The plan worked!
A member of the Children's Ministry team had the idea to purchase cocoons, tend them, and if the timing was correct, to have hatched and set-to-soar bundles of butterflies on Easter Sunday!
It did. We did and the kids already jacked-up on jelly beans and chocolate were cranked!
Easter that year was warm with bright sunshine and the kids came preening and prancing in their holiday pastels. I had begun the Children's Sermon talking about having "Easter Feet" and that the disciples were so excited about finding the empty tomb and a Risen Jesus that they "ran out of their shoes" going to and telling everyone about this greatest of good news! We too need to have "Easter Feet" and I removed my shoes and socks and went barefoot. As I expected and hoped so did many of the kids.
To this barefoot bunch jiggly with excitement, a couple members of the Children's Ministry team brought forth the boxes now filled with butterflies waiting to be released. "Should we go outside and set these butterflies loose as a symbol of Easter?" asked the 70 year-old ministry team member. "YES!" shouted the children in reply.
The sanctuary of this particular church had long, pointed at the top, plain, vertical windows placed along both sides of the sanctuary that provided a perfect view from the pews of the lawn outside. The packed congregation went to the windows to watch the butterfly release. It was a grand moment! One of those rare times in congregational life when the plan just works.
Much like the butterflies now set free, the barefoot gaggle of children also had no desire to be confined and brought back into the church building. They ran and shouted, shirts quickly became un-tucked, clip-on ties were discarded, hair ribbons came undone, some wrestled and rolled all in joyful jubilation! To me, watching from the inside and attempting to move ahead with the service, it was a near perfect picture of the celebration of the Resurrection.
The couple of members of the Children's Ministry Team could not corrale the children. There was ZERO chance now free and outside and on major sugar highs running in the sunshine and broad expanse of lawn that they were going to go back inside. It was obvious that the Children's Ministry team members were not capable of catching the children and that they wanted to yell and threaten in a Jesus-y way of course to get the kids back inside. One would watch and witness several little blond heads bobbing up by the windows and then see a "blue hair" or a "gray head" stomp by with clenched jaw and clutched hands. We watched and chuckled and then some of the parents went outside to assist in bringing in the children and there was much rejoicing.
What better way to celebrate Easter than to cut loose and run free! To run and dance and wheel and turn and gather together and enjoy being alive!
As is true like 100% of the time, for lessons of how to be a disciple, look to the children --- freedom and abandon and squeals of joy be yours this Easter Sunday!
