Mobility makes worship interesting

On the eve of B.C.'s 17-month birthday, he decided it was time to start walking. He had been cruising and speed crawling for some time, but now he was on to more exciting adventures. This was true wherever we went, and church was no exception. How would his new-found mobility affect his worship experience?

It used to be that my husband or I could hold him and walk up and down the side aisle when he got fidgety. Many sermons were spent pointing to the stained-glass windows, wall paintings and hard-wood carvings that made up the beautiful sanctuary. Now B.C. walked himself up and down the aisles stopping to stare at people, smile, and wait for their reaction. I never noticed a foul glance in our direction as I quietly followed his excited footsteps. I was determined to have my son in worship as much as possible. When he became unruly or simply over-excited and loud, that was our cue to whisk him to the nursery. This usually meant he got to hear the opening hymn, the brief opening prayer, and some of the Scripture reading.

Most Sundays we were able to time it so B.C. could be picked up from the nursery and carried down the aisle for Communion where he would receive a blessing and the sign of the cross on his forehead. If our timing was off - whether because B.C. took his time climbing the steps to the sanctuary or because someone stopped us along the way to chat and admire the baby - we did not mind. That is all a part of Christian community.

Having B.C. attached to my stretched out hand was a gift in that it allowed me to slow my pace, to notice more, and to stress less. Even though I was working for the church, I felt so supported by this community that I tried not to stress too much if I needed to walk out with the baby or even walk in and out several times as I tended to his needs. It should be noted, however, that during the education hour my husband was on his own with B.C. That's when I did my running around, checking on supplies and teachers, dealing with last minute changes, and guiding other people's children to the appropriate class.

One of many perks as the child of the Christian Educator is that B.C. had access to the church when it was empty. He would insist on walking into the sanctuary and then proceed to step up on the kneelers (don't cringe: clean shoes or socks only) at the altar rail and gaze up at the angel paintings, the lights, and the stained-glass windows with their vibrant primary colors.

Some of my own earliest memories of church are of doing the same only from a pew. This is what all children should be given the opportunity to do - to gaze, to wonder, to have a loved one close by to say, "Do you see the angels? Look at all of the colors. What do you see in that window?"

At 18-months, B.C. enjoyed church, learned new things at church, and he knew lots of friendly faces would always be there to greet him.

Latching on

One of the clergy announced to a room full of people how surprising it was to see a mother nursing a baby during the sermon. Not bad or good, just surprising. I was 6 months pregnant at the time. I joked that everyone better be okay with me nursing the baby during worship because I hoped to be able to nurse our little boy and to bring him as often as possible to church.

In reality I only had to nurse him a few times at church, none of which were during worship. Thank goodness! I never did master that effortless covering the baby for nursing. B.C. tended to take his time so a thorough job would require at least 45 minutes of dedication on my part. This would have been no easy task as I was back at work and was the go-to person for Christian Education immediately after worship. We did supplement nursing with a bottle after 4 and 1/2 months due to a sickness that kept B.C. from gaining weight. This was surprisingly a blessing. My husband or I could feed B.C. the bottle during worship and, if we timed it ideally, the bottle would last through most of the sermon. If B.C. fell asleep, he often stayed asleep through the final hymn and the exodus of the entire congregation. It was absolutely peaceful for the three of us to experience this together. As people who knew us walked by they would blow kisses, pause and offer prolonged smiles, or say how beautiful he was and how fortunate they felt to have seen this baby today in church. Wow. B.C. is already receiving special treatment.

He is a bit of a mini celebrity at church being the first-born son of the Christian Educator. In my last trimester, several children acted upon the urge to walk up to me and say things like, "You have a baby in your belly" or "My mom says you're having a boy soon" or "I can't wait to see what he looks like!" It's a small miracle that B.C. was born a little too close to Christmas to be the baby Jesus in the pageant. As you imagine he was one of the top "hopefuls." As a new mom for less than 2 weeks, I don't think I would have been awake enough to handle it. B.C. would have handled it beautifully, however.

Recently a 6 year-old boy announced to me that I had a baby. It actually took me a few minutes to place this little guy as he had grown so much since I had last talked with him. Aha! This is the boy who was only 4 and 1/2 when I was pregnant. This is 15 months A.B. (After the Birth) and I am reminded how much transformation takes place for children in such brief periods of time. His gleaming confidence as he left the choir room replaced my memory of him as a preschooler who hesitated to join in a prayer circle.

Every parent laments how quickly time goes, right? It all goes too fast. They grow up so quickly. Enjoy the baby days because they don't last long. Please allow me to interject a little prayer here: Please, Lord, help me to cherish every moment with my child and my family. Help me to love, support and teach B.C. with all the goodness you have placed in me. Amen.

Deep down I know that I am not raising a child of God alone. And I don't mean because my husband, son and I represent a traditional family unit. I say that I am not doing this work alone because I should not be doing it alone. The parish community has already played a huge supporting role in showing God's love to B.C. and to our family. The priceless advice from moms and dads alike has been welcomed by this new mom. B.C. has been passed around the Parish Hall more than once from one loving set of arms to another. What will the effects of a child raised consistently in a parish community like this one be on his life? On mine?

In the beginning I knew B.C. would be a fan of music and drama as he kicked and spun during The Wiz and Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest. Oh, and he enjoyed countless church services with full blown organ tunes. All this while in the womb and simply being called, "the baby."

The first ultrasound revealed a tiny boy pumping his arm up and down. Could he have been grooving so early? Of course. Music resonates with babies. It soothes, excites, and even inspires little ones. Or at least, that is what I hoped as a church worker and a mom to a newborn. My dream was that B.C. would grow to love God and the church community. Surely that would be possible for us, a husband and wife steeped in parish life at a mainline denomination church.

This community, including many children, witnessed my enlarging belly week after week and welcomed B.C. into the world with much love, support, and generous, thoughful gifts. I have been positively overwhelmed by this. However, what will happen when I need to nurse during a church service? Will I receive the evil eye when B.C. makes distracting gurgles or screams?

I invite you to join me on a journey of faith through the eyes and ears of a small child. Well, I'll do the best I can. Just as new parents spend hour after hour, day after day getting to know the wiggly, cuddly person in their care, so might a parish invest time and energy into greeting and supporting the youngest gifts from God. For, one day, the little ones become bigger. Don't we hope to still be close with them when they are old enough to drive themselves to places in the opposite direction from church?

Music, drama, and community have surrounded B.C. from the beginning. He could hear a bit of the music and drama in the womb, but community is something he can feel now as a 15 month-old. Will he be a fan of God and the church community? Or will he turn away?