Teaching the Gospel

I've taught Sunday school classes off and on for twenty years now. I've done puppet shows and flannel board, I've sung a fair share of children's songs, and I've seen good AND bad curriculum. 

But in my twenty years of teaching, I have never heard the message that Jack Klumpenhower writes in the first chapter of his book, Show Them Jesus- Teaching the Gospel to Kids.

The good news means you relate to God based on what Jesus has done for you, not what you've done to prove yourself worthy… 

The typical lesson for kids isn't like this. Instead, it tends to be what mine were for years-- little more than a lecture about some way you ought to live for God. Such lessons create pressure and invite pretending.

We've been dispensing good advice instead of the good news. Eventually, kids will tire of our advice, no matter how good it might be. Many will leave the church. Others will live decent, churchy lives but without any fire for Christ….

Fellow teachers, our challenge is to proclaim the good news of Jesus so clearly and consistently that no kid of ours will ever place him in a category with typical religious leaders… I stress this because if I don't, someone will hear me talk of teaching about Jesus and get the wrong idea. They will think, "Yes, we ought to teach kids to be like Jesus and to follow his example." This would be typical religion.

What a tyrant Jesus would be if he lived a perfect life and then, as his main message, told us to be like him. What a setup for failure!

I tried to find a short quote that summed up Mr. Klumpenhower's main points, but I found his words to be so important that I needed to quote five paragraphs. Even if you never read his book, I hope you understand what he wants to share. I too have been teaching for twenty years the way Mr. Klumpenhower (who is himself a Bible teacher and curriculum writer) had been teaching. Read a Bible story, find an application to the children's lives, easy-peasy, right? But it never occurred to me that as good as it was to teach children to obey their parents, or share with their siblings, or love their enemies, I was teaching them week after week to do something for God. My lessons were about morality, not about grace (except at Easter time). Unknowingly, I was emphasizing the use of our own abilities to please God, not how Jesus's death and resurrection is the only way we can even be righteous before God! The Gospel isn't about good behavior, but the good news.

I have only read the introduction and first three chapters of Show Them Jesus, and already I recommend it to parents and teachers. (If I come across something blasphemous as I continue to reader, I will apologize and take back my recommendation). The book is straight-forward, easy to read, and full of practical advice to his readers (which he addresses as 'teachers, parents, grandparents, youth leaders, anyone') on how to weave the Gospel message into every Sunday school lesson (or personal/family devotion time). I also appreciate Mr. Klumpenhower's humble admittance to making the same mistakes most Sunday school teachers make, and his reminders to teachers of all experience levels that ultimately, it is not our perfection in the classroom that draws our students to Christ. Which brings us back to the heart of the Gospel-- 

But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive in Christ even when we were dead in transgressions-- it is by grace you have been saved… through faith-- and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God-- not by works, so that no one can boast. ~Ephesians 2:4-5, 8-9

Now that is good news!

Who, Not What

"What do you want to be when you grow up?"

It's so classic… I hear people ask my children this question all the time. The answers my children give range from "Lego Designer" to "doctor/mom/writer/teacher." My younger son once said, "I want to be an owl when I grow up," and now he's moved on to race car driver. Yikes! I think. What's next?! I actually prefer owl to race car driver!

I'm like every other parent. I have my interests-- mainly music and the arts-- and what I would consider ideal career choices-- teacher and doctor are two that come to mind-- and as much as I would like my children to pursue what I want them to pursue, all I really want for my children is happiness, safety, and security.

But what if my child chooses an unconventional career? One that is unpredictable? Even dangerous? What will I do then? Will I still be proud? Supportive?

When my husband and I find ourselves drowning in questions like these, he wisely reminds me (and himself) that we are asking the wrong questions. Instead of "What do you want to be when you grow up?", we should focus on "Who do you want to be when you grow up?" More than anything, we want our children to know God's grace and love as Jesus loved. Integrity, mercy and kindness, servant-leadership (is that a word?) are more important than a large salary or prestigious title; however our child will support him/herself career-wise, what we really want is for him/her to live as a Godly man or woman and shine a light in this dark world. That may mean God leads our child to another continent, or another country, or another state, but we have to trust that God is directing our child on his/her path, whether it is the path of a doctor, waiter, or missionary.

