September 12, 2010

Luke 15:1-10
“Meant To Be Together”

Kevin Evers, Communications Director of the Iowa Annual Conference, challenges us in this week’s Thursday Memo, with the question, “Who will teach the children?” and reminds us that Proverbs 9:8-12 instructs us of our responsibility to the children in the Church (and even those outside its walls).

Imagine your own life had not others took that responsibility seriously? Perhaps your connection with church would have been very different, or even nonexistent. This past Wednesday the new confirmation class began. These young people will learn about God and the church during their time of study and connecting with one another. Today, church school starts up again, and both young people and adults will learn new lessons. There will also be opportunities for group studies during the week. All ages will learn and grow – and that is good.

Several modern proverbs by Marian Wright Edelman, of the Children’s Defense Fund, help to remind us what we risk should we neglect ‘teaching the children.’ She says.

If we are not supporting a our children with attention, time, love, discipline, money and the teaching of values...
If we are spending more time worrying about our children’s clothes than about their character...
If we are spending more time on our children’s recreation than reading, or their dance steps than their discipline...
If we think it’s someone else’s responsibility to teach our children values, respect, good manners, work and health habits...
…then we are part of the problem rather than the solution.

Encourage all who teach this year…
The Pharisees and scribes were not encouraging at all when they grumbled about Jesus’ teaching, saying, “This fellow welcomes sinners and eats with them.” (Luke 15:2) They couldn’t see the good his teaching others about God was – only that he was teaching the ‘wrong’ students. What business did Jesus have teaching THEM.

And he taught through parables. What’s with that! He told stories for God’s sake – stories about people like his listeners yet really God. And he told stories to anyone who would listen. He even told the children stories. His way of teaching was different, because the stories themselves became the teacher.

…and even take the time to teach someone yourself.
That is what Jesus did – seizing the opportunity to teach yet another lesson about God, he said: “Which one of you, having a hundred sheep and losing one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness and go after the one that is lost until he finds it? When he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders and rejoices. And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and neighbors, saying to them, “Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep that was lost.” (Luke 15:4-6)

For those standing there, scratching their heads, Jesus told a second story much like the first – only this time it was a coin that was lost and then found. Yet in both stories, the ‘finding’ – the wholeness of community – was celebrated with friends and neighbors.

So, what is the lesson to be learned? Might it be that the community of God – made whole – should be important to us? If so, then it seems critical we participate in the building up of that community through our concern for one another, our listening to the needs of others, and teaching one another what we have learned about God.

The writer of Hebrews says, “And let us consider how to provoke one another to love and good deeds, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another ... ” (Hebrews 10:24-25).

A new thing is about to begin. It is going to happen at the end of this service. We are going to take Sunday school outside the box – and we want you to be part of it!

[Give people directions as to what they are to do following the service.]