Night and day

 

Quinton, age 5, eagerly accepted a presentation on the Kingdom of Heaven and the Grain.  His excitement was very clear.  Even before I began the lesson, he excitedly talked about planting a grain of wheat at home or in the playground.  He listened to the scripture very attentively.  He declined singing after the lesson saying, “I want to meditate.”  He quickly replicated the drawing from the scripture booklet of the grain sprouting then growing, and then explained it to me.  When I asked if he wanted me to write words, he asked me to copy these words from the booklet: “Night and day, while he sleeps, when he is awake, the seed is sprouting and growing; how, he does not know.”

Forever and forever and forever....

Theo, age 4, was working with the City of Jerusalem.  When I turned off the light (the signal that it is time for the atrium to close) he asked, “Why are you going to close the atrium?  Keep it open forever and ever and ever and forever and forever and…” (many more forevers).

He's probably really relaxed

 

Before the presentation of the Good Shepherd, Wendy, age 4, explained that the Good Shepherd cares for the sheep “because he loves them.” After the presentation, I wondered who the sheep could be, and she responded, “Maybe they are his worry.”  I wondered what their names could be and she responded by naming each as she returned them to the sheepfold, “Wendy, Becca, Ken, Lucia, stars, sky, Bucia, Grass, etc”  When I wondered what the Good Shepherd’s voice sounds like, she replied, “Like ah… he’s probably really relaxed.” She asked to pray in silence, and afterwards when I asked how she felt, she replied, “Calm.”

They would be safe in the sheepfold

 

As we discussed the parable of the Found Sheep, Xander, age 4, said “The shepherd left the others because they would be safe in the sheepfold.”  He said that the shepherd looks for the lost sheep “because he loves them.”  When I wondered how many times the shepherd would look for the sheep, Xander responded, “any time.”

His full self is in heaven

 

When Finnegan, age 7, overheard a classmate say that only Jesus’ spirit was in heaven, Finnegan replied, “his full self is in heaven.”

The Good Shepherd wants his sheep to be home

 

Miranda, age 3, was working with the Good Shepherd.  She explained and demonstrated how the Good Shepherd’s voice sounds like an owl.  She then announced, “The Good Shepherd wants his sheep to be home.”

The altar and Julia

 

Julia, age 6, set the altar.  She then went into their classroom and returned with four children.  She asked them to sit in front of the model of the altar. She then sat in front of them on the edge of the altar.  She picked up each article, said its name, asked them to repeat it, and passed that article around.  She led them in 2-3 songs, including Thank you God, and then had each practice snuffing the unlit candle.  She then directed each child to put away an item from the altar.

They don't know a stranger's voice

 

As we discussed the Good Shepherd material, Aidan, age 3, said, “The Good Shepherd leads the sheep, but they don’t know a stranger’s voice.  He protects them.”  He said, “Do you want me to tell you what  his name is?”  When I wondered with the Good Shepherd’s name could be, Aidan said, “Its Jesus!”  When I wondered what the sheeps’ names could be, he said, “This one is Max.”

There are like a million people

 

After a classmate said that they had drawn too many sheep in their drawing of the Good Shepherd, Eva, age 9, explained, “You could never have made too many people with that work.  Because sheep in that work are people and there are like a million people.”