Lincoln Log Church

I sit on the hard wooden bench, but I don't notice because I am too busy singing and waving my arms. I am laughing, listening and watching the construction. The wind blows in the cool of the evening and the unmistakable fresh clean wet smell of the Frio Canyon wafts through the air filling the moment and renewing our lungs. Our hearts turn to God in worship.

She sits smiling on a small rug banging two Lincoln Logs together and ripping the wings off of a plastic airplane. It is the work of the 21 month old praising God. Her bleach blond hair tumbles around her smile as she breathes in the canyon air. After carefully spreading all the Lincoln logs out on the bright green carpet, she turns the pasteboard canister over. She uses one log as a drum stick just about the time the preacher decides to read his important illustration. She tinkers at his feet. He talks on. He is not phased. He finishes his illustration to the beat of her drum.

She decides it is time to put the Lincoln logs in to the bucket one by one and listen to them clink as they bounce off the bottom. After a few times of this, she rolls on her back and looks up. Worship continues.

Another baby fusses in the distance, another sleeps on dads shoulder absorbing the sounds of God and the canyon in his rest. We who are awake, sing and raise our hands.

This is church at Laity Lodge Family Camp. A church filled with families (including the children of all ages and abilities) absorbing God together. Perhaps this experience of workshop amongst the noises of children is a better construction, one we should hold on to. Perhaps we have missed something by separating our children from the experience of worship and giving them their own rooms and activities. Maybe listening to them while we listen to God is another way of hearing His voice and His blessing on the lives and community He has given us. He is fully present in every life that sits here in this Holy circle.

Laity Lodge Family Camp allowed room for worship, for noise, for play, for being in the presence of the children and the King. If we are supposed to become like little children in order to enter the kingdom of heaven, maybe they should more often be up front at the worship service and not in the back room.

May our hearts be ready to listen to the mighty rush of wind or the still small voice when He is ready to speak. May we be attuned no matter how small the voice.