New Stuff: A Back to School Devotion for Kids

Well, it's back to school time again! Can you believe that Summer is already over? Wow! It went by fast, didn’t it? A new school year can mean different things for different people. Some of us are

happy and some of us might be sad. Some of us might be feeling excited to see old friends and make new ones, and some of us might be a little sad that summer is over. You might even be a little scared about going back to school because of all the “new” things that you will have to face. You will have “new” teachers, “new” friends, and some of you might even be going to a “new” school. School is not always easy and when there are “new” things to experience, it can be even more challenging for all of us.

The beginning of a new school year is also a time when we see that many people around us seem to have “new stuff". Some people might have new clothes, a new phone or ipod, new backpack, new school supplies, and maybe even a new bike to ride to school. Sometimes we can get sad because other people have “new” things that we don’t have. When we see a lot of “new stuff", it can even make us a little angry because we want those things for ourselves. When we feel like this, it’s called “envy”. Envy is when we feel jealous of other people and want the things that they have. When we feel this way and compare ourselves to others that can lead to feelings of jealousy or sadness. Envy can also cause us to feel bad about ourselves because we don’t feel good enough.
 

Everyone feels like this sometime, but the problem with envy is that it can lead to feeling unhappy, sad and lonely. But the great thing is; we don’t have to feel this way! God wants us to know that “new stuff” is not always things that we can see or hold. By trusting in Him, He can give us a “new” way of seeing life and the world around us! Instead of being angry, he helps feel joy! Instead of feeling sad, he helps us find ways to feel happy! Instead of feeling lonely, he helps us feel like we’re not alone, even when no one else is around! And instead of feeling envy, God can help us feel happy for others and love them because of who they are, not what they have or don’t have! That’s a “new” way of seeing things, right?
 

By trusting in God, he gives us a new way of life that is not based on the things we have. The “new stuff” that God wants for all of us is on the inside. He wants us to love instead of hate. He wants us to share the things we have, even when we have just a little. He wants us to not be alone, but live together in families, schools, churches and all kinds of communities! God wants all of us to have “new stuff”, but most importantly, he wants us to have a “new life”!

He is Still Risen!

As we just celebrated another Easter with our children, and some of us in children's ministry, one thing became very clear to me this year: The Easter message is the sole reason that we teach. It all comes down to the Resurrection of Christ. It’s that simple. If it were not for this powerful fact, I would have no reason to write this blog and we would have no reason to teach children.

As we move on from Easter Sunday, let us remember that that He is STILL risen!  The same Resurrection power that radically changed the world is still as strong today as it has ever been! If we hold this truth in our hearts and live it with all that we are, it will come through in our teaching and parenting. We need to strive to make sure that this comes across to our children every day in their spiritual development. Easter is over and now we have set the stage for what the Resurrection is all about. As we move forward, we have the perfect opportunity to build on what salvation really means. Now we can focus on what God’s grace and love is all about.

Realistically, most of our children are not 100% clear on what a relationship with Christ is all about, nor can we be assured that all of them will come to Christ. But remember, it is not our job to "save" anyone; including our children. We like to carry that burden, don't we? But in realistically, it I only our job to be faithful, teach Christ, plant seeds and do our best to cultivate healthy soil. Let’s leave the "saving" up to God and love our children as much as we can. Teach them that He is STILL risen and that reality is just as powerful as it was over 2000 years ago.

Post Palm Sunday Reflections

Hosanna! The word translated means “Lord save us!” "Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!"  (Matthew 21:9 & Psalm 118)  Three days ago, we celebrated Palm Sunday.  Although we are moving toward Easter, I find myself still reflecting on Palm Sunday.  Can you imagine the excitement in Jesus' day? Can you imagine the electricity that must have been surging through the crowds of Jerusalem as Jesus approached on that first Palm Sunday? The culmination of Jesus’ ministry was coming together as the crowds praised the long hoped for Messiah! And Jesus’ acceptance of their praise left nothing hidden. He was who He claimed to be, and it appeared that the crowds seemed to understand exactly what was taking place. Passover was only five days away, and as they shouted the words of Psalm 118, one of the traditional Passover Psalms, everything seemed to be coming together with perfection!  Jerusalem was honoring their Messiah! Their King! Throwing their clothing to the ground before Him, they soon ran out and began covering His path with palm branches. “Hosanna to the Son of David!” “Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!”

