Understanding that children are extremely impressionable should lead us to teach them in methods with absolute truths. After all, this is how they see and understand things.
Children of pre and elementary school age typically do not understand rhetoric, sarcasm and/or the like. They see things in black and white (not literally!) and have not yet developed the ability to understand "gray areas".
For example, often in my frustration I will sarcastically say, "I'm gonna punch you in the mouth". I mean this as a slang term to express my frustration, but my son would react with, "we don't hit people in the mouth daddy".
All this said, our children are now under the subtle attack of generalization and liberalism in the fact that it is being said that they are too young to understand such complicated subjects like the crucifixion of Christ.
My thought is this, "They don't have to understand it, they just need to know it". As my buddy Brian said, "There are grown men who don't understand it".
Just because someone doesn't understand something doesn't mean that we quit teaching it. Unfortunately one producer of children's Sunday School curriculum sees this differently.
Check out Two Institutions Blog for detailed information and for a copy of the letter from the editor of the material with their explanation.
Our children must learn about the crucifixion of Christ. I am not talking about giving them a historical study on the art of crucifixion and scourging and the violence of the death. What I am talking about is simply letting them know that Jesus did in fact DIE on a CROSS for OUR SINS.
As it is in many cases, to be subtle is to be deceptive.
Wednesday, March 19, 2008
Children's Ministry Without the Crucifixion??
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3 comments:
Val's been racking her brain trying to figure out a way to help the kids understand that Jesus' died for sins. And raised back to life.
When you were out Sunday, I did the childrens min. I asked them why we celebrated Easter, they didn't understand, but we still have to tell 'em.
Right on Brother NSBR. Thanks for filling the void! I know that it is a deep subject matter for them to comprehend but me must continue to tell them about why we do celebrate Easter.
A couple of nights ago I was at home with the boys and Joshua (2yo) was in the back playing. Judson (5yo) was in the living room with me and I was watching one of the Jesus portrayal shows that is alway on around Easter. When it came to the scene where Jesus was on the cross and the Romans soldiers were standing around, I asked Judson, "son, what is going on there"? His reply, "Jesus is dying on the cross daddy".
If he can understand as a young boy that Jesus did in fact die on a cross, then the moment that he is conscious of his sin (I pray) it will all come together.
Matthew 19:14
But Jesus said, “Let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them; for of such is the kingdom of heaven.”
This absolutely blows my mind. I can't believe that there is a curriculum that takes the cross out of the story of Jesus.
We teach the ENTIRE story of Jesus in our house. What is the point of teaching our children about Christmas if we aren't going to teach them about Easter?
Thanks for giving me something to think about today.
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