Yesterday, like many Thursdays, I ate lunch with the secretary from one of my churches, her husband, mother, daughter, mother's friend, and the youth pastor from the Baptist church down the street (where she is also secretary, and where the staff happen to be enough similar to us theologically that I have my son in preschool there this year).
CNN Headline News was on the TV above us, and of course it was reporting on the court hearing held in San Angelo, Texas, over custody of the 416 children removed from the Fundamentalist Latter Day Saints compound two weeks ago. Of course, the youth pastor and I (being the official ministerial types) were asked about this, and an interesting discussion ensued about how we bring up (I even said "indoctrinate") our children in our faith. Of course, the 416 children removed have had the only world they've ever known shattered, even if we firmly believe it was a heretical, distorted, against-God's-design kind of world. (Let us pray for these children especially)
I've been thinking a lot this subject of child-rearing in faith recently, though, as my child has said in a deep chanting voice "Christ the Lord" while handing me a little cup of juice, as he's tried to figure out what it means that Jesus came back from the dead, as he's made strange comments and asked bizarre questions about God and heaven. I've been thinking about how much our children do trust us to teach them, to form them, in what is truth, in what becomes essential and central to who they are and how they live. This is interesting as this Sunday we will look at the passage from the Gospel of John in which Jesus says "I am the way, and the truth, and the life..." I'm glad I put all my trust in that truth, or I think I could really, honestly be seriously messing up my child's head and world-view.
So, as my child learns, and as we try to teach and form as faithfully as we can (with a lot of prayer and humility) please enjoy the following "Jedism" on prayer before meals, from a little Southern boy with a thick adorable southern accent. We were shamed recently at the home of some friends and their two children, one of whom is the same age as our son. Their son knew more than one blessing. Our son only knows "God is great..." So without further ado,
The Jedism of mealtime blessings:
said tonight over pizza, just before we really said grace:
God is great.
God is good.
Bless his heart.
Oh, yes, my friends. He's southern.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
2 comments:
It sounds like you had two blessings that night! "...and a little child shall lead them"
I can remember bringing home the leftover bread and juice following communion one Sunday and putting them on the kitchen table. As we prepared for lunch, the two oldest had communion again as they ate chunks of the bread dipped in grape juice.
They teach us too!
Bless his heart!
Post a Comment