And five days later, many of that exact same crowd, had Jesus beaten, humiliated, ridiculed, flogged and finally crucified on the cross. Have you ever asked yourself, “What happened!?” How could many of the same people that praised the coming of their King have changed their views so drastically?  How could their devotion be so quickly change to hatred?  Quite simply; things are not always as they appear. Even the disciples did not fully understand what was about to happen and the true reason Jesus entered Jerusalem. Not until He died and was raised from the dead did His followers, and a small number at that, realize what “Messiah” really meant.

My question for us this week is “Do we really understand what Messiah really means?” Do we sometimes expect Jesus to come riding in to save the day by wiping out enemies with one slash of His sword? Do we expect Him to take away all of our pains, troubles and hurts with one instantaneous prayer? Do we expect Him to establish the kingdom that we long for, or the kingdom that His will demands? Are we looking at a future victory, or celebrating in the victory that already is?

Many children were present as Jesus entered Jerusalem. They joined in the celebration, shouting "Hosanna!", running beside mom and dad or possibly perched atop Dad's shoulders. They heard the exaltation. They heard the praise. But a week later, they heard some of the same voices shouting, "Crucify him!" Can you imagine the confusion? And I wonder if today's children are just as confused by what they see and hear from adults and the Church today? We shouts praises to God on Sunday morning, but then when things don't work out they way we think they should, we respond with the proverbial "Crucify Him!"

I encourage you this week to celebrate Christ! Allow Him to be Messiah in your life, in your family, in your ministry and in your home. Celebrate when He triumphantly enters Jerusalem, and celebrate when He is nailed to the cross.

Time to Clean House!

Well, another winter has closed it's door, and we are well into another Springtime in Houston. For those of you who might be reading this from up north, we begin Spring a little sooner around here. Usually late February sees the last of the cold snaps and we begin to feel the first taste of what will soon be oppressive heat, humidity and another long Summer. And as we usher in warmer temperatures, there is one activity that we all seem to participate in to some degree: Spring cleaning!

Whether it's the the house or the yard, there is something about this time of year that causes that little cleaning "switch" to be flipped on, and we suddenly find new strength and motivation to tackle those jobs that have been put off since late September. It's almost ritualistic. All you have to do is walk outside on a Saturday morning and you'll see lawnmowers coming back to life, hedges being trimmed to reveal the houses that lay hidden behind them, and bags of mulch lining the flower beds, ready to be poured as the smell of manure fills the air! It's intoxicating! And before you know it, you have a rake in your hand, joining the troops of weekend warriors!

This year in particular, I've been pondering why we fall into this frenzy of Spring cleaning so quickly. What changes inside us that causes us to have renewed energy and motivation to begin this annual process? Is it just because the temperature is becoming more comfortable? Is it the smell of the flowers, grass and trees beginning to give birth to new life? Is it just a natural instinct that is implanted in our psyche that naturally aides us in keeping things organized and clean in our lives? Is it a little of everything? Well, one thing is for sure, we all begin to change, and this time of year it seems more apparent than others.

As we move closer to Holy Week and well into the forth week of Lent, I found myself reading the story of Jesus clearing the Temple in John, chapter 2. And it was no coincidence that I began to see the parallels to Spring cleaning. Just before Passover, Jesus makes His way into Jerusalem with His disciples. As He enters the Temple, He finds that the Jewish leaders, and people of the city have basically turned this holy place into a profit-making flea market. Animals were being sold for the required sacrifices for more than 25 times the normal cost, and money was being exchanged from Roman coins to temple currency at exorbitant rates. Needless to say, Jesus us furious by what He finds, and He decides to clean house!

Jesus grabs some rope, makes a quick homemade whip, and starts driving out the animals as well as the vendors. He turns the tables over and rebukes the money changers for ripping off the people of Jerusalem. Scripture says that Jesus had a deep passion for the Temple, after all, this building represented the very presence of God to the Jewish people. To Him, it was as if the leaders were trampling upon His Father with filthy shoes and spitting in His face.

Jesus knew what had to be done. Quite realistically, this had been going on for some time and Jesus finally reached the point of his ministry where He could no longer allow things to remain as they were. God's people had become complacent and apathetic toward the things of God, and much like we do in winter, they allowed firth to gather, inside and out.

I wonder if we are we any different. As with own homes, do we allow ourselves to be lulled into a complacent routine of spirituality? Do we ignore the dirt that has accumulated or just simply sweep it under the couch? Do we refuse to pay attention to the overgrown hedges and forget about the weeds that are beginning to choke the life out of newly forming grass? As winter drags on, I think we all do this to some extent. And as New Year resolutions begin to remain unresolved, we find that our spiritual lives have been left unkempt.

