Young will see visions; elders will dream dreams

On my last Sunday in New Albany, a couple of weeks ago, I had the great fun of baptizing a 9-month-old little girl, Willow, at the same font where her father was baptized.  So many of our hopes and dreams for the church are tied up in these moments.  She puckered her little face up with the first wave of water on her head but she didn’t cry.  In her mom’s arms at communion she reached out so I put a spring pea sized piece of bread in her hand and she put it in her mouth.  Perfect! I was thinking.  Later, our deacon told me she puckered up her face again and spit it out.  Oh, well.

Last Sunday, I was distributing communion on the ‘flag’ side of the church and I was amazed at how many small children there were.  Some have their hands out like little Willow did.  Others have their arms crossed to ask for a blessing. A few are just there in their parents arms and the parents look xpectantly for the blessing.  I was just as amazed by the span of ages of the people in front of me.  A year old or 90+, expecting blessing in the form of words or food and drink.

“In the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on all people.  ….Your young will see visions.  Your elders will dream dreams.” (Acts 2:17)  These are the infinite last days of the ever outpouring Spirit of God.    Visions and dreams enable us to see what’s not yet apparent and keep us moving despite difficulties and obstacles.   God has spoken through dreams from Genesis to Revelation.  Martin Luther King told us of his dream.  Archbishop Desmond Tutu, certainly an ‘elder,’ has a wonderful little book called God has a Dream.  He says we each have a part in God’s dream.  We are God’s partners in the fulfillment of God’s dream.  Makes me wonder what will be the visions of these youngest ones; what are the dreams of our elders and of everyone in between?  There’s a question for pondering ourselves and listening to each other like John mentioned in his last post.  What’s your dream?  Where’s God in that dream?

–Rev. Mary Slenski