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"Kindergarten
Scholars"
Message
summary: Today
we watch the
news and see
so much
evidence of
the broken,
fallen world
we live in.
The lessons
from
kindergarten
are easily
forgotten.
Listen
to our message
on your audio
player.
"He
decreed
statutes for
Jacob and
established
the law in
Israel, which
He commanded
our
forefathers to
teach their
children, so
the next
generation
would know
them, even the
children yet
to be born,
and they in
turn would
tell their
children. Then
they would put
their trust in
God and would
not forget His
deeds but
would keep His
commands"
(Psalm
78:5-7).
My Amish neighbor Eli called me last week and asked if I could take the "kindergarten scholars" to the one room schoolhouse up the road from us. This was their first visit of two they will experience this semester. It was Friday morning and Brooksyne joined me as I picked them up early in the morning at their homes. The first one had an older sister join her, the other two were waiting and excitedly walked out to my van with a big smile as their mom and younger siblings looked on. How many of you remember your first day of kindergarten? I sure don't.
Later I took them home and they sure had a great time. I observed as the older students welcomed and accepted them; some of them were siblings to the young kindergartners. As all the students departed the school Silvia, the teacher, stood at the door and said farewell to each student by name.
Friedrich
Fröbel created
an institute
for young
children in
Bad
Blankenburg,
Germany naming
it
"Kindergarten",
meaning
"Children's
Garden". It
seems that we
just borrowed
the word
straight out.
Using the word "scholar" to describe a kindergartner may seem pretentious based upon the way we usually use the word today in describing someone who has done advanced study in a special field or a learned person. But that is actually the second definition given in the Merriam-Webster dictionary for "student".
The first definition is "student" one who receives instruction in a school, one who learns from a teacher". So calling a student "scholar" is absolutely correct!
Years
ago Robert
Fulghum wrote
a book titled,
“All I Really
Need to Know I
Learned in
Kindergarten”,
chronicling
the simple
childhood
lessons we
take for
granted that
have a
lifelong
impact. I read
the book many
years ago and
now I wonder
how many of
our problems
are a result
of people
never learning
or applying
these simple
lessons we
should have
learned as
children
beginning in
the home then
at
Kindergarten!
Here
is a list from
his book:
2. Play fair.
3. Don’t hit people.
4. Put things back where you found them.
5. CLEAN UP YOUR OWN MESS.
6. Don’t take things that aren’t yours.
7. Say you’re SORRY when you HURT somebody.
8. Wash your hands before you eat.
9. Flush.
10. Warm cookies and cold milk are good for you.
11. Live a balanced life – learn some and drink some and draw some and paint some and sing and dance and play and work every day some.
12. Take a nap every afternoon.
13. When you go out into the world, watch out for traffic, hold hands, and stick together.
14. Be aware of wonder. Remember the little seed in the Stryrofoam cup: The roots go down and the plant goes up and nobody really knows how or why, but we are all like that.
15. Goldfish and hamster and white mice and even the little seed in the Styrofoam cup – they all die. So do we.
16. And then remember the Dick-and-Jane books and the first word you learned – the biggest word of all – LOOK.”
Today
we watch the
news and see
so much
evidence of
the broken,
fallen world
we live in.
The lessons
from
kindergarten
are easily
forgotten by
many.
Parents
desire that
their children
be successful
and society
has placed
some very
specific
assumptions on
what "success"
is such as
going to
college to get
higher
education,
getting a good
job, making
lots of money
and having a
lot of
possessions.
In our view
many people
are successful
this way but
not in other
far more
important
ways.
Fundamentally,
for the
believer,
teaching our
children well
and seeing
that they are
successful in
what matters
most embodies
the essential
truths of
today's
Scripture
portion.
Within the law
of Moses is a
very specific
command in
this regard, "Teach
them (the
commands of
God) to
your children
and to their
children after
them"
(Deuteronomy
4:9). The
Apostle Paul
commanded
parents
(specifically
fathers)
"to bring them
(children)
up in the
training and
instruction of
the Lord"
(Ephesians
6:4). The
phrase "bring
them up"
conveys "to
rear up to
maturity."
Notice the
content of the
teaching Paul
emphasizes
that best
describes what
teaching
"well"
includes; "the
training and
instruction of
the Lord".
The main goal
of godly
parenting is
that their
children
accept and
follow Jesus
Christ as
their Saviour
and Lord, that
they live
their entire
life in a
manner that
pleases God
and fulfills
His purpose
for their
lives.
Now that may
include some
of the same
things the
world calls
successful but
not
necessarily.
Unless given
the gift of
singleness
parents desire
their children
find a
spiritually
compatible
spouse, marry
and raise
another
generation for
God's glory,
being active
in Christian
service,
serving and
giving of
their
resources and
living a
responsible
life
expressing
faith and
dependence
upon God.
That to me is
what teaching
our children
"well"
means.
(I also expand
this to
grandchildren
and others we
may impact for
the Lord in
various
settings.)
Have you
considered
what it means
to you?
Are you taking
your job
seriously?
When life is
completed, on
this side of
glory, that
which matters
most will be
taking up
eternal
residency with
our Lord and
bringing our
loved ones
along with us.
What a
glorious day
that will be!
Be encouraged today, Hebrews 3:13
Stephen and Brooksyne Weber
Daily
prayer:
Father, You've
commanded us
to train and
instruct our
children in
the ways of
the Lord.