Over the next month or two, our kids will see us doing some Spring cleaning. They might even help lend a hand, and as with my own 2 boys, they will probably make more work for Mom and Dad as they "help"! But I see a two-fold teaching opportunity here. We can take the time to teach them about the importance "spiritual" Spring cleaning as well as a learning a good work ethic.  But we can also ties this into showing them the importance of "maintaining" our spiritual live as well as gardens and homes. Let's use this as a time to tell the story of Jesus cleaning house, and how we should share His passion of keeping our Temples clean.

And have fun while your at it! Wear sunscreen!

Praying WITH Your Children

Every once and a while, I feel like I'm a complete failure as a parent.  Have you been there?  Are you there now?  Have you ever felt like there are times when you just can't do anything right?  We get these great ideas and plans, try implementing them, but every single one of them seem to fall flat.  Our kids ignore us and seem completely complacent to what we are trying to teach them; especially when they become teens!  Don't get me wrong.  I'm not saying that we are always like this, but let's face it; there are times when we consider if we are accomplishing anything as they grow physically, emotionally and spiritually.

Well, this week has been one of those weeks for me.  Maybe it's because some kind of a bug has been going through our house and we've all been under the weather.  Maybe it's because we're still getting into the school routine.  Maybe it's because I have a 15 year old!  Maybe it's politics, the economy, the weather or all of the above. Either way, I don't think the reason is half as important as what I'm beginning to see as the solution.  It's something pretty obvious, pretty simple and I have to admit, pretty neglected in our home lately.

Praying with the kids in our lives is probably the single most important tool that we have at our disposal as parents, ministers and teachers.  Note that I said praying WITH your kids.  I know it feels uncomfortable sometime, especially when they see you screwing up all the time, right?  But the power of prayer in their lives is immeasurable as they learn to journey through this world and it accomplishes a lot more than you might think.  And they need to see it from you!

Here's four things that praying with children accomplishes:

1.  They receive the power of your prayer.  When you pray with them and for them, God's Spirit unites you with them and they receive the reality of Matthew 18:20 as the two of you come together.  Prayer is power!

2.  Praying with a children teaches them to pray, and here's the important point of this one.  Just be yourself!  Don't worry about being the "grown up" and having to have all the perfect words!  Just pray for them.  It teaches them the importance of just approaching God as they as.  Prayer is simple!

3.  Praying with children teaches and reminds you how to pray in general.  Praying with a child helps you realize that ALL of us are God's children and He wants us to come to Him just like that: a child.  Praying with kids helps you see that sometimes we need to simplify our spiritual lives and just be ourselves with God.  Just talk to Him.  That's all He asks from us in prayer.  Remember Matthew 18:3?  We need to be more like them!   

4.  Praying with kids helps to reveal God to them.  Many of the children that cross our paths have no concept of who God is.  We are in the midst of almost two generations of kids that are getting further and further away from the idea of who God is, what He is and how He works in our lives.  Most generations before, including mine, always had God incorporated in some aspects of life, culture and society.  Not so much anymore.  It's becoming rare that we see God connected to the everyday world.

Now go pray with your kiddos!  

Peace & Blessings!          
      

Creativity and Kids

I'm convinced that kids need to have as much freedom as possible to creatively express themselves, while they are learning and growing within God's framework. When we stifle creativity in kids, in many ways we are essentially stifling the working of God in their lives.  For whatever reason, whether intentional or not, when we place unnecessary restraints on kids, it makes their sphere of imagination and creativity much smaller.  And unfortunately, I think this is what happens to most of us.  When we were young, we looked at life with endless wonder and endless imagination.  Through a broad filter, we could create almost anything that our minds conceived.  Boxes became spaceships, gardens became battle fields, bathtubs became oceans and empty fields became sports arenas.  Creativity and imagination is limitless within the mind of a child, and essential to their understanding of God.

Faith in God is not finite, manageable or easily definable.  Faith is different from one person to the next, not always explainable or easy to concretely understand.  The older we get, the more barriers we construct that affect our faith in God.  Life becomes more rational and less imaginative.  We limit ourselves because we begin trying to rationalize faith and God in general.  When Jesus confronted this way of thinking He responded with, "Truly I tell you, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it." Mark 10:15  Basically, what he was saying is something like, "Stop trying to rationalize all of this!  Accept faith for what it is and be blown away by the mystery of it all!"  Kids get it!  We don't!   

