Highs and Lows

We practiced yoga in today's children sermon!  Let's say it's your mom's birthday and for breakfast your family enjoys blueberry pancakes!  That's a mountain top experience.  To get on the mountain, plant your feet solidly on the ground.  Roll your shoulders back and down and SQUEEZE ALL your muscles tight and strong.  That's pretending to be a mountain with your body.  When you are on a mountain there is lots to see.  It's groovy and feels good and you'd like that good feeling to last.  But . . .

you go to school and there is a substitute . . . and it's not Ms. Teresa or Ms. Patsy . . . it's Ms. Viola Swamp?!  UCK.  That's a valley experience.  To drop down in the valley with your body, sit with your knees up in front of you and then lift your feet and your hands.  Sometimes we call the valley "a boat" in yoga.  Valley experiences don't feel so good and they seem to drag on longer than they truly do . . .

You work through the morning and then it's time for RECESS!  You look out the window and it's raining . . . Mountain or Valley?

At the end of the day, your dad picks you up to shop for a birthday present for mom!  Mountain or Valley?

In today's Bible Story, the disciples take a hike up a mountain with Jesus, and it's pretty AMAZING.  Peter doesn't really know what to say so he suggests they build some houses to stay on the mountain and enjoy the great view?!  But Jesus reminds the disciples there is work to be done in the valleys.  There are people who need love, there are problems to solve.  Our mountain top experiences will power us up for the valley work.

Dear God,
Thank you for this day! Thank you for this chance to learn about you.  Thank you for the mountain top experiences that are exciting and fuel us to do the hard work you need us to do in the world.  Thank you for loving us and help us to share your love with others.

In your name we pray, and ALL GOD'S CHILDREN SAY, "AMEN!"