You shall put these words of mine in your heart and soul, and you shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and fix them as an emblem on your forehead. Teach them to your children, talking about them when you are at home and when you are away, when you lie down and when you rise.  (Deuteronomy 11:18-19)
Dear brothers & sisters in Christ,
Grace and peace to you from God our Father and Jesus Christ the risen Lord and Savior. Amen.
Another school year is beginning and everyone is getting into education mode. Education is greater than rote memorization or even absorbing facts. It is a process of internalizing information and developing the skill to process information and the world around us. Education is learning how to interact with the world.
Christian education is developing that skill through the lens of faith. As Christians, we see the world through a lens of God’s work in action. The world is God’s creation. We are God’s creatures. We relate to the world as God’s children. Christian Education is a process of building relationships with God, God’s word and God’s people.
This month we celebrate with Madyson as she affirms her faith (not graduates from it) and makes promises to God and His people to continue in the covenant He made with her. We celebrate the beginning of a new Sunday School year as lift up teachers, helpers, students and parents as they dedicate their time and talents to carrying out the command of Christ in Matthew 28 as well as God’s command in Deuteronomy 11.
These commands in Deuteronomy and Matthew are directed at all of us and we all participate in and reap the rewards of their fulfillment. When relationships are neglected, they stagnate and waste away. When they are nurtured, they develop and thrive. This means that none of us graduate from Christian Education. That would be akin to neglecting God, God’s Word and His people – not exactly things we aspire to achieve. Throughout our lives we polish that lens of faith and nurture those relationships. That is the goal and purpose of Christian Education. God continues to make disciples out of all of us.
The grace and peace of God which surpass all understanding keep your hearts and minds in the risen Christ Jesus. Amen.
In Christ,
Pastor Carla
And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age. (Matthew 28:18-20)