Christ is a Raisin!

Last fall I started taking the kids to church. A devout atheist, Ryan does not attend. I've realized over the years of child raising that there isn't a great way to teach kids about the value of silence and "unproductive" time. I hope I am teaching them to be kind to others and to be generous. I hope I am teaching them that they are worthy of love no matter what they do or who they become. And that all people are worthy of love no matter what they do or who they become.

However, I am just one person and it turns out there is an institution dedicated to all of those lessons. We attend an Episcopalian church. I am Catholic and would like to take them to that church. Sadly, they require a pledge of fealty by both parents in order to enroll the kids in their education program. And, see above, that's not going to happen. Also, I would have a lot of explaining to do.. Hey mom, why aren't there women priests? Why don't gay people feel comfortable here? Errrrr, no non-hypocritical answers there.

The Episcopalians are great. I have Henry VIII to thank for their separation from the pope because as a result, each church can truly meet the needs of their congregation. We in Seattle are very liberal. We like the gays. We don't think the poor deserve what they get. Our church embraces all that. We always sit near a trans-gendered woman and I am just so pleased she is comfortable and welcome.

The priest (married two kids) gave a great sermon at the Easter service. He knows that some of the people in attendance may not actually believe that Jesus walked out of that tomb. But he also knows we are there for a reason. He talked about the mystery of our faith. He told a story of an easter egg hunt where all the eggs had little messages for the kids. One 5 year old girl opened her egg which said 'Christ in risen' and read 'Christ is a raisin?'.  He said the first is just as mysterious as the second. He talked about Brene Brown and her teachings on vulnerability as well as Jesus' call for us to be vulnerable in order to serve others and love ourselves unconditionally. There was lots more but I thought it was great.

The kids gave up pizza for lent. A few days before Easter I explained more about what Easter was about and how it was the end of lent. I then asked, "So what are we celebrating this sunday?" and they both shouted, "Pizza!"

Hmmm. They'll get it one day though.

Easter celebration and our lovely church

egg hunt with neighbors

post egg hunt (beautiful day!)