Intergenerational Sunday School--Labyrinth Edition!

Our Lutheran church approaches Sunday School differently: we use an intergenerational model. What that means is that we have adults and kids of all ages, except for the kids who are working on Confirmation, in the same class. Our pastor, while working on his D.Min. degree, created the class as part of a project for his degree. The theory is that children need more adults in their lives talking about their faith journey. Some might argue that should be left to the parents and grandparents, but unfortunately studies show us that precious little of that conversation is going on.

I must confess that although I was enthusiastic when I first heard about this experiment, at the time, I was going to a different Lutheran church, one that was not interested in changing the way they did Sunday School. I have since switched to this Lutheran church that has more of what I want in a church, but I don't often make it to Sunday School.

Today, however, I shall be there. I'm part of a labyrinth team that's presenting to the Sunday School. It may be just me. We'll talk about labyrinths and how Christians use them, and then we'll go walk the labyrinth.

At least that was the plan before our week of rain. South Florida usually has very little rain this time of year, and in fact, we're in the middle of one of our dryest winters ever. Until this week.

So, I've created a rain back-up plan. I'll talk about the braided labyrinth that we'll create at Lutheridge this year for the Create in Me Retreat. I've been making strips out of cloth. People will write the names of those who have been important to them in their spiritual lives. Then we'll braid the strips together, connect them, and lay them out in a labyrinth shape.

The Lutheridge planning team figured out that we'd need several thousand feet of braid, so some of us have started.

I'll take that braid with me. If the heavens open up and pour rain, I'll let everyone puzzle out how to lay a labyrinth indoors.

I have no idea how any of this will work, the indoor version or the outdoor, walk the labyrinth version. It unnerves me, a college teacher, the idea of people of all ages and all learning abilities, all in the same group. But I understand the importance, so I'm willing to give it a try!