Oh, Those Kiddos

Craig Ross

The wolf shall live with the lamb, the leopard shall lie down with the kid, the calf and the lion and the fatling together, and a little child shall lead them.

Isaiah 11:6

So … I get a crazy idea as I’m writing a puppet show script for the preschool this week.  (Admittedly, the fact that I had forgotten that I promised to DO a puppet show for the preschool, put me a little under the gun for getting the script together in time).  So, I thought … WHY NOT MAKE IT AN INTERRACTIVE PUPPET SHOW?  Which actually translates as “I won’t have to write as much script if I put the kiddos to work.”  Done.  The short script is easily finished and I head over to the FLC to set up for the show. 

I put out the bins that hold my 200+ puppets.  I give the kiddos some directions on what I want them to do, and send them to the bins to pick out the puppet they would like to use in the show.   As I watch the kids pick out their puppets, I have a minor panic attack as I ask myself, “Did you really just give each of 60+ preschoolers puppets with the pipe dream that they will be able to follow any semblance of directions from the head puppeteer?”  I get over my panic attack quickly, because I have no choice.  I have already “released the Kraken”  upon the SS Puppet Show, and there is no going back.

And of course, the kiddos deliver.  When Penelope the Peacock, the lead puppet I am voicing asks them to bark and chirp and squawk and meow to let us they are there, they let loose … and then the real miracle – they also quiet down when asked.  Same deal when they are asked to sing any song they want (which was a hoot in itself).  And near the end when my rat puppet invites them to voice the closing verbal volley of the show “WE ARE ALL BEAUTIFUL!”  It was magnificent.  The kiddos delivered … big time. 

We love to refer to Jesus at Christmas with the prophecy “And a little child shall lead them.”  But I share this reflection as a reminder that Jesus is walking among us in similar fashion every single day that we encounter our youngest sisters and brothers in faith and life.  Our children are sponges in their openness to absorbing the faith we teach them with our words and our deeds.  But remember also, that God models what a trusting and enthusiastic faith can look like in their actions, also.

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Rev. Craig Ross

Senior Pastor

The vibrancy of life here at St. Peter’s makes my service on our staff a joy and privilege. Visitation, teaching and preaching are the ministries that feed my pastoral identity, as together our staff and lay members share in our missional calling … Building a community of faith by God’s grace.

2 comments

  1. Love this! Thank you so much for sharing this message of joy, and how kids so easily share the light of Christ. We can truly learn a lot from them.

    1. Thanks, Pastor. Had you not reminded me that i had the puppet show, I might have had NO script. So you had an instrumental hand in making this happen. Bless you! 🙂

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