Today's Scripture Reading (July 30, 2022): Psalm 145
"I was never brought up that way." It is our repeated refrain whenever we encounter ideas or practices to which we are not accustomed. And I repeatedly hear the phrase from
people who grew up outside the Christian church. There was a time, not really
that long ago, when we all seemed to have someone among our significant
relatives who were active in the church. They knew that Grandpa and Grandma
attended church regularly. Or maybe it was a significant aunt or uncle. There was someone, and even those who did not participate in a church were brought up with the same ideals
because that was the way that Mom and Dad lived when they were children. But
that day is swiftly receding. Fewer and fewer people have any connection with
the church. And more and more people have no conception of what the church believes or does. What they know about the church is usually based on those who hold a negative view of
Christianity or whatever makes the news about Christianity. And so, their view of the church
becomes skewed and inaccurate. The building itself has become a foreign place, and they just stay away.
What complicates this even more is that parents are more willing to let their
children make up their minds about what they believe about spirituality. And
so, maybe more than in any other area of life, we seem to follow the example set by our parents regarding spirituality.
I am the product of Christian
parents. My memories are filled with events that took place at various
activities in and around the Christian church. My parents were brought up the
same way by their parents, and my grandparents were raised with the same kind of morality. Christianity has
been passed down through the generations to me. My wife's story is very similar to mine. As a result, our
kids were brought up inside the church and are now bringing up their children
in the church as well. The idea that we would be left to make our own
decisions, with no outside training or influence, is unthinkable. It was not the way that we were brought
up.
God instructs his people not to leave the transmission of the
faith between the generations up to chance. The Jewish prayer, the Shema, a
title taken from the opening words of the prayer "Shema Yisrael" (Hear O Israel), begins with the instruction that we are to pass down
what we know about God to those in the generations that follow us.
Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with
all your soul and with all your strength. These commandments that I give you
today are to be on your hearts. Impress them on
your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the
road, when you lie down and when you get up (Deuteronomy 6:4-7).
The Story of the Bible was designed
to be passed down from one generation to the next; that way, it is spread
through the generations. From generation to generation, we tell the stories of
God, building the intrigue and excitement about God down through the years. It
was how we were brought up, and we should be committed to bringing up our children
the same way.
Tomorrow's Scripture Reading:
Psalm 42
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