1. The Parent’s Privilege: Gifting the Faith to the Children
- The Parent’s Privilege: Gifting the Faith to the Children.
“We will not hide these truths from our children. We will tell the next generation about the glorious deeds of the Lord, about His power and His mighty wonders. He commanded our ancestors to teach them to their children, so the next generation might know them – even the children not yet born – and they in turn will teach their own children. So each generation should set its hope anew in God, not forgetting His glorious miracles and obeying His commands.” (Psalm 78:4-8).
The Parent as a Child’s First Pastor. The Christian home is rooted in the Jewish home. And the Mosaic Law was very clear: Each Jewish home was in fact a domestic church, and the parents were the child’s first and primary teachers and pastors. And so, for God’s chosen people, faith was largely a home-schooling affair. God’s discipling program began and continued in the home with the parents. God’s law from Sinai was straightforward as explained in Deuteronomy 6. Parents were to broadcast the seeds of truth into the lives of their children by fleshing out love for God, teaching them God’s Word in Scripture, and proclaiming the benchmark events of God in history. The parents were to constantly, intentionally, practically remind their kids of God’s presence and power, of His mercy and grace and righteousness. The parents were instructed by the Lord to officially begin their passing the Faith on by reading aloud and praying the Shema of Dt. 6:4-5: “Hear (‘sh’ma’), O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is One. You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength.” This was recited in the home every morning and every night, and it still is to this day. The Shema continues to be recited in every Sabbath service. So this was Lesson One for the Jewish parent, the word that Jesus later called the “first and greatest commandment.”
It Takes More Than a Hammer and Nails to Make a House a Home – YouTube
Homespun Youth Group. Moses then followed the Shema by revealing to the parents how this home discipleship program was to be done: “Hear, O Israel! Yahweh is our God, Yahweh alone! And you shall love Yahweh your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. And these words which I am commanding you today shall be on your heart; you shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house and when you walk by the way, when you lie down and when you rise up. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand and shall be immovable before your eyes. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.” (Dt. 6:4-9). God’s lessons to the children in the home were to be auditory, visual, and kinesthetic; the Lord’s heavenly methodology prodded the parents to be intentionally multi-sensory and experiential, using every learning style imaginable. To show how important home-pastoring was, literally the last words of Moses on the day before he died were these: “Take to heart all the words I have solemnly declared to you this day, so that you may command your children to obey carefully all the words of the law. They are not just idle words for you – they are your life.” (Dt. 32:45-47).
SHEMA (sh’ma): The first Hebrew word in the essential prayer of the Jews in the Hebrew Bible, found in Deuteronomy 6:4; is usually translated “hear,” but actually means hear and do, listen and obey, hear and respond, listen and take action, take heed; there is a traditional Jewish saying that “to hear God is to obey God, and to obey God is to hear God.” Hearing and doing are two sides of the same coin of faith, a vital aspect of biblical spirituality, and this was to be explicitly taught to all the children in their homes.
God, the Centerpiece. So, when Luke reports that Mary and Joseph were doing “everything required by the Law of the Lord” (Luke 2:39) when raising Jesus in their home, that is really quite a mouthful. That means they re-enacted faith events in the home through scripted ceremonies, including the weekly Sabbath and seasonal celebrations like Passover, Tashlich and Sukkoth; they made visual items around the house for reminders; they had roundtable discussions and regular readings of the Word; they celebrated feasts and endured fasts together; they played and sang and learned and worshipped in and around the home. The Faith was not just an intellectual exercise or an abstract accumulation of facts, it was life. The mind, soul, heart and body of each individual family member were considered one cohesive whole and approached that way in their faith development. The parents and children were all growing in their faith together, they were all engaged in their God-centered life. God intended the Faith to be the centerpiece of each home and the organizing principle of daily life.
