old preacher, knocked it out of the park, plus all of the remarkable readers, singers, ushers, Scouts, musicians, and more. It really is worth taking a few minutes to watch and be inspired and then talk with your family about how YOU can be a "Good Samaritan" to share God's love with others. Check out the video of Children's Sabbath out on Glenn YouTube here or Glenn Facebook to write comments here!
Spoiler alert...here's Alaric's conclusion – an invitation and challenge for us:
“God’s Dream is that you and I and all of us will realize that we are family, that we are made for togetherness, for goodness, and for compassion.” This was a famous quote by Desmond Tutu. He recently died, sadly, but leaves a powerful legacy as a South African Anglican bishop and theologian, known for his work as an anti-apartheid and human rights activist.
I share this dream with Archbishop Tutu for togetherness, for goodness, and for compassion and of course the dreams of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. I hope you’ll logon to the Glenn YouTube account and watch me and my family and lots of other Glenn Church and Branan Towers friends read the whole awesome speech. And not to boast, but Rev. Susan insisted that I share that I can recite the whole I Have A Dream speech by myself. And that’s because even though I’m just a kid, I know it’s important to follow these dreams.
As Christians, we still have a long way to go - to help me and my friends here today, have the same opportunities in life. Just like I know my uncle Jason has a long way to go with his physical therapy, but I believe in him. And I know he can walk again. But we need to believe in and work for these dreams - not just for us kids at Glenn - but all the kids at my school and all the kids who live in other countries with different cultures.
So while you might not memorize Dr. King’s speech like me, and we might not see a guy beat up on the side of the road like the Good Samaritan, there’s big and small things everyday God is calling us to do, even if we feel like the most unlikely hero. We can volunteer with the Snack in a Backpack program giving food to kids right here in Atlanta. Donate to the food pantry. Call our legislators. Build Habitat houses. Not laugh at a racist joke. Send cards to the elderly. We can share with the world through our awesome Mission programs - whether it’s for clean water in Flint, Michigan, or building a dorm for girls to have a safe place to stay for school in Cambodia, or sponsoring school uniforms for kids in Africa or South America.
I am proud to be a part of a church family that shares God’s love, that tries our best to be like the Good Samaritan to anyone in need. It makes me feel hopeful and happy. We learn the Bible stories about all the other unlikely heroes, including Jesus himself in many ways. And then we share the love of God just like the Good Samaritan.
Everyone loves a story with an unlikely hero. Today, I challenge kids and grown-ups alike, pray about how YOU can be the hero of someone’s story!
And then, you’ll feel the love of Jesus as you share the love. And this feeling of love, this feeling of happiness, this is how we should live everyday. This is why we love God, this is why he is our Lord, this is why he is our savior. God is love, God is happiness, God is life. Amen!”
Grace & Peace,
Rev. Susan