June 10

Beloved families of Good Shepherd,

Peace be with you! Today we completed Day 3 of Vacation Bible School 2026:  Rooted in Love. We have 41 children and 21 youth/adult volunteers participating this week and it has been delightful so far! Our Bible verse for the week is Psalm 1 (from the book, Psalms for Young Children by Marie-Hélène Duval):

When I listen to you, God,

when I do what you ask me to,

I am like a tree planted by a river,

a tree full of fruit

with leaves that are always green.

This week the children have learned that each one of them is a beautiful little tree in God’s big forest.  As they listen for God, pray, serve, live their baptismal promises, and participate in Holy Eucharist, our children grow strong, unshakeable roots in God’s love.  They grow into spiritually healthy trees, “planted by a river, a tree full of fruit with leaves that are always green.” The fruit in this tree are the nine fruits of the Spirit:  LOVE, JOY, PEACE, PATIENCE, KINDNESS, GOODNESS, FAITHFULNESS, GENTLENESS, AND SELF-CONTROL.

In this Sunday’s appointed reading from the book of Exodus, God says he desires for his people to be “a priestly kingdom and a holy nation.” God’s dream of a priestly kingdom and a holy nation begins with the spiritual formation of our children. Deuteronomy 6:5-7 instructs parents to love God with all their heart and to teach their children about Love’s ways:

“You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and all your soul and all your might. And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise.”

Parents, caregivers, teachers, and ministers can partner together to nurture the spiritual lives of the children in our care. Our children are little tree seedlings in God’s big forest who have the potential to grow into strong trees, planted by a river, and rooted in God’s love forever. May it be so.

This Sunday is “Music Sunday” during our 10 am children’s chapel. Good Shepherd’s Music School teachers will lead our singing during chapel time. Directly following chapel, our children are invited to sing for our congregation at the chancel steps before returning to their parents.

We hope to see you this Sunday!

Many Blessings,

Patty