NURTURING THE SPIRITUAL LIVES OF CHILDREN

Earlier in the month, I had the opportunity to travel to Philadelphia where, after many years of practice and study, I officially became a Godly Play Trainer. For those of you who don’t know, Godly Play is a method used to help children make sense of the world around them, and their relationship to God and to other people. And children make meaning through story, wonder, and play. 

I am so excited to cross this threshold and to have had this time of re-centering on why we do the work we do - whether professionally, as volunteers, or as parents and caregivers of children. We do this work because we are called to nurture the spiritual lives of children because we honor children being at the heart of it all. It’s shockingly easy to forget that call from Jesus, especially if we get caught up in the day-to-day - we can forget to take time to play. We do this work, not because they are tomorrow’s leaders but because they are today’s children and they are making meaning of the world around them - it’s a privilege to help them acquire the spiritual language needed to express themselves.

Of course, while we gathered, the physical stories had to come down off the shelves to be wondered about. Where were we in the story? What part of the story could be left out and we still have everything we need? I wonder what was the most important part? Two stories I keep coming back to since returning home have been the stories of Creation - separating God’s holy and beautiful darkness and light, lights to guide the day and lights to guide the night, the creatures who swim from the creatures who fly. And what keeps coming alongside that is the story of our church year - perhaps it’s because the days are getting shorter and Advent is fast approaching- but I keep wondering back to time being cyclical but always moving forward. I love wondering about these two things side by side, not to come to any conclusions, but for the sake of wonder, for the sake of playing with the stories God has given us.

If you’re ever wanting to hear a story or curious about Godly Play, find me during coffee hour or email me at annawilliamsthomas@gmail.com.

-Anna Williams Thomas