I just have to share this post from RevGalBlogPal Earthchick ...not only because she shares photos of her two absolutely adorable children on their first day of school, but because they received some of the best advice, for the academic world and for the world in general, that I have ever heard; and it came from a homeless, mentally ill gentleman who hangs out at Earthchick's church. Read and smile!
Sidebar: A number of bloggers have described organizing a "Blessing of the Backpacks" ritual at their churches to mark the beginning of the school year. What a cool idea. I definitely have to put this bug in the ear of our Worship Committee for next year. Having grown up in a church where children were expected to sit down, shut up and not take an active role in worship other than on Christmas Eve...I believe that it's important to welcome kids as active participants in worship. Anyway...I'd love to see our church bless the backpacks next year.
5 comments:
Quite frankly, that makes more emotional sense than a blessing of the animals.
Many churches here in So. Calif. have backpack give-aways just before school starts-- backpacks (usually donated) stuffed with school supplies, lunchboxes, sometimes even a new pair of shoes-- that are taken to the inner city to give to kids who otherwise wouldn't have the basic essentials needed to go back to school. I've never heard of a "blessing of the backpacks" but it seems to me the two could be combined very nicely.
We do just that -- we bless the backpacks of our own students heading off to school, as well as the supplies that we collect to distribute through the local agencies or another school.
I usually hand out a little prayer that I wrote for the kids to keep in their packs all year -- who knows if they do, but the idea is there!
When the backpacks were blessed at our church it was a part of Rally Day and the installation of Sunday School teachers. It was nice to bless the teachers and the students all at once.
I LOVE the idea of blessing the backpacks. If you don't mind, I'll forward this idea to our church leaders.
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