What Shall We Teach about Government?

The upcoming American national holiday on July 4 and the daily outpouring of media coverage of the United States presidential election raise the question of how a Lutheran Christian should react to, and teach about, the role of government in our lives.

St. Paul makes it clear in Romans 13:1-7 that government is established and holds its authority by God's gracious provision. Christians are called upon to uphold, obey, and pray for those who rule over us in all things, unless those in authority seek to require us to act against God's will. Even corrupt or inept authorities can act as God's agents for the protection of society and citizens.

So we teach, by word and example, that those in authority should be respected. We live as good citizens, seeking to improve our neighborhood, city, state, nation, and world; we vote, serve on juries, and hold elected office when called to do so. And we pray for health, safety, wisdom, and grace for all those in authority over us, even when we do not agree with their words or actions.

We can look to the examples of Joseph, Daniel, and Esther who sought the welfare of those who imprisoned and enslaved them, even as they served the one true God.

God bless our nation and its leaders! And God bless you as you teach His children His Word.

Fall Preparation Checklist

It's the middle of June. It's time to be thinking about "rallying" your Sunday School troops. Here are some points to consider.

• Set your "Rally Day" or "Christian Education Sunday." Plan with your pastor to emphasize Sunday School, recognize and commission teachers for their service, and (if you have not already done so) advance students to the next grade. Resources for Rally Day can be found at cph.org/sundayschool under "Sunday School Tools."
• Choose your curriculum (Cross Explorations or Growing in Christ, check them out at cph.org/sundayschool) and verify your order. The fall material is available on July 1.
• Choose your "path." New CPH customers can choose either a "Recommended Path" (Old Testament in the fall, followed by two New Testament units in the winter and spring) or a "Chronological Path" (starts in the fall with Old Testament 1 and continues straight through the Bible). Continuing customers should be aware that the Old Testament 2 unit was recently offering in fall 2016; if you choose the chronological path, these lessons may be overly familiar to your students.
• Enlist teachers for the fall. Work to have two adults in each classroom; it's easier than you think.
• Contact every eligible family by phone, mail, or email to encourage enrollment in Sunday School.
• Tour your Sunday School classrooms and list physical improvements: painting walls, new flooring, cleaning the windows, repair/repaint/replace tables and chairs, remove faded/torn posters, etc.

God bless you as you teach His children His Word!

Is the Bible God's Word?

A major flaw in the curriculum produced by many publishers, including some Lutheran publishing companies other than Concordia Publishing House, is their view of Scripture.

Orthodox Lutheran Christians believe that the entire Bible is God's inspired, inerrant Word. "All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness" (2 Timothy 3:16 ESV). The entry of sin into the world came through a denial of the authority of God's Word ("Did God actually say . . . ?" Genesis 3:1 ESV).

It makes a difference in virtually every Sunday School lesson we teach that we affirm the authority of God's Word, for if the Bible cannot be trusted in some details, how can it be trusted in the matters of forgiveness, life, and salvation through the God-man Jesus Christ?

God bless you as you uphold His Word and teach it to His children.

Teachers Two-Deep, Even in the Summer

Those familiar with this blog will know that I have long recommended that Sunday Schools staff two deep in each classroom: two adults present each week throughout the class session. Not only is it helpful in the event of unforeseen events (such as bathroom trips), but it helps maintain discipline, and it is often recommended or required by your church's insurance carrier.

This summer, assuming you continue your Sunday School, two deep is still a good idea, for all those reasons, and one more. As family schedules flex through the summer it will be far easier to maintain a nearly full staff. Yes, on a given Sunday one or more classes may wind up with just one adult in the room, but that's a lot better than none.

And remember, the second adult is WAY easier to recruit than the first since that person can be assured of a partner for support, leadership, and assistance.

God bless you as you teach His children His Word this summer!

Will Your Sunday School Have Visitors This Summer?

Let's hope so! When they come, is this what they will find?

• Information about Sunday School, including where first-time attenders should sign in, was in the worship folder.
• The Sunday School registration location was well marked and easy to find.
• Visitors are greeted warmly when I arrived.
• Enough information was requested to make me feel my children would be well cared for. My cell phone number was requested so that I could be texted if anything came up during the study hour.
• I was escorted to my child's classroom and introduced to the teacher.
• Lesson material was available for my child, just as for the regular attenders.
• Someone invited me to attend the adult Bible class and offered to help me find the class I was interested in attending.
• Someone followed up by phone later in the week to see how things went and invite me to return.

God bless you as you teach God's children His Word this summer!

Yes, Summer Sunday School

Sunday School is hard work!
Summer Sunday School is even harder.
But it is worth it.

• Student will continue to learn about God's Word.
• Visitors will know your congregation is serious about Christian education and have points of connection.
• Families will not "get out of the habit" of Sunday School each week.

Do you want to hear more? Check out this previous post.

CPH's summer release is "Pray, Praise, and Give Thanks" and the material takes a look at the Lord's Prayer using a State-fair theme. Check it out at cph.org/SundaySchool and click on "Our Programs"!

God bless you as you teach His children His Word!

Pray, Praise & Give Thanks: Jesus Teaches Us to Pray

Ah, summertime! What could be more fun than going to the county fair? From riding the Ferris wheel to participating in pie-eating contests, there’s so much to do, see, and learn. With a fun county fair theme intertwined into each lesson, Pray, Praise & Give Thanks helps students search thirteen Bible stories to learn about the Lord’s Prayer.

• Daniel and the Lions' Den
• Jesus Heals the Centurion's Servant
• Peter & John Heal a Lame Man
• Jesus Teaches His Disciples to Pray
• The Baptism of Jesus
• Zacchaeus
• Paul & Silas in Prison
• Job
• God Provides Mann & Quail
• Joseph Forgives His Brothers
• The Temptation of Jesus
• Three Men in a Fiery Furnace
• The Saints in Heaven

Lutheran Veneer?

I regularly hear educators, who I would think might know better, talk about Lutheran doctrine as a veneer, a coating that can somehow be applied to material that would otherwise be objectionable in terms of theological content to make it Lutheran. Does that work? Or does that merely disguise heresy?

My first supervisor in the editorial business, Rev. Dr. Earl Gaulke, once asked me how much I would want to dilute a poisonous substance before I would be willing to ingest it. Would coating it with chocolate be good enough? Of course not! If I knew it was poison, I would discard it and start fresh, right?

The key teachings of Lutheran doctrine are fundamentally different than those of other major Christian education publishers. They refuse to teach about the Sacraments, which are chief among our Means of Grace, because not enough customers want to buy that kind of material. They fail to correctly discern and teach Law and Gospel. They confuse good works and works righteousness.

Yes, there are attractive features in many non-Lutheran materials. ("So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate, and she also gave some to her husband who was with her, and he ate." Genesis 3:6) But sadly, applying a Lutheran veneer is not enough.

God strengthen you to teach His children His Word!