This reflection (plus puppeteering!) is by Ryan Alvey: 

One of the best things about doing talks with kids (sometimes known as a Children’s Message) is the surprising direction these conversations take. “Gather round kids! Today we’re going to talk about the time Jesus met Zacchaeus.” Before you know it, we begin hearing about trees, and cats, and some embarrassing story about mom, etc. It’s truly wonderful!

But in March of 2020 that all came screeching to a halt. No in-person worship. No kids gathered around to chit-chat. When there’s no one there to talk to, what do you do?

We all have our coping mechanisms. I started talking to myself. It’s pretty odd, and only marginally helped by the fact that there’s a puppet involved. What started out as a fun way to present the message for kids watching church on a screen at home has now become a fixture at our church. People (mainly adults) do not hesitate to express their disappointment when a puppet does not appear in my children’s messages now. What the congregation may not realize is that they are getting a glimpse of my inner monologue, which is a scary thought for them and me. 

What the kids (young and old) see is a puppet, a character that develops further every few weeks and reveals more about their personality each time. But honestly it is just me telling myself the things I know my inner child needs to hear from God. So the puppets and I talk about prayer, being valued by Jesus, dealing with anxiety, getting excited about good gifts, and all kinds of other things we never outgrow. 

It’s not unusual to hear people comment that a children’s message was more impactful than the adult sermon. Perhaps this is because we are too serious, or too convoluted, or too meandering in the messages we prepare for adults. Or maybe we don’t even have to pick on adult efforts to see that a puppet or some other silly thing really breaks down my defenses and speaks to a less guarded me. What God has to say to your inner child doesn’t change over time. The Gospel really is meant for children, you included! 

When St. Paul encourages us to “pray without ceasing” I’m pretty sure my talking to my puppets isn’t what he had in mind. But every thought we have, and every moment we do talk to ourselves is heard by Jesus. He is dedicated in his listening and ceaseless in his love for God’s children, young and old. I hope you find this encouraging the next time you find yourself “alone” with your thoughts, and talking to yourself.

Tally Ho!

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