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Meditation, August 13, 2026
Refuge or Springboard?
Reading: Hebrews 10:22-25
…let us draw near to God with a sincere heart and with the full assurance that faith brings, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful. And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and even more as you see the Day approaching.
Meditation
When I ask our youngest parishioner what they like about coming to Church of the Redeemer, many of them respond that our parish is a place they look forward to being at because everyone is hospitable and our community moves at a slower pace than their childcare centers, schools, music lessons, sporting events, commutes (seriously), and myriad other activities. On the one hand I like that our families and children find time and become physically present at the Redeemer. Our long running acolyte program and our cherubs and choristers create a deliberate pace and reflective space in which children can come to perceive peace in our world and God’s presence among us.
On the other hand, I pray that children perceive our parish as a springboard from which they take God’s love, spirit, and word to their families, friends, and communities. The two perceptions are not antithetical; indeed, they are complementary. The church as a sanctuary has a long and noble history and should always have its place in Christian communities. But to do God’s work, to bring Jesus’ compassion and message into the world, we must attend to the church’s role as springboard. We are called to follow the verses from Hebrews that commend us to “spur one another toward love & good deeds…”
My perception is that most churches, including the Church of the Redeemer, have come to focus more on the church as a refuge and less on the church as a springboard. For the coming year, our Pre-K through Grade 7 formation programs will work to balance the two, and we can do so in four steps:
1. Affirm God’s gifts to our children when they arrive at the Redeemer.
2. Connect those gifts to their roles and contributions within the Redeemer.
3. Encourage our children to engage those gifts and make specific contributions at times and in places beyond the Church of the Redeemer.
4. Have our children and their families “report back” how they are using God’s gifts in their week.
I think we do a decent job with the first two steps currently. Our task as teachers, parents and parishioners is to make progress on steps 3 and 4 this coming year. I welcome your thoughts and contributions.
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