Pastors Page
“A Message from Pastor Alicia"
"Train children in the right way,
and when old they will not stray"
Proverbs 22:6
The English Romantic poet, Samuel Taylor Coleridge, was entertaining a man at his home. In the course of the conversation the man said he didn’t believe in giving children any religious instruction. The guest said that it was best just to let them make up their own minds.
Coleridge asked the visitor if he would like to see his garden. He took the man to a place on the property where only weeds were growing. The astonished man exclaimed to Coleridge, “Why, this is no garden, this is nothing but weeds!” Coleridge replied, “Well, you see, I did not wish to infringe upon the liberty of the garden. I was giving the garden a chance to express itself and to choose its own production.”
I’ve heard several people over the years express to me that they don’t provide for their child’s Christian instruction because they don’t want to force their beliefs upon their children. As they grow, they say, they should make up their own minds. I always ask them, “Then who will tell them about Jesus?”
There’s an old expression: “Little pitchers have big ears”. Our children are watching and listening to us and absorbing lessons from their environment every second of every day, like little sponges soaking up water. Left to themselves, our children will learn from the fallen world. Its expressions are television, radio, the internet, video games and a whole host of other influences. Those things teach our children what life is all about: 1) self-centeredness – pleasing oneself in all aspects of life; 2) money and all it can buy; 3) influence – that is, power over others. In short, their lives will take their own course God-knows-where and will eventually become a patch of weeds!
In an increasingly pluralistic and secular society, it becomes ever more important and urgent that we provide training for our children in the faith, or it just won’t happen. We are the ones charged with the care of the garden of our children’s lives.
The solution isn’t complex. We just need to listen to and heed the advice of the writer of the Proverbs verse: “Train children in the right way, and when old they will not stray.” (Proverbs 22:6) In other words, instruct your children in the faith.
What’s that you say? You don’t feel qualified to teach them all they should be learning? That’s why the church is here to help. In other words, bring your children to Sunday school and worship. Our Sunday school for children is now underway and your kids are invited. It meets in the basement at 9:30am. We have wonderful teachers who are using the curriculum, “Deep Blue-One Room Sunday School.” For students fifth grade and older, the catechism class meets at 11:00am in the Oesterlen room.
And religious instruction should not stop after we are confirmed. Learning about the faith should be a life-long process. At 11:00am on Sundays, Jim Will is teaching Ravi Zacharias’s book, “Jesus Among Other Gods.” Jim is a highly qualified teacher and those who attend his classes testify as to how much they learn from and enjoy his class.
Other opportunities for learning include: The Brown Bag Bible Study which meets Thursdays at noon, and our new “Candleglow Bible Study” online. Simply go to the First Evangelical Lutheran Church Facebook page and request entrance to the group. Or go to our website, www.firstlutheranxenia.com and on the home page you’ll find a link that will take you to the study.
Let’s not let our children fend for themselves in their lives of faith. That’s a prescription for a weedy life! See you all in Sunday School!!
Yours in Christ,
Pastor Alicia
