by Colleen Hartung, Sunday Assembly member
Children enjoy thoughtful sharing on the scripture story at Children’s Liturgy of the Word, twice a month.
Holy Wisdom Monastery is known as a place formed by the Benedictine values of contemplative prayer and silence. Yet, almost every Sunday, the monastery’s hospitality room—located just off the Sunday Assembly gathering space—is alive with the sounds of children playing and praying. As a response to their baptismal promise to be an example of God’s presence in the lives of its youngest members and their commitment to hospitably welcome all who come to the table, Sunday Assembly participants are engaged in a lively ministry to families and children. On the first and third Sundays of the month, Sydney Franz, a childcare professional, along with Sunday Assembly volunteers gather together for our childcare ministry for infants and toddlers. On the second and fourth Sundays we welcome the little ones (accompanied by a parent) and older children (ages 5 and up) to our Children’s Liturgy of the Word.
Our childcare ministers offer a hospitable, nurturing, playful time for our smallest Sunday Assembly participants. They attend to the particular needs of the children who come to them; rocking, reading, playing ball, coloring, singing and so on. Each child gets lots of individual attention. This gives Sunday Assembly parents the option, twice a month, of focusing on their own spiritual deepening in the context of the Sunday Assembly liturgy.
During Children’s Liturgy of the Word, adult facilitators and children pray together using a Benedictine way of praying called lectio divina. Our time together is structured by a welcome, song, prayerful listening to scripture, thoughtful sharing about how God is touching our hearts with the scripture story and prayers of intercession and thankfulness. The children are careful with each other and so thoughtful about the scripture readings. One Sunday, after hearing the story of the woman with two coins, one of the younger children, about 5 or so, said this about the woman. “She gave two coins that she needed and she might not have enough to eat for supper.” I asked her how that made her feel. “Sad,” she answered. This process of praying together puts all of us—children and adults—in touch with a deep sense of connection to the message of Jesus and his great compassion for the world.
In both these ministries, Sunday Assembly volunteers engage in a contemplative attentiveness that silences our busy focus on prayerful accomplishments so that we can fulfill our baptismal promise to be the presence of God in the lives of our children. But even more importantly, the attentive contemplation that makes these ministries successful for the children also enables us to recognize the presence of God that comes to be in our interactions with these children. Feel free to visit us any Sunday to find out what it is we do. And if you feel called, please join us in this ministry. We need you. If you are interested, contact me, Colleen Hartung, at 608-825-2032or kchartung@aol.com.