I had a really honest conversations this past Tuesday night. I met up with a clergy friend from seminary who is presently in a doctoral program. She was bubbling over, talking about the great books she is reading and her renewed love for Scripture. As we talked and got caught up on each other’s lives, we both lamented our shared disappointment that we did not teach our now grown kids our mutual love of the Bible. We joked about our arrogance as young moms not understanding how hard it was going to be to teach our kids about faith and the Scripture.
Life was busy and we meant well, but they were grown and gone way too fast. The Scripture that comes to me when I reflect on the practice of teaching kids about faith is this, Luke 12:34. “Where your treasure is, there your heart will be too.” What that means is wherever I am investing my time, money, and energy, that is where my heart is. This is not meant to make us feel bad, but rather to help us remember the importance of prioritizing where we do put our time, our energy, and our money.
If it is the goal of our hearts to raise kids in the faith, we need to prioritize our goals, not just survive the craziness of parenthood. Long before Gary and I arrived at St. Andrew's there were two intentional practices that really make me proud to be associated with this church. First, I am proud that the elementary kids at St. Andrew's are learning to read their Bibles on Sunday morning. What a gift that is to parents, who are tired and exhausted from COVID, to have help teaching their kids to love Scripture. I am also deeply proud that each year, St. Andrew's gifts our preschool kids with their own Bible, or if they are in their second year, a children’s devotional. You will hear more about the gifting of Bibles to our kids in October.
We believe that this is such a bold statement to our preschool parents about the importance we place on the Word of God. (On a side note, let me know if you want to help pay for these Bibles.) There are no perfect parents and I think we all have regrets for things we wish we had done better. I am simply happy to be a part of a church who is willing to invest in the lives of the kids, who like all of us, need a relationship with Jesus. Thank you, St. Andrew's, for having your priorities in the right place.
Have a good Friday!
Blessings,
Pastor Jayne
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