There are many
times when
we've failed
to be faithful
in our godly
duties as
parents.
Sometimes we
feel
overwhelmed
and unable to
deal with the
challenges our
children
present.
Help us to be
godly examples
that sow seeds
of Christian
instruction so
that our
children may
grow into
fruitful,
godly adults.
Help us not to
despair or
give up in the
present
battles we
face, for in
due time we
will reap
great blessing
from our
labor, as we
remain
faithful and
trust You in
these matters.
Amen.
Today's Suggested Music and Supplemental Resources
"Worship Medley" Watch on YouTube From yesterday's service at Calvary Church with choir and orchestra.
Warning: This is satire (the use of humor, irony, exaggeration, or ridicule to expose and criticize people's stupidity or vices, particularly in the context of contemporary politics and other topical issues).
"The Mighty Cross" Church in Taunton, Massachusetts has developed an innovative program, teaching a strange concept of what Pastor Masciantangelo calls "traditional Biblical morality".*
Pastor Masciantangelo teaches that young people are expected to abstain from sex and living together until they enter into a very serious covenant contract called marriage.
The couple saves up money for a "wedding", which is essentially a big, expensive party with lots of food and drink, often held in a barn. Some vaguely recall a brief ceremony with some religious-sounding words they had to endure before the real party began with all the food and drink. After this the couple goes on a two week vacation known as a honeymoon prior to resuming living together no differently than before they got married.
Pastor Masciantangelo has a wedding service that includes a brief challenge to the couple on faithfulness, responsibility and putting God first. He actually uses some "vows", which are brief challenges from an ancient ceremony that include phrases like “for better or worse”, “in sickness and in health” and “till death do us part”. He even suggests the radical notion that the wedding ceremony could be held in the church building.
The pastor counsels the couple prior to the wedding with innovative ideas such as being faithful exclusively to each other, practicing lifelong love for one another, being a good role model for their children, providing for their needs, living responsibly, etc. He teaches that a good marriage is built on obedience to God and consideration to one another. He counsels them to see raising their children as a solemn duty. The pastor expects the couple to see their marriage as a lifelong commitment which some brides are upset about since they had expected to have numerous big expensive parties through their lifetime with themselves being the center of attention.
One of his most controversial assertions is that if the couple abstains from sex till they get married they will not have children till after they’re married. This has researchers at Harvard University baffled; some saying that this is impossible. However the researchers have applied for a $10,000,000 government grant to test the premise academically.
John Smith, a sociologist who manages the family services department in Bristol County calls Masciantangelo's ideas "outdated and dangerous". When pressed to clarify in what sense they were dangerous he pointed out the devastating effect it would have on his department of 155 county social workers if the pastors ideas were actually implemented. "We would face major layoffs as our workload would most certainly decrease" he stated.
Mary Lee Sanders, a divorce lawyer also expressed concern that if these ideas ever caught on she would see a decrease in her business as well as Fred Hodkins, owner of "The Wedding Barn" in Norton, who foresees a decline in business if people aren't married multiple times. "A key part of our business plan is repeat marriages from satisfied customers", he stated.
Melissa Hervey, who teaches sex education to kindergarten and elementary age children, said she was amused by the notion, informing that she has a Master's Degree in early childhood sex ed and what possible qualifications does the pastor have anyway.
Dr. Allison Jones/Harper/Smith/Brown, a scholar of feminist, transgender and transpecies studies at Wellesley College asserts that Masciantangelo's teachings are an example of the "abuses of the patriarchy". Jones/Harper/Smith/Brown, who is a transpeceite who identifies as a cat and insists on being greeted with a "meow" scoffed at Pastor Masciantangelo's views as being "just plain weird".
However 94 year old church member Dorothy Mayhew recalls that when she was young this was considered the proper pattern of morality and was even taught in the public schools.
The ACLU has proactively written letters to each school district in the area warning against allowing the pastor to have any influence on the young, reminding them of the amendment somewhere in the Constitution that states there must "separation between church and state".
John Hughes is a thirty-three year old millennial who has attended college off and on for the last fifteen years. He is still undecided about what to do with his life and racks up college debt which he is confident will eventually be paid off by the government. He identifies himself as a "Social Justice Warrior" and saw a post by Pastor Masciantangelo on Facebook with the Meme "True Love Waits". He claims he was triggered by the post and has reported it to Facebook as "hate speech". Facebook spokesman, Cory Arnold confirmed that they had received the complaint and stressed they take these matters seriously.
Planned Parenthood of Southeast Massachusetts also expressed alarm at Pastor Masciantangelo's teaching, a spokesperson stating, "Expecting young people to abstain from sexual activity is cruel and unusual punishment and that's against the constitution. After all, we have 'solutions' for any consequence."
But the pastor is undaunted, referring to a Bible verse that speaks of teaching the whole counsel of God and states he will be accountable to God rather than man.
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Scripture references are from The Holy Bible: New International Version. © 1984 by International Bible Society; NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE®, Copyright © 1995 by The Lockman Foundation, New King James Version (NKJV) Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. and the King James Version and a variety of other versions.
Personal Mission Statement: "I am created by God to bring Him glory. Through God's Son Jesus Christ I have been redeemed and make it my life's goal to please the Lord. My mission in life is to honor God through my faith and obedience and prepare myself and all whom I may influence for eternity."
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