CONNECT TO GOD

Connect

ANNETTE OSBORNE | SUNZ Children and Families Consultant TOGOD

All creatures of Aotearoa Come together and praise the Lord Donkey’s, Dotterel, Shrimp and Seagulls, Kea and Kiwi come together, Praise the Lord

These beautiful words and photos were created by a group of campers on the first SUNZ Year 6-8 camp held the rolling hills of the North every quiet and loud creature come praise the Lord on Pōnui Island. They paint a picture of the wonderful world that God has created, a world that is brimming over with praise. ‘Connected to God’ was one of our key themes for our WAY2GO Conferences this year. We explored how we can encourage children and their families to connect with God. One way we can do this is through seeing God at work in the world around us. For most of us, our suburban lifestyles aren’t quite as visually spectacular as Pōnui. However, if we pay attention, we can notice God’s praise being declared by the kingfisher on the clothesline, the neighbours’ kids playing on the trampoline or the sunset we see out of the kitchen window. Faith thrives when we encourage our children and young people to take notice of the world around them and the God who sustains it all. The mountains of the South The writer of Deuteronomy 6:4-9 encourages his readers to connect with God in the everyday; when we sit, when we rise, when we walk down the road. Faith thrives when we encourage children and young people to look for God in the everyday rhythms of their lives; their football game, school friends, art projects or poetry assignments. It is so valuable for our children to know that God is not only to be found in the peak experience of camps, but also in the smallest, seemingly insignificant, or even boring parts of our lives. God cares about all these things.

As we consider our connection with God in the everyday, here are some practical examples you might like to consider and talk about with the children in your life or ministry: • What might it look like to turn off our devices for a day or an evening? What could we do together instead? • Where in our neighbourhood can we walk and explore? Maybe a local park or beach. Read Psalm 148 before you go and observe how creation praises God. • Be comfortable with darkness. Turn off the lights and go outside. Can you see the stars from your house? • Consider using Psalm 148 as a basis for evening family prayers: I praise God for... What simple words come to mind that describe our gratitude? The practice of slowing down and noticing is a spiritual discipline of great value. Can we drink our coffee slower? Walk through a park slower? Lift our eyes up from our phones and notice the people around us? I encourage you to read your Bible more slowly too. Choose a short passage of scripture and read it slowly, noticing what words or images jump out at you. We can encourage our children and young people to read slower too, learning to listen to God as they do. In our fast-paced world we can over schedule our lives. We can have the same approach to faith. But I wonder if the writers of Psalm 148 and Deuteronomy 6:4-9 have something profound to offer us for this moment. As we walk down the road, God is there. As we leave the house, God is there. Slow down, notice the world that God has made. You will get a glimpse of how the trees and the birds, and the stones give praise to God. The invitation is there to us to join with them. Weak and strong Young and old Rich and poor King Charles, King Te Arikinui Tūheitia Paki, and Jacinda Ardern All nations on earth COME PRAISE THE LORD