Kirkepiscatoid

In the middle of an "It's not fair!" Gospel text today (the story in Matt. 20:1-16 where "the last shall be first, and the first shall be last), well...it's important to know those times when you are getting the good end of the deal, as well as the raw end, and figure they even out now and then! I got a little taste today of what it was like to be one of those workers who worked for an hour.

I have to tell you a story about one of the youngsters at Trinity, little Erica. She's five going on 25--incredibly precocious little kid, very much an active busy little girl, but also with this very spooky "adult" demeanor to her now and then. She is VERY in tune with the cadence of services, and one of the high points of Sunday morning is hearing her sing "Lamb of God" right before the Eucharist, her little kid voice just shattering the "adultness" of the moment and really making me feel like I AM a lamb of God!

Well, every Sunday, Erica goes over to one of the older ladies in our congregation, recently widowed, takes her hand, and goes up with her to the communion rail. This is our weekly dose of "Aw, ain't that cute." It is like she intuitively knows that this woman NEEDS a five year old buddy at this moment.

This week, the elderly lady in particular was visiting her daughter in the KC area and was not at church for our usual "Erica moment." Imagine my shock and awe when she came over to ME and said, "Can I go up front with you?" Definitely an offer I could not refuse.

Now, you have to realize I am not incredibly doting with other people's kids. I razz them a little, play with them a little, but having been raised in a fairly strict fashion with regards to "behaving in public," I tend to be more likely to be the one who glares at them for misbehaving than being anything close to laid back. I'm a wild person when it comes to playing with kids, but it is very clear that is PLAY time, and I'm a curmudgeonly grump when it comes to behaving in public.

Now, Erica and I get along well, but that is because I sort of connect with that precocious seriousness she displays. But to be "the person who goes up with her" this week, well...my heart was like the Grinch's at "little Cindy Lou Who who was only two." I guess that kid has an amazing "curmudgeonly BS filter" for age five!

Everyone in church was grinning at me, and I was sort of grinning in a sheepish kind of way because EVERYONE was noticing, and little Erica was just so nonchalant about it like this is just the way it is. When I got up front close enough where Fr. Wallace was spotting me, he just gave me this "You've been owned" glance. The Eucharist felt better than usual, that's for sure.

That is definitely a "the last shall be first" moment. I am the person most people would vote least likely to accompany a five year old to the altar rail, but I got the job anyway!