Fortunately, I have ten more years before my oldest is plunged into the working world. In the meantime, my eyes are turned to God for guidance in how to teach my children to hear His voice. My husband and I are careful observers to the skills and strengths God gave to each of our unique children. In our homeschooling, I teach scholastic skills, keeping in mind that they are secondary to character building. And lastly, I am exercising my own faith in the Author of our stories. When the time comes for my children to 'leave the nest', I know that they'll be in good hands.

Time for a Field Trip!!

May is always the start of 'Field Trip Fridays' for us. Other homeschooling moms like the idea so much that they ask to join us! So from week and week, we may have a group of twenty or so children, or just one other family join us, but it has been extra fun having friends come along to discover the hidden treasures of the San Francisco Bay Area!

If you're in the Bay Area and you're looking for a day trip this summer, try one of these adventures!

First field trip was to Mt. Diablo State Park. We drive by it all the time, but I had always been wary of bringing small children there. This year was the year! It is the highest point in our valley, and from the summit, one can see all surrounding towns, and even the city of San Francisco on a clear day! Before driving to the summit, we stopped at Rock City, aptly named for the giant rocks 'growing' there. We followed a narrow trail to the Wind Caves, where kids young and old found little hideaways to call their own. There was also plenty of poison oak, so cover up and pay attention! The entrance fee into the park is $10/car this year.

The following week I took the kids to Morgan Territory, just north of our town of Livermore. I needed to go somewhere close, and Morgan Territory, a beautiful, little-known park in the hills, was a relatively short twenty minute drive from our house. There were plenty of hiking trails to choose from, and the kids decided to go down to the pond (where we caught and released some frogs) and explore the woods a bit (which was full of poison oak!) I'm sorry I forgot my camera that day, because it was beautiful. We ended our time with a picnic lunch. (By the way, there is no fee to hike there.)

Pictured here is the USS Hornet, a WW2 aircraft carrier that it is now a museum in Alameda. You are allowed to explore almost the entire ship, from the captain's quarters to the engine room. Also on board are memorabilia from the Apollo 11 Space Mission and historic airplanes and helicopters. It's a trickier place to visit with toddlers, so I recommend checking out their website before you go. Here it is: http://www.uss-hornet.org. The Naval Air Museum is also nearby, if you're interested.

Redwoods are my favorite trees, and I would gladly drive ninety minutes to visit some, but I have always been told that redwoods grew in Oakland. I decided it was time to check this out. Redwood Regional Park is right off Highway 13, not too far from the Oakland Zoo. It is a fairly large park, with plenty of picnic areas, meadows, and even a play structure. Local residents were there enjoying the day, while my children and I looked for banana slugs. Alas, we didn't find any, and we didn't hike deep enough into the park to see that many redwoods. Still, it is a beautiful park, and worth going to with the family. The cost at this park is $5 on weekends.

The Oakland Museum, located on Lake Merritt next to the court house, is huge! It has three floors: California history, California natural history, and visual arts. The history floors are maze-like, with plenty for kids to discover and touch. The art floor has mostly modern works, many of which are local and on display for only a limited time. To see the current exhibits, visit https://www.museumca.org. Children will especially love the history floors. We were there for five hours, looking at bones, making a stop-motion film,   and drawing self-portraits, and we still didn't see everything!

My family is blessed to live in an area that has so much to offer. Everyday, we step outside and can't help but say, "Thank God for this amazing and beautiful world!" I hope you have time this summer to explore your neck of the woods with your family!

After the Wedding

My husband puts a magazine in front of me. 

"Tell me what you think of this article," he says.

I quickly read the first paragraph, and is instantly appalled.

The author, Kristina Kilbourne, writes, It's only been three months since the honeymoon and already I'm his personal chef, counselor, maid, and sex slave, amongst other things. I'm not complaining, it's just I wasn't prepared for this.

The article is titled "Congratulations… You're Hired!" and appears in a local magazine that centers on (according to their cover) "Home, Health, Family, Culture, Community". Ms. Kilbourne says she's not complaining, but the whole article sounds like one big gripe. She had her image of Prince Charming, and her new husband did not fulfill that image. 

