This temple talk was shared by Lynn Hess on Easter Sunday.

The children’s names have been replaced with initials, to protect the families.

He is risen!  He is risen indeed!  Hallelujah!

My name is Lynn Hess.  I am the Director of The School of Grace, which is Grace Lutheran Church’s parent participatory preschool, serving children ages 6 months through 5 years.

Please join us on Sunday, May 5^th, after the 11:00 am service, to celebrate our extended family and our Annual Art Show and Silent Auction Reception.

During April, as part of our acclaiming Easter, Grace Lutheran Church is conducting an Appeal for The School of Grace Scholarship Fund, which provides scholarships for all of our refugee children and for families in need.  We have already raised $5000 toward our $15,000 goal for the 2019/2020 school year.

One of my favorite Bible passages is Psalm 133:  The Blessedness of Unity, which reads,

___________________________________

“How very good and pleasant it is when kindred live together in unity!

It is like the precious oil on the head, running down upon the beard, on the beard of Aaron, running over the collar of his robes.

Imagine someone taking their finest oil, warming it and dripping it on your head.  The warmth brings comfort, as if God’s arms are wrapped around you.

It is like the dew of Hermon, which falls on the mountains of Zion.

Imagine waking up on a chilly fall morning, stepping outside, barefoot and feeling the crisp cold dew on the grass.  Your whole body awakens to the glorious new day.

For there the LORD ordained his blessing, life forevermore.

And here we are, gathered together, in unity, celebrating the gift that God has given to us, life forevermore.  Hallelujah!

___________________________

As you heard, Psalm 133 begins with the words “How very good and pleasant it is when kindred live together in unity”.  That describes us!  We gather together.  We live in the unity of the Spirit as brothers and sisters in Christ.

When we celebrate our unity, good things happen.  The School of Grace is one of those “things”.

Monday through Friday, the children, parents and teachers gather in the classrooms, greeting their friends, some of whom are typically developing, some have special needs and some are from refugee families.  Each class is its own school family.  The classes together fit within the family of the preschool.  The preschool is part of Grace Lutheran Church’s extended family.  We rely on you.  Without you, the preschool would not exist.

The School of Grace is an extension of this family.

So I am here to thank you…

On behalf of “W”, whose father was hunted by the Haitian government, I thank you for giving him a place of peace and security within the walls of this building. 

On behalf of “C”, whose parents grew up in a Bhutanese refugee camp in Nepal, I thank you for giving her a place where she could learn and play, allowing her parents to go to school and, then start their own business, which continues to be successful today.

On behalf of “D”, whose family escaped war torn Afghanistan and still fears retribution for their extended family, who remain in danger.  I thank you for providing a place of peace, where she learned English and quickly made new friends.

On behalf of “N”, whose father and grandfather were killed in Afghanistan.  She and her mother experienced joy and hope here at Grace.

On behalf of “S”, who lives with her mother, grandmother, aunts and sisters in a three bedroom apartment.  Even in those crowded conditions, they are grateful to be here, away from the country where the mother was persecuted.  No one in the family can read in their home language of Swahili, but they are committed to learning to speak, read and write in English.  “S”, after a few weeks of enrollment, began singing songs like, “The Wheels on the Bus” and “Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star”.  Her teachers, Kerrie, Jeanne and Reena, were thrilled the day that “S” responded to Kerrie’s questions with an emphatic, “NO!” (because it was in English!)

There are many other children from refugee families, who have grown in our classrooms.  They are all grateful.  Why?  Because, through your prayers, donations and support, you have given them all hope for the future.  You have helped the parents see that their children will not live lives of fear, like their parents.  Their children will leave The School of Grace ready for kindergarten.  Their children have hope and joy in their future. 

In fact, “Si’s” father, from Bhutan, told me that he did not start school until he was 13 years old.  He said, “You have given my child the gift of education and she is only 3 years old!  No one in my family has started school that young.  Your teachers love my daughter.  My teachers never showed love to me or any of the students.  My daughter knows that she is capable and can learn anything she wants to learn.  I never had that experience.  You have blessed my child.”

So, on this Easter day, as we celebrate our Unity in Christ and the gift of life forevermore, I thank you, again and again, for enabling these precious children, preparing them for kindergarten and blessing them with hope for the future.  Most importantly, for loving them as part of this amazing family of Grace.