This blog is intended for the parents, godparents/baptismal sponsors, friends and youth of Christ the King Lutheran Church in Bozeman, Montana. It's also for anyone else who wants to pass on Christian faith, primarily in families. Of course the Holy Spirit can do whatever the Holy Spirit wants to do when it comes to forming faith in us, but studies show that there are some things we parents and other caring-adult-types can do to "set the stage," if you will.
Things like pray. With our children.
Worship. With our children.
Read our Bibles. With our children.
Serve in God's world. With our children.
Not exactly rocket science. But not as easy to put into practice as it might seem, either.
"Keep These Words" will serve as a landing place for all kinds of resources, links, and ideas, for me and for my household, sure, but mostly for the families I am blessed to serve as pastor. We are undertaking a fairly radical shift in our method of instruction for Affirmation of Baptism, aka Confirmation. I'm hoping this blog will be a useful tool for those families undertaking this journey as a class of guinea pigs of sorts.
I know I spend more time on Christian Education and Faith Formation websites and blogs than your average American. However, there's no way I'm ever going to find everything worth sharing. So, if you find something in your internet perusing which I have missed, please feel free to comment on a post and share, or send me an email and let me know: ctkprlindean (at) qwestoffice.net.
Why the title? It's from one of my favorite passages in Deuteronomy (yes, you can have a favorite verse from Deuteronomy!).
Hear, O Israel: The LORD is our God, the LORD alone. You shall love the LORD your God with all you heart, and with all your soul, and with all your might. Keep these words that I am commanding you today in your heart. Recite them to your children and talk about them when you are at home and when you are away, when you lie down and when you rise. Bind them as a sign on your hand, fix them as an emblem on your forehead, and write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates. Deut 6:4-9
I love that, and have for a long time. For many years, though, I focused mostly on verse 5 - loving God with heart, soul and might - with everything. When I hit seminary, though, a professor focused my attention on verse 7: recite them to children and talk about them when you are at home and when you are away, when you lie down and when you rise.
Right. When you're at home - talk about them. And when you're not at home - talk about them. Hmmm. That would pretty much mean wherever you are.
When you lie down, presumably at night - talk about them. And when you rise, good morning! - talk about them. Hmmm. That would pretty much mean all the time.
Keep these words.
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