Jesus Christ wants ALL of our beings.  Our time, our talents, our spiritual gifts, and our devotion to Him.  If we do not give ourselves wholly to the LORD, with total devotion, then we miss out on so much joy that He has for us.  When we received Jesus Christ into our hearts, when He became our Savior and Lord—

• He saved us from the bondage of sin.
• He rescued us from darkness.
• He redeemed us.
• He brought us into God’s kingdom.

For the one who does not believe, who has not given his heart to Jesus, there are two particular times when attending church becomes important:  Easter and Christmas.  We dress up the church building, setting out candles and bouquets of flowers during these two seasons.  The pastors prepare a message of salvation, and the church remains hopeful:  Maybe today, LORD, our loved ones will see their need for Jesus.

As children who grew up through Sunday School teaching, we have heard the biblical stories, and we can recall the details of many when necessary.  Narratives of remembrance:  David and Goliath; Samson and Delilah; Daniel and the lion’s den; Zacchaeus and Jesus; and the narrative of the day when Jesus was hanged on the cross.  During the Christmas season, we encounter the narratives:  the women Elizabeth and Mary; the shepherds and the angelic host; the Magi and the star; and the babe in the manger.  Each narrative (those of Sunday School, Easter Resurrection Sunday, and of the Christmas miracle) brings us fond memories of our childhoods and the teachers who made the narratives come alive.

As we shared our annual Christmas meal, one particular teacher sat near where I chose to sit. We chatted together about life:  the food, the fun, the family, and the holiday upon us.  In this setting, the ‘us’ consisted of 195 individuals all coming together at church for the children’s program, for the ugly Christmas sweater competition, and for the good food we knew was sure to come.  The conversation did not turn specifically to those days of Covid; nevertheless, every time I share a conversation with this teacher, my mind returns to her Sunday School lesson she taught.  This third-grade teacher has served the LORD for many years.  She brings joy to her students (and snacks too), often creating games for her students, games that will help the lesson resonate within them, long after class has ended.

Like many, I vividly remember the year 2020 and the period of time when the church met in worship—separated from one another and online.  None of us wish to return to those Covid days, but even still, just as with ALL instances, the LORD brought His good even from a tumultuous and trying time.  One ‘goodness’ the LORD brought us was the opportunity to attend a joint Sunday School together online.  Pre-Covid, this practice was unheard of, but since that time, being ‘online together’ is accepted more and more.  During that particular time of Covid, several teachers recorded their Bible lesson and shared it with the church through the online platform.  In some instances, teachers sat at their kitchen tables, teaching those who were watching online.  However, some teachers (like this third-grade teacher) taught us in a playful way, one that took us on an Easter egg hunt throughout the different rooms of her home.  Five years removed, her lesson resonates within me.  When she taught her lesson to us, it was the season of Easter, and we were taken to different locations throughout her home, searching to collect our ‘eggs’ as she carried her Easter basket, collecting her plastic eggs (the same ones she had hidden before the online lesson).

I will never forget Ms. Tammy’s lesson, the fun, and the depth of the biblical teaching she taught.  At the beginning of her lesson, she asked a question:  Who are we searching for this Easter?  Then during her egg hunt, as she was searching for the eggs, we learned that what she was REALLY searching for was THE SPECIAL EGG—THE ONE THAT HELD BABY JESUS.

I vividly remember how exciting it was to travel (online) with Ms. Tammy as she walked from room to room, collecting her eggs.  As she walked, she talked, teaching us, and five years later, I remember the joy felt when she discovered the egg that held the baby Jesus.

We are reminded during the season of Christmas, how the Magi traveled hundreds of miles from the east, searching for the Christ, seeking the One who had been prophesized about 400+ years earlier.  As we re-read this biblical narrative, we are reminded of the way King Herod lied, pretending to seek Jesus too.  We also recall the joy experienced when these wise men followed the great star in the sky to the city Bethlehem & FOUND THE CHILD JESUS.