By Robert M. Solomon, Bishop of the Methodist Church in Singapore from 2000 - 2012
PHOTO: Among the many Sunday school teachers I encountered as a child, I remember one for his unusual methods. He would line us up and make us recite the Lord's Prayer, the Apostles' Creed, the Ten Commandments, the Beatitudes (Being blessed), and so on. He would walk down the line with a wooden ruler in his hand. No one could conceal his ignorance in the collective voice of the class; each student was asked to recite in turn. Failure would be met by a sore palm.
My teacher would be in serious trouble if he taught today. But that aside, we need to think about how we pass on our faith to the next generation. What exactly is it that we need to pass on? Have we done justice to the importance of this task? What consequences will there be if we fail?
To show from history how the church shapes a child's memory, and how this affects society, we turn to historian Michael McDuffee's book, Small-Town Protestantism in Nineteenth-Century Germany. [1a] McDuffee describes how major cultural trends and forces in society were driving secularisation and the erosion of the Christian worldview. People were simply becoming indifferent to the Christian faith. Nevertheless, in small town Germany, Protestant Christians kept their faith alive by preserving their doctrinal identity. They did this by diligently teaching the Christian faith to the young. Pastors and teachers in the church took their educational role seriously, shaping personal and collective childhood memories through good doses of Christian content. This, McDuffee says, helped that generation to "live lost faith".
Scripture instructs us to pass on our faith to the young. When the ancient Israelites kept the first Passover in Egypt, their experience was immediately linked to theology (what they knew about God), liturgy (how they worshipped God), and spiritual education (how they taught their children about God). Note the final element, Moses instructed the Israelites to observe the Passover ceremony as a "lasting ordinance" (Exodus 12:24-25). He also gave instructions on teaching the young: "And when your children ask you, 'What does this ceremony mean to you?' then tell them, "It is the Passover sacrifice to the Lord . . .'" (Exodus 12:26-27).
Elsewhere, Moses enjoins (instructs) the people to teach God's commands to the young. "Impress them on your children. Talk about them," he says, "Tie them as symbols on your hands . . . Write them on the door-frames" (Deuteronomy 6:7-9). Israel did not only have a liturgical tradition of remembering God's saving acts (see Psalms 106, 136), but also a tradition of God's commands. "My son, do not forget my teaching, but keep my commands in your heart," wrote the sage (profoundly wise man) of Israel on behalf of all spiritually-minded parents and teachers (Proverbs 3:1). This tradition of teaching and passing on the faith, thought imperfectly practised in Israel due to human sin, sustained a remnant that pursued God with all their hearts.
How then do we pass on our faith to the young today? We live in times that are more challenging than the 19th century. Today, the market and mass media are powerful promoters of values, behaviours, and lifestyles that are contrary to the Christian faith. Our best attempts at Christian education seem so feeble when measured against the onslaught of corrupting worldviews. What can we do?
To begin with, we can strengthen existing processes in the church. In denominations where young children are baptised, they are nurtured in the faith as members of the church. When the child has matured, the church prepares him or her for confirmation. Here is where we note some alarming signs. The number of baptised children in many of our churches has fallen. Neither these numbers nor the numbers of young people being confirmed reflect the much larger number of children and teenagers in our churches. Surely, we must do something about the way we nurture this cohort (group).
Even if a young person makes it to confirmation class, we may fail to make the experience a meaningful and significant one. American pastor Walter Wangerin recalls the solemn and stern confirmation class he attended as a young man. [2] While not promoting that exact approach, Wangerin laments that modern Christian educational methods have gone to the other extreme, where "the blither spirits (long-winded talk with no real substance) and contentments of youth have shaped the atmosphere of their religious schoolrooms". He notes with dismay that there is often a lack of seriousness: "No longer need they memorize great portions of Holy Scriptures, that the words may be handy in circumstances yet to come; no longer need they give a good verbal account for the basic, most important tenets (principles) of their faith and salvation."
