When I was in the third grade, I had a teacher who would often lose her patience. I don’t remember what we did that aggravated her so, but I suppose we gave her good reasons to become upset with us. I suspect that the one thing that upset her was that we did not always listen as we should have. One of the favorite phrases she liked to use with us was, “Oh, if I could, I would open up your heads and pour the knowledge into your brains, but I can’t. So you have to listen.”
And when she would talk about this, I would stop listening. The imagery that she used fascinated me as a third grader and I would begin to daydream. I tried to imagine what it would be like to have my head ripped open by a teacher. I tried to picture what it looks like for a teacher to take a big glass pitcher and pour liquid knowledge into my brain. I wondered what color this knowledge was – green? Red? What?
But of course, that wasn’t what my teacher was trying to get me to do -- she didn’t want me daydreaming she wanted me to pay attention. Teaching and learning are hard tasks and you have to pay attention.
The subject might be Algebra and the teacher a high school teacher.
The subject might be how to ride a bike and the teacher your father.
The subject might be how to catch bass in the lake, and the teacher your grandparent.
Whatever the subject, teaching and learning are work.
Teaching the faith to our children is no different. Watching our children grow up one has to wonder if the children will have faith.
When they are adults, will they believe in God; will they govern their lives by God’s moral law?
Will they pray in times of difficulties, or give Him praise in times of joy?
Now don’t think that I’m talking only to the parents in this Sanctuary, let’s stop and think about this.
How many of you are parents of young children who live in your home?
How many of you are grandparents?
Great grandparents?
How many of you someday want to be parents, grandparents, or great grandparents?
How many of you are teachers in the school system?
How many of you are volunteers who work here at the church with children or youth groups?
How many of you have ever seen a baptism and answered the question, “Do you promise to do to guide and nurture this child by word and deed, with love and prayer, to be a faithful member of this church?”
Most Christian denominations have that question as part of the baptism service for infants. This is not just a Presbyterian issue. The Methodist Church does it as well, and Will Willimon, who was a pastor of a church in South Carolina years ago, did a baptism.
The question was asked: “Do you promise to do to guide and nurture this child by word and deed, with love and prayer, to be a faithful member of this church?”
The answer was given with a soft and holy murmur, “wedo”.
The water was sprinkled onto the child and the child handed back to the parents. The congregation stood and sang a hymn and at the end of the service, everyone was leaving the church to head for the local steak houses.
Will Willimon was standing at the doorway of the Sanctuary shaking hands with all of the people as they left the Sanctuary.
One young child came up to Willimon and tugged at his pulpit robe.
Will looked down and saw a 3-foot tall, not-yet-literate or reading six year old.
“Where’s this kid I promised to take responsibility for,” the child asked. “I want to meet him.”
Willimon smiled and mumbled something about his family having already left. But it occurred to him later – in all the congregation, that child was the only one – the only one who left the church remembering the burden of responsibility.
It doesn’t matter of you are a parent or not.
It doesn’t even matter if you are an adult or a child.
We all have a great responsibility to do what we can to see that the children in our midst have faith.
It is no easy task – to teach the children the faith.
Our Old Testament Lesson for this morning comes from Deuteronomy. We are commanded here to teach the children the faith. Our response to that Scripture might be to say with a sigh, “easier said than done.”
How do you teach the children to have faith?
Deuteronomy gives us some direction.
First, children learn by example. Our example.
If the children are to have faith, they should see it in us. Our Old Testament lesson from Deuteronomy emphasizes the fact that before we can teach a child faith, WE must first have faith.
The reading from Deuteronomy has commanded us to teach the children in our community the faith. Fortunately, it gives us some direction.
First, we prepare to teach our children by first listening to the Word of God.
The first word of this great verse is HEAR, O ISRAEL. Which is another way of saying “heads up.”
“Pay attention.”
“Listen up.”
We cannot teach the children the faith, or anyone the faith, until we have listed to the Word of God.
Do you know what you believe?
Don’t try to teach anyone the faith until you have listened to God and have a clear and comprehensive understanding of what you believe.
In the Presbyterian Church, one of the elements of worship that is almost always present is an affirmation of faith.
I sitting at the counter of a restaurant one time and found myself between a Southern Baptist and a fellow Presbyterian. None of us know one another before finding ourselves at the Steak and Shake, and as strangers often do we found ourselves talking about deep and profound topics, including religion.
When the Southern Baptist asked me about my faith, I told him that I was a Presbyterian minister.
