Armed for the Battle

How well protected are you?  I would dare say, we could look at a number of different places in our lives, and see that we are "armed" in different ways, and to different degrees.  How armed are you against identity theft?  Against actual theft in your home?  How armed are you in case of an accident?  In case of death?  How armed are you when it comes to eaching your family the faith?

Just these few examples show us that being armed for the battle means a lot of different things.  It also shows us that our armament will look vastly different from one battle to the next.  The armor you have for your home probably is far different from that of your identity.  Both are important, but they also require different armor to be of any use.

This applies, also, to our faith lives.  We may we well armed in some respects, and woefully lacking in others.  For example, we may be armed with great biblical knowledge, but woefully lacking in being armed to help our neighbor in need.  We may be armed with great compassion, but woefully lacking when it comes to actually knowing the content of what we believe.  We may be armed with regular worship and Bible study attendance, but woefully lacking when it comes to having the faith be active and present in our homes.

When we look at the armor of God (look at Ephesians 6:10-20 for a great list of what it looks like), one thing we realize is that our need for protection runs far deeper than most of us may ever think.  We may feel we are well armed for the battle, only to find that there are unprotected areas of our lives that we didn't even consider. 

That's where the role of the Body of Christ comes in.  When our weak spots get exposed, it sure is much nicer to have it pointed out by someone who wants to build up our protection rather than someone who will use it against us.  The Body of Christ may also be the ones who will hold up a shield while we expose ourselves to that weak spot, so that we are protected while we may be engaged in another battle in another area of life.

Just like the armor works together to protect, so also the Body of Christ.  That's the unity that Paul calls for us to have in Ephesians, even when it comes to our armor.  May that be one of the reasons that we strive to gather together in the name of Christ Jesus. 

"Let the children come!"

Up front, I'm going to admit something.  I am a big fan of children learning by watching and participating.  For example, my little girl and I were recently at the playground together, and she wanted to slide down the slide on her belly.  So, after giving her the typical precautions and while waiting at the bottom of the slide to catch her, she slid down on her belly.  Then, when she arrived at the bottom, she wanted to climb back up the slide.  While you could argue with me about the proper way to make use of a slide, I let her do it, keeping my hand at her back in case she fell back, but also pointing out how she could put her hands and her feet in ways that would help her learn how to climb up the slide better.  After just a couple of minor slips, she was back up at the top.  Then, we started the process all over again, and each time, she showed a greater ability to do it without the extra assistance and tips.

Children learn by watching, by doing, and by being gently instructed along the way.  I believe this goes for so many faith matters, as well.  Children learn how to worship and what is proper in worship by being in worship, but also by being instructed why we do what we do, and how we do what we do.  Yes, there are times when they get frustrated and squirmy, and maybe didn't sleep enough or are hungry, but what is gained by their presence far outweighs any "advantages" to not having them in worship.

One day, many of His followers were trying to bring children to Jesus.  The disciples attempted to persuade the parents that this wasn't good, right, and proper, to which Jesus replied, "Let the children come to me!"  God has a heart for children, since we all are children in His eyes.  And from the very beginning, children have always been included in the promise that God gives.  Circumcision was the sign of God's promise.  Baptism now extends God's promise to each child that is baptized.  God eagerly desires for children to be an active presence in His Church.

As we at Oak Road look to deepen and expand our ministry to children, we do so with the full understanding that this is something God repeatedly reminds us is a good thing.  We hope and pray that a love for children will grow and grow among us as His people, especially as these ministry areas develop more fully.

Children, Instruction, and Discipline

In Ephesians 6, we find a brief section in which Paul addresses the relationships between chilren and parents.  Paul directs children to obey their parents, especially when it comes to the ways of God.  And then, as Paul often does, he shows that there is a mutual submission in the relationship of parents and children, as parents are not to provoke their children unnecessarily, but to bring them up in the instruction and discipline of the Lord.

If you didn't know this before, I love kids.  I love playing with kids, working with kids, teaching kids, and just spending time with kids.  I dearly love the time I get to spend with my 2 yr old daughter, and look forward to the time I will get to spend on the upcoming blesssing of a son that will be introduced into our family later this year.  I've spent a significant time of my life working as a preschool teacher, and dearly loved the time of working with those children.  Children are a very dear gift from God.

Children have much to learn about this world, and to learn about our God.  While we are thankful that God extends His promise to children through the washing waters of baptism, we also realize that the faith God plants in their hearts at that time needs nurturing.  It needs instruction.  It needs discipline.  Otherwise, that faith may wither and die away, which would mean eternal separation from God.

Throughout the centuries, the Christian Church has emphasized instruction for children and young people.  They need to be taught about our God, the basics such as who He is, what He tells us, and the like.  That's the instruction part.  But, along with that, there is also the part in teaching them how that applies to the living of their lives.  When they encounter life, how does their faith inform what they do, and why they make the decisions that they do?  That's where the discipline part comes in.

Faith instruction is essential, and just as essential is faith discipline.  A youth who knows that Jesus died and forgave him is a wonderful thing, but loses its luster if that youth is stealing, or vandalizing, or any other particular sins that he may willfully engage in.  As we consider what ministry to children looks like, we remember that it's not only about teaching Bible facts, but training for living as God's children in Christ Jesus as well.

Learning from the Family

There are a few ways I see that I resemble my father in my life.  One is a love of reading books.  I can't tell you how many times I would see my dad back in his room reading a book in the evening.  Sure, he sometimes had the TV on, but he usually also had a book in hand.  He would go back to his room, probably to get away from the chaos of myself and my two sisters, and take up his book and relax.

