Sunday Reprieve

Once a month or so, I give my youngest daughter a reprieve from the torturous boredom of Sunday School, and the two of us head over to a local coffee hang-out favorite of mine. Sometimes we talk, sometimes I read aloud. Our voices contributing to the uneven mix of chat and phone calls and espresso steam.
I finally decided that she needed permission to call boring, "boring." No pretending. No making excuses for God or church leaders. No propaganda about what is best for her. She needs to trust her intuitions and have those intuitions confirmed when accurate by the adults closest to her. Most weeks we insist she endure the non-stop talking of the well meaning teachers at church. But liberally sprinkled in are escapes of delightful father-daughter intimacy and fun. One of those decisions one has to make as a parent. I think the church will be better off for it. I know my daughter will be.