Welcome to Andy's Tree House!

This blog is offered as a spiritual resource to all who find their way into Andy's Treehouse. It primarily serves the Church School teachers and families of St. Andrew's Episcopal Church in Wellesley, MA. My hope is that the Tree House will be a creative and informal place to reflect on and build community around St. Andrew's Church School. So come by early and often!!

Some of what you might find here in the months ahead includes:
- Weekly reflections on the Bible Stories being taught in Church School...
- Announcements about upcoming special events and gatherings...
- Photos of various church school events, performances, classes, and activities...
- Random musings about the spirituality of childhood from time to time...

Why a Tree House???
Though I never had a tree house growing up, I always imagined tree houses (and forts, bunkers, etc.) as special places for children -- places for exploration, for imagination, and for creative play. These are not just important parts of childhood. They are also important spiritual tools with which to engage our adult faith and our theological understandings! When Jesus said, "Unless you become like little children, you will never enter the Kingdom of Heaven" I think it was these qualities: exploration, imagination, creative play, and, of course, trust, that he was encouraging us to develop as adults. And what better place could there be to do that than a Tree House?!?

Who is St. Andy???
Since I started working with the many wonderful children and teenagers at St. Andrew's Church, I have had in my mind the idea that the patron of our community isn't just the dutiful, humble, earnest fisherman who obeyed Jesus' call on the shores of Galilee. Our patron is also the boy whose childhood enabled him to become that mature, thoughtful, faithful man. But we know little about what St. Andrew's childhood might have been like, other than to know that it produced a faithful man, who sought out a friendship with Jesus. I wonder what kind of childhood Andy might have had, that prepared him to be the disciple Andrew we know so well. "St. Andy" is my fictional imaginings of what his childhood might have been. Perhaps some creative writing will emerge here in future postings chronicling his adventures...

I hope you will check this site often -- espceially after Labor Day, when the program year kicks off! If you are part of the St. Andrew's community, feel free to send me feedback about this site anytime via email.

Blessings on the journey,

Chris