Irrepressible

A few weeks ago Juniper had her second turn as the UUCA chalice lighter. She carried out her responsibilities calmly, efficiently, and with as much poise as this particular kid can muster. Once the chalice was lit and she had led the congregation in saying the chalice lighting words, she starting walking back to her seat. As she left the main floor of the sanctuary to go up into the pews, she burst into a giant smile and loudly proclaimed, "Well that was fun!"

As part of our bedtime routine, I often sing the simple hymn "Come, Come Whoever You Are." One of Juniper's earliest experiences in the UUCA sanctuary was being amazed to hear this bedtime song sung by everyone in "the big church" (as opposed to the nursery). She and Hazel still often call it "the big church song." Saturday night as I was singing to Juniper, she suddenly got something new out of the song. She excitedly interrupted my singing: "Hey, this means that whoever you are, you can come to church! And, and, even if you're on a different path, you can still come!"