I also have seen ways that I resemble my mother.  My mother has a heart that wants to help people, and she is willing to sacrifice of herself to help them.  Quite often, it was to help out family members, or people from church, and so from her, I learned the value of helping others in need.  Though we may not have had a tremendous abundance growing up, we always found a way to help others in their needs.

Learning begins in the family.  In the letter to the Ephesians, Paul encourages us to imitate our Father, who is none other than God.  But where is the place where learning starts?  In the home.  In the family.  Spouses learn from one another.  Kids learn from parents.  Friends and family learn from the interactions they see in the life of the family.  Learning begins in the family.

So what do we do when families don't know how to lead in learning?  That's where it falls upon us to equip them to be those leaders in learning.  I often hear the comment that people don't really know how to pray out loud in front of others.  If this practice isn't in the home, because fathers and mothers don't know how to pray out loud, how will that impact the prayer life of the children?  And that is why it falls to Christian Churches to engage in teaching the family how to do even these very simple practices.

Sure, some of them may seem so simple that it's just common sense.  Yet, the one thing I have learned over the years is that what seems so easy is always challenging the first few times you do it.  Even something as simple as offering a mealtime prayer isn't easy if you haven't really done it before.  And as these rituals and practices get lost, it takes time and intentional effort to re-introduce them into the context of the family.

That is another area of emphasis we will be taking in terms of family ministry at Oak Road.  How do we teach the head of the household how to introduce and lead these rituals and practices in their household and family?  As we develop this area of ministry, it will be something we work diligently to accomplish.

Worship, Family, and Ritual

The sign of the cross may be made by all in remembrance of their Baptism.

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.  Amen.

In pretty much all Lutheran worship services, this is the very first thing you encounter.  We are reminded that we are God's children of promise, made so through our Baptism, which is a daily renewal of our life in Christ Jesus.  We remember the name that was put upon us in those washing waters.  We remember the God who has claimed us as His own.  We remember that we are recipients of God's grace.

In most cases, these words are typically spoken by the Pastor, as he makes the sign of the cross over the congregation.  In many respects, this is a reminder to us that it is God's declaration and gift to us.  We are His, and He is the one who put His name on us, and so we passively stand to receive His gift yet again.

Theologically speaking, that is how things always are for us.  As we live our lives in this world, though, it is often helpful to enact a ritual to remind us of the name that was placed upon us.  In fact, for Christians, it is and should be more highly emphasized that the name of God is upon us each day of our life.  When we wake up, we do so with God's name on us.  When we go to sleep, we do so with God's name upon us.

As we at Oak Road begin planning and putting into place an active family ministry, one of the elements of that will seek to bring our faith practices and talks into our homes.  It sounds so simple, and yet, one of the facts is that many Christian households simply lack Christian practices and rituals outside of times together in worship.  At Oak Road, we will be working to introduce these back into the place where the majority of Christian instruction is Biblically expected to take place.

So, let's take the example from above.  What if, in worship, rather than merely having the pastor proclaim God's name over us, we instead encouraged the heads of household to make the sign of the cross over each family member, followed by the Pastor's pronouncement of that name over the whole congregation?  Then, what if families were encouraged to take that practice, and to start and end each day with the head of the household making the sign of the cross over each family member, reminding them of the God who has redeemed them and put His name on them?

It sounds simple, almost too simple.  And yet, far too often, such practices are lacking in our Christian homes.  But as we look to develop family and children ministry at Oak Road, we will be looking to such practices to bring the faith into our homes on a daily basis.  

Devoted to Families

One of the resounding themes you find throughout the Bible is that of the family.  All the way in Genesis 2, we get the foundation of this building block for society, when God created the woman from the man, gave her to him, and united them as one flesh.  Since then, the foundation of family has been central to society in God's eyes, and in the practical matters of this world.

So it isn't surprising, then, that we would find that Satan would attack families.  It's not surprising to discover that our sinful nature rebels against the idea and thought of commiting ourselves to our spouse and to our children, regardless of what may come our way.  If God intended for families to be good, and to be the foundation of life in this world, then all that is opposed to God will fight to destroy that foundation, or to cause it to be something other than what God designed it to be.

Often we hear in the Christian Church that we battle for marriage.  In doing so, we battle for family.  However, one of the realities that we face is that families don't always look like our traditional idea of family.  The reality of "Leave it to Beaver" may never truly have been the reality, even in its day, but today we are very familiar with the variety of what is called family. 

Sadly, we as Christians have not always fought diligently for family.  Too often, we have settled for waiting around and picking up the pieces when family falls apart.  We look at what society calls family, and while we may be vocal against some of the forms that it has taken, very rarely are we going out and talking to those who are actually creating such families.  Very rarely are we talking about why God's wisdom lies in the fashion in which He created family.  Truth be told, we've spent far too much time complaining rather than in fighting for family.

This week, I'm going to be dedicating my blog to explaning the foundation of family ministry at Oak Road Lutheran Church.  What you will probably find as you follow along is that family ministry resists any particular form or approach, but rather, encompasses a wide range of approaches, even as we see that family resists any particular definition.  So, rather than being specific, what you will find in the entries ahead is the foundation of what we will be building, led by God's Spirit, to battle for family, and to teach God's wisdom in holding to family in the way that He designed and fashioned it.

Yes, you may read this and think I'm being rather vague.  Truly, I am, but I will be fleshing this out more in the entries to come.  I encourage your feedback, especially for those of you who are part of Oak Road, as we journey to minister with families, to strengthen them, and to teach others God's wisdom.

Comic Relief

Here you go.  The cartoon to go with our Bible readings for this coming Sunday.