As a pastor, Wangerin decided to do something about it. He visited families to make three-way covenants between pastor, child, and parent. He initiated a two-year confirmation programme. The first year focused on biblical storytelling (meeting God), while the second year dealt with memorising biblical terms and doctrines (knowing God). He linked doctrine with story, and his church saw a significant change.
Theologians Stanley Hauerwas and William Willimon have also made helpful suggestions about confirmation class. In their book, Resident Aliens, they argue that education should be done primarily in the community and not the classroom. They propose that confirmation candidates be assigned a godly mentor in the congregation so that the relational aspect of personal mentoring would enrich the process of nurture. [3]
They make the important point that passing on the faith to the young must be done in community. One of the weaknesses of a "children church" or a "youth service" is that they separate the young from the wider body of the church despite being sincere attempts to keep the young within the church. A truly integrated, inter-generational church allows the young to be nurtured in community. They can observe the older members and interact with them, receiving the full benefits of godly traditioning.
Whether the Sunday school teacher carries a ruler or candy, the key is that we are responsible for passing on the faith to our young. Many of us who were in that old Sunday school teacher's class have forgotten the pain of freshly caned palms. The pain has passed, but the truth remains.
Picture posted by 지희 성 (Jihee Sung)
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https://i.pinimg.com/1200x/19/a4/80/19a480e99daba141bfa478880ef1cc17.jpg
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/220676450486788289/
Among the many Sunday school teachers I encountered as a child, I remember one for his unusual methods. He would line us up and make us recite the Lord's Prayer, the Apostles' Creed, the Ten Commandments, the Beatitudes (Being blessed), and so on. He would walk down the line with a wooden ruler in his hand. No one could conceal his ignorance in the collective voice of the class; each student was asked to recite in turn. Failure would be met by a sore palm.
PHOTO: Among the many Sunday school teachers I encountered as a child, I remember one for his unusual methods. He would line us up and make us recite the Lord's Prayer, the Apostles' Creed, the Ten Commandments, the Beatitudes (Being blessed), and so on. He would walk down the line with a wooden ruler in his hand. No one could conceal his ignorance in the collective voice of the class; each student was asked to recite in turn. Failure would be met by a sore palm.
Picture generated by Magic Hour picture generator
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Sunday_School_Teacher_1.png
https://magichour.ai/dashboard/images/cm304n5i804j5wr8px532afxe
My teacher would be in serious trouble if he taught today. But that aside, we need to think about how we pass on our faith to the next generation. What exactly is it that we need to pass on? Have we done justice to the importance of this task? What consequences will there be if we fail?
To show from history how the church shapes a child's memory, and how this affects society, we turn to historian Michael McDuffee's book, Small-Town Protestantism in Nineteenth-Century Germany. [1a] McDuffee describes how major cultural trends and forces in society were driving secularisation and the erosion of the Christian worldview. People were simply becoming indifferent to the Christian faith. Nevertheless, in small town Germany, Protestant Christians kept their faith alive by preserving their doctrinal identity. They did this by diligently teaching the Christian faith to the young. Pastors and teachers in the church took their educational role seriously, shaping personal and collective childhood memories through good doses of Christian content. This, McDuffee says, helped that generation to "live lost faith".
PHOTO: To show from history how the church shapes a child's memory, and how this affects society, we turn to historian Michael McDuffee's book, Small-Town Protestantism in Nineteenth-Century Germany. [1a] McDuffee describes how major cultural trends and forces in society were driving secularisation and the erosion of the Christian worldview. People were simply becoming indifferent to the Christian faith. Nevertheless, in small town Germany, Protestant Christians kept their faith alive by preserving their doctrinal identity. They did this by diligently teaching the Christian faith to the young. Pastors and teachers in the church took their educational role seriously, shaping personal and collective childhood memories through good doses of Christian content. This, McDuffee says, helped that generation to "live lost faith".
