The Bible\ndoes not put students to sleep so that they fall off their chairs like\nEutychus! Teachers put students to sleep. So do monotonous and empty\ncurriculums. Many Sunday School materials for younger children are introducing\nthe same pabulum as we are seeing in adult Sunday School lessons. Ideas not\nnecessarily laid out in the Bible, such as diversity culture (especially that\nwhich is inclusive of cult religions and immoral lifestyles) and majority rule\n(in the aspect of give the people what they want) are often brought in as\nsocial tools. Sometimes the material is just intended to be concurrent with\nsociety in order to avoid friction, adopting the modern culture of offending no\none.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
My\nobservation is that many teachers do not themselves know what they believe and\nshould be teaching. Let me recommend that any teacher of the Bible start by\nreading John Walvoord\u2019s book, What We Believe. This easy to understand book\nlays out the basic lessons of who is God, why the Bible is a book to believe\nin, who Jesus is, and His redemption for us. It concludes with lessons about\nwhat salvation leads to and the eternal hope of the believer. These are\nnecessary primary tenets of the Bible\u2019s message. This is the least of what we\nneed to teach.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Today\u2019s\nSunday School children come home with pretty pictures of God\u2019s love, of\nrainbows and \u201cSon-shine\u201d but not of God\u2019s power, His purpose, or His\nredemption. One particular publishing company has removed all materials for\nchildren under 12 that refer to Jesus\u2019 shed blood and suffering on the cross,\nciting that it is too graphic for young children. So this company relates the\nstory that Jesus \u201cpassed away\u201d to go to heaven and wait for us. In one fell\nswoop, they have removed the entire story of God\u2019s plan for redemption. How\nthen can a child learn why Jesus was born? With what arrogance do we dare\nchange the story? Ponder the long term effects of this omission!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
What has\nhappened? I see a tendency to put aside the Bible for lessons that are more\nglamorous, fun, lively, or ones that use up more time on crafts. Why? The\nobvious first reason is laziness. It takes an interested and prepared teacher\nto deliver quality lessons that include historical details and human sketches\nabout the main character.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The second\nreason, and possibly the more insidious, is that churches are buffering\nthemselves against friction, offense, and controversy. New lessons are created\nto keep the young students active but not inquisitive. Too many questions bring\nup too many possibilities for controversy. Some classes are designed to\nwear the children out so that Mom and Dad have a pleasant afternoon while\nlittle Johnny naps. New lessons aren\u2019t bad unless their purpose is flawed. I\nthink we are seeing too much of the latter.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Sunday School ought to be the truth serum for every child. My future columns will address some ideas and lessons for teaching Sunday School material that leads a child to more advanced learning in older years where doctrine should be the emphasis.<\/p>\n\n\n\n