Sermon by Pastor MaAn Christian Education Sunday September 22, 2013 In the Bible, the passage for our communal reflection this morning begins with this greeting -- 1 From Simon Peter, a slave and apostle of Jesus Christ. To those who received a faith equal to ours through the justice of our God and savior Jesus Christ. 2 May you have more and more grace and peace through the knowledge of God and Jesus our Lord. And then, he went on to elaborate on this greeting by reminding his readers about what the Lord has done for them -- 3 By his divine power the Lord has given us everything we need for life and godliness through the knowledge of the one who called us by his own honor and glory. 4 Through his honor and glory he has given us his precious and wonderful promises, that you may share the divine nature and escape from the world s immorality that sinful craving produces. In response to God s generous gifts of knowledge through Jesus Christ and the divine promises of sharing in God s life, Peter then admonished his hearers how they are to live -- 5 This is why you must make every effort to add moral excellence to your faith; and to moral excellence, knowledge; 6 and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, endurance; and to endurance, godliness; 7 and to godliness, affection for others; and to affection for others, love... As followers of Jesus, they are to live lives characterized by virtues and values necessary for a life well lived in the Lord. He went on to assure his readers of the importance not only of knowing these traits but of living them out in daily life and nurturing them --
8 If all these are yours and they are growing in you, they ll keep you from becoming inactive and unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 Whoever lacks these things is shortsighted and blind, forgetting that they were cleansed from their past sins. He assured them of the eternal implications of living faithfully in the Lord -- It is not 10 Therefore, brothers and sisters, be eager to confirm your call and election. Do this and you will never ever be lost. 11 In this way you will receive a rich welcome into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and savior Jesus Christ. 12 So I ll keep reminding you about these things, although you already know them and stand secure in the truth you have. but Peter insists that is was necessary for them to hear it again -- 13 I think it s right that I keep stirring up your memory These words of Peter written a long time ago, clearly have implications for us, who strive to live our lives today as followers of Jesus. Like Peter s hearers of old, we are to be regularly reminded about how we are to live in today s world as disciples and students of Jesus, our Lord. Christian education, or as others prefer to call it, religious education, is an integral ministry in the life of the church. Learning and growing in our faith is an essential part of who we are as God s people. All of us are meant to be life-long learners. Or, as a long-time member of Towson United Methodist Church in Towson, MD, put it: A Christian never graduates. Continuing Christian or religious education is for all ages. But, as every teacher and every parent here knows, learning begins, and needs to begin, early in life. It has to, if what is learned is to have lasting beneficial effects. That is why we first focus on the education of children. We want our children to have head knowledge about how they are to live, but more importantly, we want them to bring their knowledge to their hearts and then live them out in their daily lives. I was reminded of this process by a hymn from American composer, Natalie Sleeth, in the song, How Will They Know.
The same message is found in a poem that has circulated over the years. Written by Dorothy L. Noltes, it is titled Children Live What They Learn. Children Live What They Learn by Dorothy L. Noltes If children live with criticism, they learn to condemn. If children live with hostility, they learn to fight. If children live with fear, they learn to be apprehensive. If children live with pity, they learn to feel sorry for themselves. If children live with ridicule, they learn to be shy. If children live with jealousy, they learn what envy is. If children learn with shame, they learn to feel guilty. If children live with tolerance, they learn to be patient. If children live with judgment, they learn to be confident. If children live with praise, they learn to appreciate. If children live with approval, they learn to like themselves. If children live with acceptance, they learn to find love in the world. If children live with recognition, they learn to have a goal. If children live with sharing, they learn to be generous. If children live with honesty and fairness, they learn what truth and justice are. If children live with security, they learn to have faith in themselves and in those around them. If children live with friendliness, they learn that the world is a nice place in which to live.
If children live with serenity, they learn to have peace of mind. With what are your children living? You may have heard both of them over the years, but like Peter, I believe in repetition, hoping and praying that the message will eventually sink in and bear fruit for the present and into the future. Both literary pieces and all religious education that goes on in church and in our homes have their foundation in a number of biblical passages. They form the bases for why we, all of us, teach: 5 Love the LORD your God with all your heart, all your being, and all your strength. 6 These words that I am commanding you today must always be on your minds. 7 Recite them to your children. Talk about them when you are sitting around your house and when you are out and about, when you are lying down and when you are getting up. - Deuteronomy 6:5-7, Common English Bible (CEB) 13 All your children will be disciples of the LORD I will make peace abound for your children. - Isaiah 54:13, Common English Bible (CEB) In the New Testament, we get this clear mandate to educate in the words of Jesus: 19 Therefore, go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to obey everything that I ve commanded you. Look, I myself will be with you every day until the end of this present age. - Matthew 28, Common English Bible (CEB) The biblical command to teach is not confined to children alone. Nor is this command confined to the classroom. Education can happen at any place and at any time. Most importantly it needs to begin in the home. Education can come to us in different ways and from different sources. What we need are open minds, open hearts and open hands to receive what we are
offered by other people and by the different circumstances we encounter in life as gifts from the Lord. In all areas of life, our attitude matters when it comes to learning. Learning about our faith is no exception. When we come to church with the consumerist attitude that pervades much of society the attitude expressed in What can I get out of this? we will not learn much or anything. But when we come asking: I wonder what the Lord has to say to me today, we have much to gain and take home with us, to ponder upon over the week. The message could come from the prayer, the songs and hymns we sing, from the Scripture, from the sermon. It can come in the silence in between. It could even come from the conversations we have with each other before and after the worship service. Our relationship with God through education is deepened by our regular practice of spiritual disciplines that have been handed down to us prayer, reading, studying and reflecting on the Bible or Lectio Divina as it is called at times. It is also strengthened by the practice of fasting. I encourage all us then to continue to grow in our life with God; to intentionally develop and grow the faith we were given originally. The ways to do that are plenty. But we do need to be intentional about it. With God s grace, we will grow into mature, transformed Christians, loving God and serving the neighbors especially in this neighborhood God has planted us in. Amen. Reflection: How are you nurturing your relationship with God these days? How is it bearing fruit in your daily life? My child, do not forget my teaching, but let your heart keep my commandments; for the length of days and years of life and abundant welfare they will give you. Do not let loyalty and faithfulness forsake you; bind them around your neck, write them on the tablet of your heart.
So you will find favor and good repute in the sight of God and of people. Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not rely on your own insight. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths. Proverbs 3:1-6