Monday, December 10, 2012

Reading Aloud The Legend of the Candy Cane


Sunday morning before delivering the morning message, a brother invited the children of the church to sit with him on the steps of the platform.  As they gathered about, he read aloud to them (and thus, to the rest of the congregation) the book, The Legend of the Candy Cane by Lori Walburg.  It’s the story of a confection shop owner who encourages the children of his town to share their love for Jesus with their neighbors by using candy canes.

This wasn’t a new story to me since I had read it aloud to my own boys years ago.  What was new was the joy of being the listener instead of the reader.  You know, there’s just something about hearing a story that draws you in.  Perhaps it’s the nostalgia of being transported back through time to the remembrance of childhood stories.  Or maybe it’s the luxury of having someone else “do the work” of reading while all you have to do is paint the images of the tale inside your head.  Or, most probably, the seeming fact that God wired us to connect with stories.  (Think about all the parables Jesus told or the countless stories woven throughout the Word that we learned as children.)  Either way, it sure is a treat.

And speaking of treats, I was wishing the kids weren’t the only ones to get candy canes on the way back to their seats . . .

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