June 23, 2009

Confession

Remember me? I don’t think I’ve ever taken this long to return to writing on my blog. But I’ve been writing! Just not for you guys, and please accept my apologies.

One of my main job requirements is to write curriculum for the elementary Sunday School classes under my care. These past few years I’ve been coasting on rewrites of the five-year curriculum I wrote when I first started here. This summer we’ve decided to teach the children about the elements of worship, one each week for thirteen weeks. It’s a real education for me as well, since teaching is the best way to learn. I must wrestle with making some very abstract concepts into concrete lessons, because children think in pictures.

This week’s topic, the Prayer of Confession, is the hardest lesson I’ve ever written. (And I sure hope it stays that way.) But to talk to children about recognizing sin in general terms, to confess it to God in unison and accept forgiveness carries a huge responsibility. Children are all too willing to accept the burden of guilt for everything they see is wrong, even world issues. They think that because someone says it can be fixed, it’s up to them to fix it. We lay on them the burden of world peace, global warming, pandemics, you name it. Children today are under a huge amount of stress.

I wrote the lesson three times before I was somewhat satisfied. Given only a week’s time in which to produce it, I had to settle for a lesson that at least emphasized forgiveness. But it was a tangled path to reach it. I only pray that my message was also God’s. This is my prayer every week as I write: that they will hear of God’s acceptance, His pure loving grace for all, no matter what. It is the thread that ties all of my curriculum together.

(I've got a day or so to blog what I've been thinking about lately, so look for more soon.)

5 comments:

MartininBroda said...

Yes, there is a weak memory; but where is the lesson, seriously you should give us a link or something like that, so we can praise you inventions, ideas & thoughts (in this matter) credible.

Birdie said...

Thanks for the request, Martin, but the lessons I write are the intellectual property of my church. We may eventually make them available online on our website, but I cannot do so here.

Java said...

'Tis true, teaching is just about the best way to learn.

Good luck and God bless, Birdie.

THIS IS ME....ONLINE said...

Accepting forgiveness....what a hard, hard lesson. The grace and forgiveness of God is sometimes so hard to put our little adult minds around.

Ever make the homemade playdough with Elmer's glue and borax? (Love that stuff!) You can take a piece of that and put a hole in it with you finger. Let is set on the table for a minute and it will smooth out as if the hole had never been there. Get the application?

bigislandjeepguy said...

good to see a post from you.

i feel like i have been lazy with blog posts, but that is only because i am overwhelmed at work. so...maybe some pics for now, occasionally.

big alohas to you, as always.