He looked at me and said, “You know what I don’t like about your Presbyterians?”
I was afraid to ask.
But that’s OK, I didn’t need to ask. He was going to tell me anyway.
“You Presbyterians never have an altar call.”
Before I could answer him and talk about how we conclude our services at Good Shepherd, the fellow on the other side said, “Hold on here. I happen to be a Presbyterian also, and we have an altar call in every service. It’s called the Creed. We not only stand up, we talk out loud and tell everyone what we believe.
“I believe in God the Father almighty…”
Any person who comes to church and worships here should have a clear vision of what we believe.
The Apostles’ Creed was not written by the Apostles. It is called that because it sought to capture the teachings of the apostles. It is not in the Bible, but was written by people who had listened to the Word of God, and who knew what they believed.
There are other creedal statements. Today we are using the Nicene Creed. It is an interesting creed because it goes into more detail than the Apostles’ Creed – and it is also the only major creed that all branches of the Christian Church affirm. Protestant, Roman Catholic, and Greek Orthodox all embrace this particular Creed.
Writing and reciting creedal statements have always been part of our faith – not just during modern times, not just during New Testament times, but also in the Old Testament. This passage in Deuteronomy was a creed.
“Hear O Israel. The Lord is our God, the Lord is one.”
Do you know what you believe?
You’d better, if you are going to teach faith to others.
Second, we teach our children by being an example. Our children learn by example. If our children are to have faith, they should see it in us. Our Old Testament lesson from Deuteronomy emphasizes the fact that before we can teach our children the faith, WE must first have faith.
“Hear O Israel, the Lord our God is one Lord,” says this reading from Deuteronomy. “And you shall love the Lord your God, with all your heart, all your soul and all your mind. And these words that I command you to do this day shall be upon your heart… ”
You may remember what NBA bad boy Charles Barkley said a few years ago. “I am not a role model.”
One sports writer said at the time, “Wake up Charles. If you are not a role model, then why were so many kids wearing Barkley’s jerseys all the time?
Barkley was trying to convince people that his role was to play basketball – nothing more. But no – it is more. Because he was a great basketball player, kids loved him and looked up to him. He was an example – for good or bad.
The same is with any Christian – once you become a Christian, you are a role model. Not just for kids, but for all people in the community.
Children will learn from your example.
What kind of example will you be?
Will you be the kind who joins the church, but does not attend worship?
Will you profess belief in Christ on Sunday and be arrested on Monday?
When people see you on the street, in the grocery store, in the office, or at school, what do they see?
I’ll tell you what they see. They see a Christian. The question is, what kind of Christian do they see?
Do they see one who loves the Lord God, with all your heart, all your soul and all your mind?”
If you want to teach the children to have faith – first learn what YOU believe.
Second, be a GOOD example for them.
The third element in teaching children the faith is to provide a consistent environment.
Children learn not only from the example we give, but also from the environment in which they live. Faith cannot be something that is isolated in the church or in Sunday School. Faith cannot be taught if the experience is limited to a once a week event in a church building. Faith has to become part of the new environment.
We all know how important the environment is to our children. Parents may constantly try to discourage children from “hanging around the wrong crowd” for fear that the children might pick up the wrong habits. Conversely, being in a POSITIVE environment can have a positive effect.
Deuteronomy tells us that we should make the faith a part of the consistent environment.
“These words,” says Deuteronomy, “ shall be upon your heart; and you shall teach them diligently to your children, and you shall talk about them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. And you shall bind them as a sign upon your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. And you shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.”
Making the faith a part of the consistent environment is crucial, if our children are to have faith.
The saying of grace at mealtime.
The reciting of prayer at bedtime.
These can be far more important than the prayers heard once a week in the church building.
The hearing of the Bible study in the family den can far outweigh the hearing of a children’s devotional message during the church service on Sunday morning.
I think about that young child who went up to Will Willimon after the baptism service. The whole congregation had said “yes” when asked if they would promise to nurture the baby being baptized in order that the infant could grow in the faith of Jesus Christ.
That 8, 9 or 10 year old child had asked the preacher, “Where’s that baby I promised to take responsibility for, I want to meet him.”
Most of us promise to take responsibility for the Christian nurture of children, and then we just walk away.
But we can’t walk away.
Will our children have faith?
If it is up to us? Will our children have faith?
Copyright 2005, The Rev. Dr. Maynard Pittendreigh
All rights reserved.
Sermons are available online and can be found by visiting www.Pittendreigh.com
