Pretending Church

"Welcome to our church!" Naomi announced from her rocking chair of authority to Hannah, Emma, and an assortment of baby dolls lined up on the couch. "Hannah, would you introduce your guests?"

"Well," Hannah replied, "this is Sally, Mally, Cally, Childrens, and New Baby" (five friends who have been a part of our household since the days when I was expecting Toby).

"Yay!" Naomi cheered and clapped, "We got some more people for our church service!" Hannah and Emma cheered wildly as well. Then Naomi added, "We would baptize them, but they're babies, and we don't want them to drown."

"Yeah, that wouldn't be good at all," Hannah agreed.

"Now," Naomi continued, "Once upon a time there was a kite that flew so hard it knocked twenty trees down..."

"No, no, no, no, no," Hannah interrupted, "you're supposed to talk about God now."

"Well, first I'm gonna do a funny story for the kids," Naomi clarified. After finishing the kite story she transitioned, "Now we're going to talk about God. One day there was a man and a woman who wanted to get married, so one day an angel who came to the woman said, 'Fear not!...' Hey, Hannah! Pay attention!...'For you are going to have a baby who will be Jesus.' And then there was a big tax, and they had to travel all the way to Bethlehem. And Mary had her baby there. Now let's sing a Psalm."

Two Psalms, and a round of Jesus Loves the Little Children rounded out the church service. Sensing that things were drawing to a close I called the kids in to the kitchen for dinner.

"And church is over!" Naomi announced, "We will now have a fellowship lunch in the kitchen."

And we did.