June 4, 2023 – Gillian Okimoto and Daisy Thomas

Genesis 1:1-2:4a 2 Corinthians 13:11-13 Matthew 28:16-20 Psalm 8 Gillian Okimoto:  Good morning, St. Michael’s! First of all, I’d like to start out by lowering everyone’s expectations. I’m sure all of you remember my sister’s wonderful sermon last year, but I’m afraid mine will be a little less dazzling. I’m saving all the good nuggets for my real senior sermon next year. It’s been an absolutely wonderful year for me in this church. Many of you know that I’m carrying on Allison’s legacy in Godly Play—she did it for a great many years and with an abundance of patience that I’m quite envious of. There is one thing that I’ve managed to do that my sister didn’t—I am now an official storyteller for Godly Play! It has been hilarious in so many ways—and I’ve learned a lot. These children have taught me many lessons and told me many stories of their own. I hope to share a few of them with you today. We’ll start with the shorter ones:<br /> I’ve been told that hell is actually in New Jersey<br /> If you have to marry one of Jesus’s disciples, you should marry Matthew, because he’s a tax collector so he must be rich.<br /> Some backstory for this next one—every week, we ask the kids what the most important part is, what their favorite part is, and what part is the least important and could be left out. So, I’ve been told that Jesus is actually not that important to the story of Easter Those are just a few of the many things that I’ve heard. But I’ve also learned a lot more. Children will ask a lot of questions. For example, why are there disciples? Why are there three Marys? Why on earth is she washing his feet with her hair? They know these stories well—better than me, sometimes, and we all know how they can be repetitive, and confusing. I’ve had a lot of similar questions growing up in this church, too. These interactions have brought me back to my own times in Sunday School—back when it was called Word Made Young. I’ve been in this church since I was six years old, and I’m seventeen now. I remember playing with cardboard cutouts of angels, dressing up for Christmas pageants, acolyting and singing in those horrible robes—remind me why we wear all of these layers, again? I’ve gone through a lot of challenges since I joined this church, as many of you know. I’m sure that all of you can relate when I tell you that I have questioned my faith many times, and still do. But learning about God with these kids has changed my thinking in so many ways. Despite all these questions that kids have, their faith remains strong. They still trust God. After all their doubts, they still join our group in prayer. They thank God for their parents, for their goldfish snacks