Picture posted by Britannica
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivg19wXixeBqX_qfYJHNRAZD5We0bN7iOvYS6LStbGFGAHLsiiezorEzPJfOq4PqYmPUZWZJ_dWfQy51Lg8PaCUwM3p4LIliUd2woO8x7LBFc3l6FGcYqy82G4nSAUIUi9uMX4GOK937L_H8iY-OSH7GsYSQz1G0sICfGQehQ5K2DfXidufiGuN2UL9bg/s1600/woodcut-camp-meeting-Methodist-Eastham-Massachusetts-1850.png
https://cdn.britannica.com/29/185229-050-2A58C895/woodcut-camp-meeting-Methodist-Eastham-Massachusetts-1850.jpg
https://www.britannica.com/topic/Protestantism/The-spread-of-missions
Scripture instructs us to pass on our faith to the young. When the ancient Israelites kept the first Passover in Egypt, their experience was immediately linked to theology (what they knew about God), liturgy (how they worshipped God), and spiritual education (how they taught their children about God). Note the final element, Moses instructed the Israelites to observe the Passover ceremony as a "lasting ordinance" (Exodus 12:24-25). He also gave instructions on teaching the young: "And when your children ask you, 'What does this ceremony mean to you?' then tell them, "It is the Passover sacrifice to the Lord . . .'" (Exodus 12:26-27).
Elsewhere, Moses enjoins (instructs) the people to teach God's commands to the young. "Impress them on your children. Talk about them," he says, "Tie them as symbols on your hands . . . Write them on the door-frames" (Deuteronomy 6:7-9). Israel did not only have a liturgical tradition of remembering God's saving acts (see Psalms 106, 136), but also a tradition of God's commands. "My son, do not forget my teaching, but keep my commands in your heart," wrote the sage (profoundly wise man) of Israel on behalf of all spiritually-minded parents and teachers (Proverbs 3:1). This tradition of teaching and passing on the faith, thought imperfectly practised in Israel due to human sin, sustained a remnant that pursued God with all their hearts.
PHOTO: Elsewhere, Moses enjoins (instructs) the people to teach God's commands to the young. "Impress them on your children. Talk about them," he says, "Tie them as symbols on your hands . . . Write them on the door-frames" (Deuteronomy 6:7-9). Israel did not only have a liturgical tradition of remembering God's saving acts (see Psalms 106, 136), but also a tradition of God's commands. "My son, do not forget my teaching, but keep my commands in your heart," wrote the sage (profoundly wise man) of Israel on behalf of all spiritually-minded parents and teachers (Proverbs 3:1). This tradition of teaching and passing on the faith, thought imperfectly practised in Israel due to human sin, sustained a remnant that pursued God with all their hearts.
Picture posted by Bible Hub - Moses speaks to the Israelites
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibOD4s2HAHWECTz2GCTfHRGX86TsBH_3VLjZPFSgOXjnmEcjaWdzwTlHx9jnhgkUNg75ovXJNnSFp4VU0qqRq62MJe7O8-JoF9rYqKN9vFRTaqVAShKtdxox6NbobS_5Ut12MVkJ_6-_tVkl5melB10qNCfAGsUJJy_Jl7551aCxA-aHaqDr_8G5Pdmkk/s2258/VBA_110_01_0060_BiblePaintings_VBA.jpg
https://biblehub.com/visuals/pics/VBA_110_01_0060_BiblePaintings_VBA.jpg
https://biblehub.com/visuals/pictures/VBA_110_01_0060_BiblePaintings_VBA.htm
How then do we pass on our faith to the young today? We live in times that are more challenging than the 19th century. Today, the market and mass media are powerful promoters of values, behaviours, and lifestyles that are contrary to the Christian faith. Our best attempts at Christian education seem so feeble when measured against the onslaught of corrupting worldviews. What can we do?
