We have completed Phase 1 of the launch of our new Family Liturgy at 9:15. Today I am sending a thank you note to 50 families of the parish who committed to support us in this effort.

The bottom line is: So far so good.

I am expecting some families to decide that the new liturgy does not meet their needs. It is a happy, joyful time with children, true, but it comes with a cost. There is not much time for quiet, contemplative prayer.

For example....

Last week I spoke to the kids about how the name Peter means "Rock." I brought a big dirt clod -- roughly a cubic foot in size. And with it I had a big hunk of granite -- also a cubic foot.

I beat on both with a rubber mallet. The dirt clod crumbled, sending dirt and dust everywhere. (It made a bigger mess than I had planned. Thank God for a patient, indulgent Altar Guild who love their Rector.)

The hunk of granite -- obviously -- did not crumble.

We then projected a beautiful Gothic cathedral on the screen and asked, "If Jesus wanted to build a church like that, would he use dirt clods or granite?"

Simple question. And the point is simple -- for adults. We come into a faithful covenant community with a quality of character that has the staying quality of a "dirt clod." We walk out with the strength of granite. Upon such people Jesus builds his church. Despite the power of God, Jesus cannot build a faithful covenant community with people who lack the character to commit to support one another in relationships of mutual support and care.

Here is a message simple for adults, but foundation laying for children.

Well, to help the children carry the message home I gave them -- about one hundred -- polished rocks about the size of an adult fist. And this is where the impossibility of contemplative prayer in a Family service comes in:

Throughout the rest of the service it was thud-clack-swoosh as one hundred kids dropped, pushed and threw polished rocks across the floor.

Finally we understood what Jesus really meant when he said, "Suffer the children to come unto me."

So, trust me, I can appreciate why the 9:15 AM liturgy may not be for everyone. We will continue to smash dirt clods and hand out polished rocks to little children for many years to come.

This is also why we will maintain our 8:00 AM more contemplative service, and 10:45 AM more gracefully expressive service, for many years to come.