OK, I worked out/ran tonight. Treadmill + Hotel Pool/Hot Tub area = Outrageous Humidity. 2 miles took me 20 minutes, I couldn't breath. I'm going to take advantage of the 80 degree weather here in Columbia, SC and hit the streets in the morning.
So anyway, I'm warming up the keyboard to continue my work day and thought I'd post something. Since I'm not running much, if you're willing to read on, I'll offer you a bit of rant and opinion. In deference to my Southern Baptist family's tradition of sitting in the back pew, I will title it as "The View from the Back Pew". (Author's note: Those who've pastored me in the past 10 years know that my wife and I don't sit in the back row now. At one time we sat in the second pew, right hand side, in deference to her family's hallowed spot. More recently we're prone to sit anywhere, mainly to confuse the Spirit and keep from feeling too many convictions during messages. Our church's sound system carries the message clearly to the last pew (row) and so the only way to avoid being convicted by the Spirit is to present a moving target......Please tell me you guys realize I'm just joking about the dodging the Spirit part and are smiling right now....please!)
The View From the Back Pew
In the Life section of the USA Today I found an article tonight about children's Bible story books. The article went on to outline two opposing positions on whether they should be literal or symbolic (i.e. Veggie Tales). Here's the link if you are inclined to read: http://www.usatoday.com/news/religion/2007-12-10-kids-bible-stories_N.htm
Did I miss something in the first 25 years of being a Christian? Seems like in the past two years there is a new wave of debate over Christian views and positions. Now I know that there have been differences of opinion for centuries over just about every issue and topic imaginable. Paul addresses a ton of them in his letters, which make up a large part of the New Testament, but now it has trickled all the way down to "How children's Bible story books should be written?"
Let me offer what appears to have been a tried and true method for decades. Use Old Testament and New Testament Bible stories to teach children the foundation of Christian beliefs. I've got nothing against Veggie Tales (lest a good friend despise me), but the story of David and Goliath is exciting without the fight being waged by food products.(Author's note: I do like some of the catchy tunes, they're almost impossible to get out of your head) On the other hand, I truly believe you can teach a child about a loving God without having him/her quote the scripture passages by book and verse (let that develop as they mature in faith) and memorizing the Greek manuscript.
Perhaps in the age of communication we think we have to either be part of it, or compete against it, and create exciting new ways to reach kids or rush headlong into asking them for professions of faith, before they even have a grasp of who God and Jesus are, in fear that we'll miss the opportunity. (Author's note: I think this leads to a lot of the "seeds in rocky soil" that Jesus talks about in his parable)
How about we keep it simple, tell the Bible stories as though we are telling a story about our childhood. Keep it easy to relate to and understand, but honest in its representation of who God is and what he wants both from and for His children? How about we write Sunday School lessons which build a foundation of Biblical knowledge through simple truths and the "classic stories"? If you've taught a youth or children's class you've seen lessons, come to think of it I've even seen adult lessons, which struggled to pull some relevant message from an obscure passage, so the author could continue working through a book of the Bible or on a specific theme.
Anyway, if you've read this far I hope you've grown weary of my rant. I've grown weary of typing it, and sit here questioning whether I should have written it to begin with. This is the same weariness I'm starting to feel over all these conservative vs. liberal Christian viewpoint arguments. I wonder how the non-believers who are subjected to the continual arguments feel about Christians and our faith?
Time to start running. It clears my head and gives me another topic upon which I don't have any business commenting.
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