Lord Protect My Child – Susan Tedeschi
A Holy Calling. Becoming a God-fearing family was the driving force in each Jewish home. Education according to the teaching methods of Moses was constant, holistic, and involved eating and cooking, talking and listening, asking and telling, reading and writing, looking and touching, smelling and tasting, memorizing and discussing, experiencing and imagining. Jesus knew these teaching tactics intimately since He was raised in an obedient, practicing Jewish home. God wanted parents to be the first teachers, to teach the whole child in and around the home, all the time. The conscience was just as important as the intellect and the imagination. And every year the children would be taught through a cycle of biblical feasts and festivals and activities. These reenactments would bring their history and faith alive since they centered on biblical events and principles. The more family time spent in the home as a mini-community of faith, the better. The parents who did not succeed in putting forth the effort at being a good parent were despised and singled out and reproved by God. In the Biblical culture, raising a faithful family was considered a holy task, perhaps even the most holy.
God, the Reference Point. Yahweh loved the Feasts and Sacred Assemblies seen in the Hebrew Bible… the fasting and feasting, the family celebrations, the remembrance of God’s saving deeds, the acknowledgment of God’s character, the focus on God’s truth. Of course God loved the Feasts! They were His ideas in the first place! “These are My appointed feasts, the appointed feasts of the LORD, which you are to proclaim as sacred assemblies.” (Lev. 23:2). The Jewish Feasts and Assemblies were opportunities to remember, to worship, to teach, to listen to the Word of the Lord, and speak of His care and presence. They were intended to cause believers to reenact sacred events, to confirm the Faith of the people of God. Celebrations like Sabbath, Passover, Tashlich and Succoth filled a deep need to offer the sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving and to be reminded of God’s actions on behalf of the believers. The people are spiritually fulfilled when they gain the habit of pointing to God as the supreme reference point in all of history.
Instilling the Faith at Home through Biblical Celebrations. Like millions of others, it is important to be intentional if parents want to nurture a home culture that strives to be Christ-centered, that seeks to nurture the truth of the Christian faith in our children. Many homes, therefore, celebrate biblical Jewish traditions in order to nurture that Christian faith. So, many Christian homes celebrate Jewish traditions and activities, as well as a number of Christian liturgies. Here is a brief overview of the homespun possibilities that could be helpful in cultivating faith in the home:
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1.Dinner Table. There is a practical sanctity to the daily dinner table. The table is a place to “reason together,” a meeting place for the family that is crucial to not only family unity but also the personal development of each family member. The table is much like the family altar, it was not a time for “business as usual.” The family table is not a time for distracting technology, domestic details, daily minutia, family logistics, homework, school matters, or home chores. It is instead the best time to enjoy good food together, discuss more important things as a family unit, to pick each other’s brains about recent thoughts or experiences, to share dilemmas to unpack and receive counsel for, to openly share satisfying or happy moments, to explore the various mysteries of life, etc. The family table is also the perfect time to show hospitality, to be open to friends and acquaintances, who then add to the whole experience together.
2.Sabbath. The Sabbath meal together, the word “sabbath” meaning “stop” or “cease,” is not a time for parents to be too legalistic. The main idea is to set apart an evening in which the family would gather in order to begin a Sabbath day, maybe on a Friday or Saturday night if possible, with candles on the table and a special meal. The Sabbath meal is a time to turn off all technology and other distractions. The Sabbath meal is an important time to pray through the fairly brief Sabbath liturgy, during which time the mother begins the meal by lighting the candle and praying, mother/wife and father/husband are verbally honored by the family, and dad places his hands over each child to offer a personal blessing. The Sabbath celebration is a holy time to teach the children about the need to step away from daily concerns and show God that we mean business when we state our trust in Him for everything in our lives. As Abraham Joshua Heschel once wrote, “The Sabbath glides into our thoughts with a healing sympathy after the strange, frightful powers of time over us during the week; the Sabbath is not a date, but an atmosphere, a state of mind, an awareness of our being within the Sabbath rather than of the Sabbath being within us.”
