During an Elderhostel in Arizona I talked with a Jewish grandmother who told me of her experience when her daughter married the son of a Baptist minister.

        At first I was devastated. I was sure my grandchildren would know nothing of their Jewish heritage. But it was more important to me to keep the communication lines open with our daughter.

        The funny thing was, the experience made me far more conscious, far more aware of my Jewish traditions – of my Jewish faith. My husband and I had not been particularly observant. We didn’t eat pork, but that was about the only dietary rule we kept. We went to synagogue very occasionally.

        But when my daughter married a Christian it became more important to me. At first my daughter thought I was doing this as a sneaky way of converting her husband. But that wasn’t it. The good thing was that we kept talking about it until we really understood each other.

        Now I have a wonderful grandchild who has a nice Jewish nose like my husband. I can be my real self, and I am delighting in my discovery of my rich heritage.

        I tell my grandson Bible stories. We light Shabbat candles. My grandson and his parents go to synagogue with me on special days. I give Hanukkah gifts rather than Christmas presents.

~ Ralph Milton, The Spirituality of Grandparenting

If we are ever tempted to think of God’s love as being available to only certain people in certain situations who have certain practices, this week's readings help us see God’s love is for all of us, in any time and place. The sessions will explore the importance of relationships that are caring and respectful, as demonstrated by both Philip and the Ethiopian official, two people from very different cultures. What faith practices do you have that most remind you of God’s universal love?

• Access Spirit Sightings for connections between current events and the focus passage.
• Read “Racism Still Exists” (Ages 15-18) or “Awakening to a Painful Reality” (Adult) – Digging Deeper resource sheet

• Option: use the paraphrase “I Hate Being Small” (p. 110) based on Acts 8:26-38 or “Big, Juicy Grapes” (p. 113) based on John 15:1-8 from the Lectionary Story Bible, Year B; available as mp3 and projectable art downloads

Some of the many options for learning about sharing and respect:

• Ages 3-5: good news booklet and/or scroll and sharing food
• Ages 6-8: imagination and word puzzle or welcome plaque or scroll message
• Ages 9-11: imagined conversations and/or welcome bookmark or song poster
• Multiage: drama and/or word puzzle or welcome bookmark or outreach poster
• Ages 12-14: discussion and writing letters and/or cooperative games
• Ages 15-18: belief statements or letters to other churches
• Adult: contemporary story or belief statements

• Listen to the songs “Light of Christ” (#6) or “Listen Now for the Gospel” (#25) and “Somlandela/We Will Follow” (#22) on the Seasons Music CD, Volume 7 or available as mp3 downloads
• Look at the poster Rainbow over Pilbara and imagine this is the place where Philip and the Ethiopian official met. What do you find interesting about their story? What did you wonder about?

May 13: The Great Dance

Focus: John 15:9-17

Each of the readings for this week reaches for a world that, in our best moments, is only just glimpsed on the horizon and much of the time is invisible. In the focus passage Jesus calls his followers his friends. Jesus calls us to be part of a community of hope that seeks to live in God’s world in the way God calls all humanity. What, at this point in your life, sustains your hope in the community of the faithful?

For SeasonsFUSION (which inspires worship in a setting for all ages) see the SeasonsFUSION blog and sign up to receive the SeasonsFUSION tip of the week.