Faces of Easter
by Fr. Richard Edward
From the May Perspective,
the newsletter of the Church of Our Saviour:
See what love the Father has given us, that we should be called children of God; and that is what we are.
-- 1 John 3:1
About nine years ago while working with our teachers to enhance our little Sunday school classroom for a handful of children at Christ Church -- Sei Ko Kai, San Francisco, I called the diocesan office to ask who might be able to advise us about a program I'd just heard about: Godly Play. The diocesan Missioner suggested I reach out to the coordinator of the Godly Play program at the parish in Mill Valley. The coordinator, of course, was Sally Thomas, and I can't forget our first converstaion on the phone, her energetic tone and care-filled attention to my request coming through so clearly. She was more than happy to go the extra mile and send us the basic makings for the Faces of Easter. It was the first Godly Play lesson I ever worked with, and I was hooked. It was also the first time I'd ever worked with Sally Thomas, and I wished for the opportunity to work with her again.
Little did I know that only a few years later I would be called to Church of Our Saviour and have the great privilege of working with Sally, Bill, Charlotte, and Brooke as their priest alongside them in their many ministries. During a final interview with the Vestry during the rector search, Sally took Daniel, then only about three years old, under her wing. Her vibrant attention captured his in a way I'd never seen before, and it's that vibrant attention and gracious love for children's spirituality that I would learn so clearly caught fire here at Church of Our Saviour. Ministry with the Thomas family week-in and week-out -- from casual events to formal worship, in silent prayer and with the children gathered in play -- was one of many reasons I have felt so blessed to be called to serve here.
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