3.Passover. This important teaching tool is a key way to teach the children and remind the parents of God’s rescue of His Chosen People from the slavery of Egypt, and how it is fulfilled in the rescue of the world’s slavery to sin through Jesus Christ. It is a meaningful time to host all manners of family and friends, reading through the formal Haggadah liturgy (the “seder”) that recounts the story in Exodus of the biblical time God “passed over”’ the homes of Jewish believers out of His love for them. The “haggadah,” which means ‘the telling”, the written order of the readings, also includes an enjoyable family time of song and dance. The teaching experience is amplified when there is discussion during the seder of how Jesus was the fulfillment of the Passover, a Lamb without blemish, who was sacrificed to give us life and freedom. To take advantage of this discussion of Christ’s fulfillment of the deliverance, it’s important to honor the whole biblical story and its traditions while acknowledging that it points to Christ. So it’s wise to use all the elements of Jewish Passover, each detail having historical and spiritual meaning.
4.Tashlich. This Hebrew word means “casting off,” and is an adventuresome family ceremony, a time of repentance, fun and mystery. In this celebration, a family would walk together with flashlights in the dark late on any night, maybe even best on New Year’s night. Parents and children together trek to a source of “living water,” such as a stream, creek, or river. While walking in the dark, each family member could gather little stones and put them in our pockets. When at the water site, each child and parent would think about mistakes each has made, wrongful acts that each are sorry for, and throwing the stones one at a time into the water. The parents would discuss with the children how God’s forgiveness has covered over those mistakes like the water covered over those stones that are buried in the water sight unseen. Each family member would watch as their stones disappeared into the bottom of the water as they all celebrate forgiveness together. What a perfect time to discuss as a family how God removes our sins as far as the east is from the west, as far as the bottom of the sea where they are lost forever because of Christ Jesus. “Who is a God like you, who pardons sin and forgives the transgressions of the remnant of his inheritance? You do not stay angry forever, but delight to show mercy. You will again have compassion on us; you will tread our sins underfoot and hurl all our iniquities into the depths of the sea.” (Micah 7:18-19).
Vineyard Worship – The Lord Is Gracious And Compassionate [Official Lyric Video] – YouTube
5. Sukkah. This is the Hebrew word for tent, tabernacle, temporary dwelling, booth, makeshift hut, and is pronounced sookuh. Succoth is the most joyous Old Testament feast of the year, and is a seven-day celebration in the Temple and in the homes of Jewish believers. This biblical festival is recounted in Deuteronomy 16:13-15, and is the celebration most often mentioned in the Hebrew Bible. This family celebration is a highlight fun time of building their own temporary hut in the back yard with whatever materials can be found, to symbolize: God’s loving provisions to the homeless Jews wandering in the wilderness; God’s faithfulness to us during insecure times; our wandering pilgrim journey in this life; how God provides for and protects us during our temporary journey here before He provides a permanent shelter for us in the next life; God is our true spiritual security, our only permanent dwelling place as we walk with Him in faith and obedience. “The Word became flesh and spread a tent with us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.” (John 1:14). “Now we know that if the earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God, an eternal house in heaven, not built by human hands. (2 Corinthians 5:1).
6. House Blessing. Whenever a family moves into a new house or apartment, each family member would be free to invite a guest, and the parents would ask a priest/pastor to come to the house and lead the prayers. The entire group of family and friends would walk throughout the house with a lit candle to lead the way into each room, and throughout the property outside. The House Blessing has designated prayers for each room and living space, which is dedicated to God and set apart for His purposes. With this celebration, each family member and friend is vividly reminded that the light of Christ will overcome any darkness in the home that may be present at that time or in the future.
Flexible. Each family needs, through trial and error, to be flexible in these celebrations and not be overly legalistic, rigid, or tedious with these traditions. There is plenty of room to enjoy spontaneity, to make age-appropriate adjustments, and of course each family can add their own particular flavor within the basic structure of the activity. The biblical principle stated by Jesus, “the sabbath was made for man, and not man for the sabbath,” can be applied to all these biblical celebrations in the home.