To begin with, we can strengthen existing processes in the church. In denominations where young children are baptised, they are nurtured in the faith as members of the church. When the child has matured, the church prepares him or her for confirmation. Here is where we note some alarming signs. The number of baptised children in many of our churches has fallen. Neither these numbers nor the numbers of young people being confirmed reflect the much larger number of children and teenagers in our churches. Surely, we must do something about the way we nurture this cohort (group).
PHOTO: We can strengthen existing processes in the church. In denominations where young children are baptised, they are nurtured in the faith as members of the church. When the child has matured, the church prepares him or her for confirmation. Here is where we note some alarming signs. The number of baptised children in many of our churches has fallen. Neither these numbers nor the numbers of young people being confirmed reflect the much larger number of children and teenagers in our churches. Surely, we must do something about the way we nurture this cohort (group).
Picture posted by Saint George's Church, Crowhurst on Monday, 03 June 2024 at 02:06 am
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEis1hpIB60ZC_WlJp-cowm7dVOHpnwfR40rLx2qzdYLngmEHPHqI0_LLtI2r1YmH2Eck0UQ0vOH27riJaLABzCEEWmINlAWCoQwmownB5nLyXQZkGIMUcYpz6ka499Hl8zWJxBVgIicJwbPVVqiZ6jmHloDH3n82OruPvJAL6RqszmPc4_HDiSl6n8HrgU/s1600/447635169_856844369802936_1963444198326231301_n.jpg
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https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=856844376469602
Even if a young person makes it to confirmation class, we may fail to make the experience a meaningful and significant one. American pastor Walter Wangerin recalls the solemn and stern confirmation class he attended as a young man. [2] While not promoting that exact approach, Wangerin laments that modern Christian educational methods have gone to the other extreme, where "the blither spirits (long-winded talk with no real substance) and contentments of youth have shaped the atmosphere of their religious schoolrooms". He notes with dismay that there is often a lack of seriousness: "No longer need they memorize great portions of Holy Scriptures, that the words may be handy in circumstances yet to come; no longer need they give a good verbal account for the basic, most important tenets (principles) of their faith and salvation."
As a pastor, Wangerin decided to do something about it. He visited families to make three-way covenants between pastor, child, and parent. He initiated a two-year confirmation programme. The first year focused on biblical storytelling (meeting God), while the second year dealt with memorising biblical terms and doctrines (knowing God). He linked doctrine with story, and his church saw a significant change.
PHOTO: Even if a young person makes it to confirmation class, we may fail to make the experience a meaningful and significant one. American pastor Walter Wangerin recalls the solemn and stern confirmation class he attended as a young man. [2] While not promoting that exact approach, Wangerin laments that modern Christian educational methods have gone to the other extreme, where "the blither spirits (long-winded talk with no real substance) and contentments of youth have shaped the atmosphere of their religious schoolrooms". He notes with dismay that there is often a lack of seriousness: "No longer need they memorize great portions of Holy Scriptures, that the words may be handy in circumstances yet to come; no longer need they give a good verbal account for the basic, most important tenets (principles) of their faith and salvation."
Picture posted by Walter Wangerin, Jr. on Thursday, 25 March 2021 at 10:18 am
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNYMpY3VtkcJBnNslGH97eUkKIXDIiVudVEApcokpmw3bpl_LbmJTH8Bi5ACU1KEMM2A5IPLyBk8EO-2yAYWYFXgctfIgmGtbPtaEtx7rquCnXoMx1mIrnyP_1QdJwzohzCrx376gxvT3ih7f24w3GXhy_HRrGBWWsFVcL_ue47yJthLQPgxlsj2lBimI/s2048/453047474_3905295583075440_7628056398052127820_n.jpg
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https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=166917715255329&set=a.166917695255331
Theologians Stanley Hauerwas and William Willimon have also made helpful suggestions about confirmation class. In their book, Resident Aliens, they argue that education should be done primarily in the community and not the classroom. They propose that confirmation candidates be assigned a godly mentor in the congregation so that the relational aspect of personal mentoring would enrich the process of nurture. [3]
They make the important point that passing on the faith to the young must be done in community. One of the weaknesses of a "children church" or a "youth service" is that they separate the young from the wider body of the church despite being sincere attempts to keep the young within the church. A truly integrated, inter-generational church allows the young to be nurtured in community. They can observe the older members and interact with them, receiving the full benefits of godly traditioning.