You see, my husband is very handsome and charming on paper and in photographs, but the private itching, belching, gassy guy who I see everyday, is a long way from Disney charming.

She then goes on to list how he doesn't help around the house, how he isn't romantic enough, how he doesn't communicate about anything but sports and video games, and (this is where I have the biggest problem) how he loves God but makes jokes about being the 'president' and his wife being the 'governor'.

I can understand this woman's frustration. Reality has hit her hard. If she already feels this discontent less than one year into her marriage, my heart breaks for her. I want to sit down with her and her husband and discuss what it means to love sacrificially as Christ loves the Church, because clearly, their marriage is based on the idea that it should be magical and easy. And the husband's idea of 'magical and easy' is not the same as the wife's. 

But I also don't think a magazine is the place to file your complaints. I am not angry at the author, but at the editors of this magazine for choosing to publish this article. There is nothing constructive in the article, and it in no way promotes 'home, health, and family'. The article does nothing more than degrade men, shoot down marriage, and make God's Word sound sexist, demeaning, and malicious.

Let this be a lesson to engaged women everywhere. Don't believe the hype… Marriage is the most wonderfully rewarding job you will ever have in your life where the "Boss" is annoyingly frustrating, but great to look at… Cheers to being a married woman in the 21st century! 

That is how Ms. Kilbourne ends her article. Now if I was giving advice to thousands of engaged women, I would say this.

1) Marriage is a choice. No one is forcing you into it (at least in this culture). Evaluate your reasons for getting married before you jump in. Talk to married couples. Have realistic expectations.

2) Your spouse is also a choice. See with open eyes before saying 'yes'. Remind yourself that he is not perfect, and neither are you.

3) Good pre-marital counseling is HIGHLY recommended.

4) Evaluate your own faults before you start evaluating your spouse's. Roles and communication doesn't come naturally. You will have to change something in yourself to make your marriage joyful.

5) Never complain about your spouse/fiance publicly. It's disrespectful and unloving, and won't help your marriage. Your complaints are valid, but you need to work it out with your spouse and possibly a counselor or trusted third party.

It sounds cliched to say this, but no one is perfect, and that's the truth. But with effort, we can be more considerate of those around us, especially spouses. After the wedding day, many people stop saying 'thank you' and 'please' when addressing their spouses; men stop opening doors for their 'gal'; in short, we don't put in the effort anymore. Yes, you can be yourself in marriage, but you can still strive to be a better version of yourself. 

Seeing Stars

I've avoided writing because our computer has been broken and I don't really like typing on the iPad. 

But I've also been a bit busy with several days of entertaining house guests. First, a man attending a conference at our church spent the night here. What was a simple agreement to offer a bed to a stranger became an evening of encouraging talk and news from around the world (this man spent three years as a missionary in China). How I love meeting a brother in Christ and discovering how connected we are!

Next, a friend from France came for a short visit. Hearing her talk about teaching, about her family, and about France again reminded me that the world is much smaller than it seems. No matter where we are from, we have so much in common!

And now, staying with us is a pastor from Kenya. In the few days that he has been with us, he has become family. He and his wife both graduated from programs sponsored by Compassion International (so if you ever wonder if your sponsorship helps, know that it does!) And I never tire of hearing about life in other parts of the world: how foods are similar or different, how even humor is different, how time can be 'flexible', and how the Church is growing. And it was this pastor's words last night that pushed me to jump on the iPad and write today, despite the inconveniences of typing on this electronic device. Here is what he shared with us (you'll have to imagine his Kenyan accent):

Someone once told me that he likes to see the stars when they come out. I said, "No, the stars don't come out. They were always there. But you can't see them until it is dark. And sometimes, in our darkest times, that is when we see the light. We see God's love and God's grace. Though they were always there, we didn't know it until it became dark."

And that is what I wanted to share with you today, especially if you are experience a dark time. Look up, and look for the stars. They are there.

(And let me add that I am thankful for God's thoughtfulness- though I can't travel to France, China, or Kenya, He has brought them to me! And I hope someday to experience these places in person, and find ways to serve my 'family' there!)