Child Theology

Discussing theology with children is challenging. Their perspectives and my perspectives are different. I want to try and frame things in their understanding, but I don't understand their perspective.

Take my 3 year old. He's the one who sang a prayer that was "God our Father, God our Father, We thank You, We thank You, You smell like a donkey, You smell like a donkey, Happy birthday to You, Happy birthday to You."

The other day he was using the restroom. He hollered for me while he was in the restroom. I go to check on him and he asked me why God created us. Trying to keep things simple, I said because he loved us. He responded with a question, "was it for his own glory?" He has been paying attention when we go over the shorter catechism.

Last night, we were laying in bed and he asked if God had a house. I said that he had all of heaven. He asked if we would have a bedroom in heaven. I said that Jesus said that he was making a room for us in God's house. He then went through everything in his room asking if it would be there. His stuffed animals, the alphabet picture on the wall, the dog, the bunk bed, his brother. I told him, keeping it simple of course, that everything that made Jonas happy would be in heaven. It is true, since the Lord will be there, that is the source of all happiness.

I wasn't trying to win on a technicality though, somethings, I just don't know. What will be in heaven? I know God will be and all believers. Beyond that, I don't know. I had believed that this world would be destroyed. Taking with it the bunk bed, the alphabet picture, etc.. Then God would create a new heaven and new earth. John seems pretty specific about that in Revelation 21:1, "Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more." But two Sunday's ago, our pastor who has been preaching through the book of Revelation said that the new earth was this earth, but the change would be so radical we would consider it new. Now that was the first time I had ever heard that, and I don't remember his reasoning for it, but it was enough for me to not say with confidence that I know, but that I don't know.

With my son, I think that I understand theology until he asks me a question and I have to answer it like he is 3. Then I don't really know anymore.

There is a saying that if you can't explain something in terms that a lay person can understand it, then you don't understand it well enough. Perhaps if you can't explain theology well enough that a 3 year old can understand it, you don't understand it enough. I can't explain the doctrine of election to him, nor what exactly will be in heaven beyond us and God.

But I do know this is true and plain enough that a 3 year old can understand it. It is why we go over it every night. Jesus loves me this I know, for the Bible tells me so. Little ones to him belong, they are weak, but he is strong. Yes! Jesus loves me. Yes! Jesus loves me. Yes! Jesus loves me. The Bible tells me so.

Within the Two Binders: Sunday School teachers

My grandma told me that there use to be three binders. One day, my great-granddad decided he no longer needed the Sunday school lessons he wrote and he started to burn them. He burned one entire binder and was working on the second when my great-grandma caught him and took the binders. They were passed down to my grandma and no one has really done anything with them until now.

Reading this lesson makes me thankful I didn't have to hear him make this announcement in church, because it is pretty convincing.

Last Saturday, the Houston Press carried in box type headlines: "HELP WANTED: TO TEACH SUNDAY SCHOOL". "This is a help wanted ad, carried free on behalf on the nation's churches.

It is addressed to men and women who are willing to devote several hours a week to an unpaid job in which they will experience a lot of frustration and failure- occasional moments of triumph that make the whole thing seem worth while.

The job is teaching Sunday School.

American's 275,000 Sunday Schools are beginning their fall term this month.

They count on a record enrollment- probably about 42 million students.

Their biggest problem is recruiting 3 1/2 million teachers."

Last week at our Men's meeting we had a speaker who was well versed in the art of political science. In the course of his talk he made this remark. "That he was firmly convinced that five men who were dedicated and devoted could elect a man to any office in Harris County, provided, they were willing to perform all of the tasks necessary for the promotion of their candidate. Men who disciplined their lives for this one purpose.

Like our speaker of last week I believe that a few disciplined people could turn Harris County upside down for our Lord and Master.

To be a Sunday School Teacher takes discipline. You must discipline your talents, you must discipline your time, you must discipline your actions, and as the ad says, it is often frustrating and discouraging. But Sunday School Teachers should remember that in the story that Jesus told his disciples of the man who went forth to sow. Most of the see was waster, because they fell on hard ground or among weeds. But a few fell on fertile soil & bore rich fruit.

Our Father and our God we know that it is a privilege as well as a responsibility to be called to serve as a worked in the Sunday School. We thank Thee for those dedicated men and women who have given so freely of their time and their talent in its development.

We thank Thee for the Sunday School and for its contribution towards our civilzation and the daily influence that it has exerted on our lives.

As we take up the fall term inspire our hearts and our minds that we will want to be workers in Thy service and that we will not prove ourselves to be irresponsible. Teach us that we may learn to discipline our lives in such a manner that we will realize to the fullest our abilities and capabilities and that we will use them and direct them for the advancement of Thy kingdom.

We ask Thy blessing on our speaker as he brings us the message for tonight. Be with our School Supt., the teachers, the students and all who contribute their efforts for the advancement of this school. 

These things we ask in Jesus name, Amen