PHOTO: They make the important point that passing on the faith to the young must be done in community. One of the weaknesses of a "children church" or a "youth service" is that they separate the young from the wider body of the church despite being sincere attempts to keep the young within the church. A truly integrated, inter-generational church allows the young to be nurtured in community. They can observe the older members and interact with them, receiving the full benefits of godly traditioning.
Picture posted by souledouttochrist on 18 January 2024
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https://www.instagram.com/souledouttochrist/p/C2PnCNFiHgX/?__d=11
Whether the Sunday school teacher carries a ruler or candy, the key is that we are responsible for passing on the faith to our young. Many of us who were in that old Sunday school teacher's class have forgotten the pain of freshly caned palms. The pain has passed, but the truth remains.
PHOTO: Whether the Sunday school teacher carries a ruler or candy, the key is that we are responsible for passing on the faith to our young. Many of us who were in that old Sunday school teacher's class have forgotten the pain of freshly caned palms. The pain has passed, but the truth remains.
Picture posted by The Gospeler, This Broken Clay by Ann Adams on 21 August 2024
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https://medium.com/the-gospeler/for-god-so-loved-us-889c715d2ebc
PHOTO: "Dear Lord, we pray whether the Sunday school teacher carries a ruler or candy, the key is that we are responsible for passing on the faith to our young.
Many of us who were in that old Sunday school teacher's class have forgotten the pain of freshly caned palms. Although the pain in our childhood memories has passed, may the truth remains.
Through Lord Jesus Christ we pray. Amen."
Picture posted by Reddit
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https://www.reddit.com/r/BiblicalStudy/comments/1ehe0z8/from_slavery_to_sonship_understanding_galatians_4/
Source (book): "Making All Things New", 52 Reflections to Challenge the Way You Live, Chapter 37, "Church And A Child's Memory", Page 193.
By Robert M. Solomon, Bishop of the Methodist Church in Singapore from 2000 - 2012
Reflection - Faithful to the end (Links)
https://veryfatoldman.blogspot.com/2017/06/reflection-faithful-to-end-links.html
"Finding rest for the soul" Responding to Jesus' Invitation in Matthew 11:28-29, © 2016 by Robert M. Solomon
Reflection - Finding rest for the soul (Links)
https://veryfatoldman.blogspot.com/2018/10/reflection-finding-rest-for-soul-links.html
"God in Pursuit" Lessons from the Book of Jonah, © 2016 by Robert M. Solomon
Reflection - God in Pursuit (Links) - PART I-III, posted on Saturday, 10 August 2019
https://veryfatoldman.blogspot.com/2019/08/reflection-god-in-pursuit-links-part-i.html
"God in Pursuit" Lessons from the Book of Jonah, © 2016 by Robert M. Solomon
Reflection - God in Pursuit (Links) - PART IV, posted on Saturday, 10 August 2019
https://veryfatoldman.blogspot.com/2019/08/reflection-god-in-pursuit-links-part-iv.html
"Songs of Christmas", The Stories and Significance of 20 Well-Loved Carols, © 2018 by Robert M. Solomon
Reflection - Songs of Christmas (Links), posted on Friday, 24 April 2020
https://veryfatoldman.blogspot.com/2020/04/reflection-songs-of-christmas-links.html
"Growing Old Gracefully", Following Jesus to the End, © 2019 by Robert M. Solomon