Sowing the Seeds. Each home should feel the freedom to explore and enjoy these compelling biblical ways to teach and nurture the Christian faith to children at home. Imagine the conversations that are sparked, and the seeds that are sown, when the family celebrates these liturgies together. The children and the adults involved will have their spiritual lives enriched, their imaginations inspired, and their faith strengthened while discovering and exploring the truths of Christ in fulfilling every piece of Scripture.
In the following series, “A Parent’s Privilege: Gifting the Faith to Children,” there will be always be a lot more that can be said. This first article was centered on the Parent as Pastor in the domestic church. The articles that follow will cover topics like these:
2. Gifting the Faith at Home by Speaking Up: “Our children will also serve Him. Future generations will hear about the wonders of the Lord. His righteous acts will be told to those not yet born. They will hear about everything He has done.” (Ps. 22:30-31).
3. Gifting the Faith at Home by Training Up: “Train up a child according to his unique way, and when he is old he will not depart from it.” (Proverbs 22:6).
4. Gifting the Faith at Home by Standing Up: “Finally, be strong in the Lord and in His mighty power. Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For this struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm, then…” (Ephesians 6:10-20).
5. Gifting the Faith at Home by Looking Up. “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” (Romans 15:13).
6. Gifting the Faith at Home by Dreaming Up. “O God, I did not ask for success; I asked for wonder. And You gave it to me… Life without wonder – radical amazement – is not worth living. It is the beginning of our happiness. Our goal should be to live life in radical amazement… get up in the morning and look at the world in a way that takes nothing for granted. Everything is phenomenal; everything is incredible. Never treat life casually. To be spiritual is to be amazed.” (Abraham Joshua Heschel).
7. Gifting the Faith at Home by Loving Up: “Our love must not be just words or mere talk, but something active and genuine. This will be the proof that we belong to the truth.” (1 John 3:18-19). “In Christ Jesus, the most important aspect is faith expressing itself in love… In Christ Jesus, the only thing that really counts is faithful trust as brought to perfection through agape love.’ (Galatians 5:6).
8. Gifting the Faith to Children by ‘Fessing Up’. “Confess and acknowledge how you have offended one another, and then pray for one another to be instantly restored, for tremendous power is released through the passionate heartfelt prayer of a godly believer… Confess to one another therefore your faults, your slips, your false steps, your offenses, your sins…”(James 5:16, TPT and Amplified).
9. Gifting the Faith at Home by Thinking Up: “Whatever is true, whatever is worthy of reverence and is honorable and seemly, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely and lovable, whatever is kind and winsome and gracious, if there is any virtue and excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think on and weigh and take account of these things – fix your minds on them.” (Philippians 4:8, Amplified version).
10. Gifting the Faith at Home by Waiting Up: “So the prodigal son set off for home. Because his father was patiently waiting for him, he saw the son coming down the road from a long distance away. The father was deeply moved with compassion for his son, deep down in the pit of his stomach. The father’s heart was overflowing with love for him, this rebellious son who was finally returning home. So the father raced out to meet him. He swept his son up in his arms, hugged him dearly, and covered him with kisses.” (Luke 15:20).
11. Gifting the Faith at Home by Growing Up: “Certainly you can see, can’t you, that children are God’s best gift, that they are an inheritance that is both a gift and a responsibility? That the fruit of the womb is a reward to you from the Lord Himself? (Psalm 127:3).
12. Gifting the Faith at Home by Counting Up: “Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless His holy name! Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places. My cup overflows. From the fullness of Jesus we have received gift after gift, grace upon grace, one gracious blessing after another. So give thanks in all circumstances, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” (Ps. 103:1-2; Ephesians 1:3; Ps. 23:6; John 1:16; 1 Thess. 5:18).
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