When we begin to look at God and faith through a much simpler perspective, we open the limitless door of imagination and creativity and in essence, this expands our view of God.  Let's face it.  God is not tangible.  He's not easily figured out.  As hard as we try, He won't fit into the compartmentalized boxes that we build for our lives.  Only with great imagination can we begin to grasp that which is so incredibly difficult to grasp with our limited minds.  Kids see the world through eyes of wonder, and if they are going to build a healthy view of the wonderful world around them, they have to see Him with wonder as well.  Let us not allow ourselves to limit the imagination and creativity in the minds of the kids in our lives.  And if we pay attention, we might learn something from them as well.      

The Catechism & Teaching Kids

If you're anything like me, when you hear the word "catechism", it instantly conjures up thoughts of the Roman Catholic Church.  I grew up Catholic, and the catechism was, and still is the main method of teaching children that grow up in the faith.  It's not uncommon to categorize the catechism method of teaching as a "Catholic thing".  But did you know that as far back as the early 1500s, Protestant Churches began to use their own versions of a catechism in the education of children as well as adults?  Lutherans, Methodists, Presbyterians and Baptists alike, all had a formal catechism that was used as a vital part of their discipleship.  In fact, there are literally hundreds of different versions of the catechism to choose from depending on denomination and even variations within each church.  

Basically, the word catechism comes from the Greek word katecheo which means to “instruct” or “teach”.  The word is derived from two roots: "kata", which means "down, and "echein", which mean "to sound".  Literally, this means "to sound down" to the ears, creating the image of speaking forth to the learner.  This is where we get our English word “catechize.”  It simply means to teach Biblical truth in an a structured and orderly way.  Generally this is done with questions and answers accompanied by Biblical support and explanation.  One could look at the catechism as somewhat of a handbook for particular beliefs.   

Over the years, the use of the catechism in most protestant churches lost popularity, especially within the modern era.  As people began to seek a simpler and more efficient life, the formality and time commitment of the catechism made it difficult for church leaders to promote as a main teaching method.  The rise of the Sunday School format also contributed to the loss of interest.  Many began to look at the catechism as too methodical, systematic and boring to be an effective encouragement to those new to the Christian faith.

In recent years, we are seeing a resurgence of interest in the catechism method of teaching.  Why is this?  Well, with the rise of post-modernism, we see a generation that seek a deeper and more substantial spiritual experience than many of their modern predecessors.  Younger people who grew up with the somewhat superficial faith of the seeker sensitive movement of the 90s are now as adults and are asking, "What do I believe?  What should I believe? Why do I believe what I believe?"  Many churches are beginning to use forms of the catechism to answer these questions in a very methodical and clear cut manner.

Personally, I've used a couple of different catechisms within my ministry and my own family and re-written certain parts to coincide with my particular beliefs.  Especially for my two boys, after completing the program they now have a document to call upon when they have questions about their faith.  They have a simple answer as well as supporting scripture to show how that particular belief was derived.  Of course, this never replaces personal interaction, teaching and one on one discipleship from parents, pastors or other leaders, but it gives you an outline to begin with and a point of reference to begin with.

I've thought a lot about this over he last few days and came to a few realizations.  There's nothing particularly wrong with modern methods.  As we evolve as human beings, our methods of teaching and learning evolve as well.  Change is something to be embraced, but only if it moves us forward in the Kingdom of God.  Change for the sake of change can not only be non-productive, but counter-productive as well.  As I see it, the catechism teaching method is a very simple and straight forward way of teaching the basic tenants of Christianity without some of the frills that confuse and get us off on tangents.  But with that said, don't cut the nose off to spite the face.  If you consider using a catechism format, it can easily be incorporated with other modern teaching methods or used as an outline for main teaching principles.  At the very least, take a another look at the catechism and see what works best for you.        

Below are 2 links for the catechisms that I've used.  Feel free to check them out and use them as a starting point if you've never been exposed to the catechism teaching method.  Most importantly, find a catechism that is as close to your personal belief system as possible.  If you are a member of a mainstream denomination, chances are there is a formal catechism available.  You can probably find a printable copy online, or you pastor may have some resources for you as well.

Soujourn Community Church Catechism for Girls and Boys

A Baptist Catechism - Desiring God