Celebrating Mothers and Noah’s Ark Preschool

Then God said to Noah: “I now establish my covenant with you and with your descendants after you and with every living creature that was with you—the birds, the livestock and all the wild animals, all those that came out of the ark with you—every living creature on earth. I establish my covenant with you: Never again will all life be destroyed by the waters of a flood; never again will there be a flood to destroy the earth.”

“This is the sign of the covenant I am making between me and you and every living creature with you, a covenant for all generations to come: I have set my rainbow in the clouds, and it will be the sign of the covenant between me and the earth. Whenever I bring clouds over the earth and the rainbow appears in the clouds, I will remember my covenant between me and you and all living creatures of every kind. Never again will the waters become a flood to destroy all life. Whenever the rainbow appears in the clouds, I will see it and remember the everlasting covenant between God and all living creatures of every kind on the earth.”

-Genesis 9:8-16

For 30 years, Kennewick First Presbyterian Church has housed a very special outreach to the community through our Noah’s Ark Preschool.  If you have never ventured to that wing of the building, I encourage you to do so.  We have an amazing mural in the hallway depicting the story of Noah and the animals coming out of the ark with a giant rainbow in the sky.  This last week of May will be the end of an era.  Our preschool Director, Brenda Pelifian, is moving to New York state to be near her extended family.  We bless Brenda and wish her well on her way to new adventures.

The story of Noah and the ark is one of the first covenants God made with people.  God gave a sign of the promise that never again would there be a flood to destroy all of the earth, the rainbow in the sky.  Every time I see a rainbow I am reminded of God’s love and protection over us.  I am reassured of God’s presence in our lives and in the world.  God is not distant and absent in the world.  God is with us in the good, bad and everything in between.

This Sunday in worship we will celebrate mothers and those who serve as spiritual mothers in our church as well as celebrating God’s work through Noah’s Ark Preschool.  We hope you join us for this special Sunday in the life of the church.

Love that knows no boundaries: we crowd our lives with so much activity, that it is hard to find time for you. We become so focused on ourselves, we can overlook those around us who are searching for hope. We fill our spiritual emptiness with junk, rather than feasting on your Word.
Abundant Mercy, forgive us. Open our eyes, that we may see your new covenant written in plain sight on our hearts. Open our hearts, that we may join you in serving the broken of the world.  Open our love, so we may pour it out as abundantly and graciously as your love is given to us in Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior.  Amen.