Reflection - Growing Old Gracefully, Part I - III (Links), posted on Wednesday, 09 December 2020
https://veryfatoldman.blogspot.com/2020/12/reflection-growing-old-gracefully-part.html
Reflection - Growing Old Gracefully, Part IV - V (Links), posted on Thursday, 22 April 2021
https://veryfatoldman.blogspot.com/2020/12/reflection-growing-old-gracefully-part_9.html
"Teach Us to Number Our Days", © 2008 by David Roper
Reflection - Number Our Days, Chapter 1 - 40 (Links), posted on Tuesday, 16 November 2021
https://veryfatoldman.blogspot.com/2021/11/reflection-number-our-days-chapter-1-40.html
Reflection - Number Our Days, Chapter 41 - 64 (Links), posted on Wednesday, 16 March 2022
https://veryfatoldman.blogspot.com/2022/03/reflection-number-our-days-chapter-41.html
Reflection - He Walks with Me (Links), posted on Tuesday, 16 August 2022
https://veryfatoldman.blogspot.com/2022/08/reflection-he-walks-with-me-links.html
"Classic Gem: Timeless Devotions from Our Daily Bread Authors", Copyright © 2021 by Our Daily Bread Ministries
Reflection - Classic Gem, Chapter 1 - 45 (Links), posted on 03 April 2023
https://veryfatoldman.blogspot.com/2023/04/reflection-classic-gem-chapter-1-45.html
"Classic Gem: Timeless Devotions from Our Daily Bread Authors", Copyright © 2021 by Our Daily Bread Ministries
Reflection - Classic Gem, Chapter 46 - 90 (Links), posted on Tuesday, 24 October 2023
https://veryfatoldman.blogspot.com/2023/10/reflection-classic-gem-chapter-46-90.html
[1a] Michael B. McDuffee, Small-Town Protestantism in Nineteenth-Century Germany: Living Lost Faith (Peter Lang, 2003).
[2] Walter Wangerin Jr., "Making Disciples by Sacred Story," Christianity Today 48:2 (Feb 1, 20044), 66-69.
[3] Stanley Hauerwas and William H. Willimon, Resident Alien (Nashville, TN: Abingdon Press, 1989), 103-108.
Exodus 12:24-25 - https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Exodus%2012%3A24-25&version=NIV
Exodus 12:26-27 - https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Exodus%2012%3A26-27&version=NIV
Matthew 11:28-29 - https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew+11%3A28-29&version=NIV
Proverbs 3:1 - https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Proverbs%203%3A1&version=NIV
Psalms 106, 136 - https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalms%20106%2C%20136&version=NIV
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- https://cdn.britannica.com/29/185229-050-2A58C895/woodcut-camp-meeting-Methodist-Eastham-Massachusetts-1850.jpg
- https://www.britannica.com/topic/Protestantism/The-spread-of-missions
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- https://biblehub.com/visuals/pics/VBA_110_01_0060_BiblePaintings_VBA.jpg
- https://biblehub.com/visuals/pictures/VBA_110_01_0060_BiblePaintings_VBA.htm
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- https://www.instagram.com/souledouttochrist/p/C2PnCNFiHgX/?__d=11
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- https://miro.medium.com/v2/resize:fit:4800/format:webp/1*cAn_q_nLZj-1eIFAIl2vIw.jpeg
- https://medium.com/the-gospeler/for-god-so-loved-us-889c715d2ebc
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- https://www.reddit.com/media?url=https%3A%2F%2Fpreview.redd.it%2Ffrom-slavery-to-sonship-understanding-galatians-4-v0-74ycvxppc1gd1.jpg%3Fwidth%3D1024%26format%3Dpjpg%26auto%3Dwebp%26s%3Dd402462e6a6bfa0706839f4882bd012c919c3060
- https://www.reddit.com/r/BiblicalStudy/comments/1ehe0z8/from_slavery_to_sonship_understanding_galatians_4/