"Can You Do Your Thing So I Can Have Some?"

Lately, I'm contemplating working three jobs to support Hunter's appetite. It's exploded lately and he's hungry all the time! It's right on schedule, given he's 11 years old now. He's got a particular weakness for bread, and nothing stands a chance coming between him and his favorite food. Not even a holy sacrament.

Hunter's hunger to  learn more about church and spirituality seems as acute as his physical hunger has been. Those two basic needs collided at church Sunday evening. Hunter started Rite 13 classes at our church and those classes overlap a bit with our Sunday evening service. I've been attending the evening service and asked Hunter to join us when his class finished.

Hunter arrived just before Holy Communion. I thank God that our service in the evening is small and much less formal than morning services because Hunter came in ravenous. He spotted the bread on the altar and immediately asked Rev. Valerie if he could have some. It went something like this:

"Reverend Valerie, can I have some of that bread?" Hunter made his request in his most charming manner, persuading her with his disarming smile and an irresistible twinkle in his gorgeous blue eyes.

Hunter's hungry for more than just food

Reverend Valerie, in her most patient voice answered, "Sure, Hunter, but I have to consecrate it first."

My not so suave son replied rather impatiently, "Okay. Well, can you do your thing so I can have some?"

Reverend Valerie remained dignified and I was trying not to crawl under the table upon which the communion was being placed. We went ahead with the traditional blessings and invitation to come to the table to partake in communion. Reverend Valerie smiled and broke off half the bread and passed it to Hunter (it was not a typical wafer, but more the size of a silver dollar pancake). He knew he hit the jackpot and dipped it in the wine as though he were having cookies and milk. I took some solace that at least he remembered to say "Amen" as she offered it to him.

She winked and told me, "I've always wanted to do that." After communion was served to the others at the service, Hunter even got to finish the remaining bread. I told him after church that it was the holiest snack he'd ever have in his young life. 

I'm proud of my son and his enthusiasm for learning more about our church and how it can help him frame his spirituality. And, in addition to being blessed to put food on the table for him and the rest of our family, I'm also blessed to have a wonderful church home in which he can satisfy his hunger for understanding God's place in his life. Add to that, a gifted priest with a sense of humor and a child of her own so she can empathize with the comic adventures we encounter during our parenting journey. I can't help but believe  Christ Himself was smiling down at us during that service, laughing at the innocence and honesty children have.

Witnessing Hunter's journey into adulthood reinforces my conviction that divinity binds us all together regardless of the facets of our lives that make us different from one another. Some would say my family doesn't deserve a seat at God's table because we are family headed by same sex parents. I know in my heart that sentiment couldn't be farther from the truth. If you doubt that, I hope one day you can meet my children and see how blessed we all are that they are in this world.