"For He established a testimony in Jacob, and appointed a law in Israel, which he commanded to our fathers, that they should make them known to their children: That the generation to come might know them, even the children which should be born; who should arise and declare them to their children: That they might set their hope in God..." Psalm 78:5-7
I was upstairs in my room the other day, and my seven year old son came in my room weeping, saying, "I am a bad boy, I can never get to heaven!"
I asked him what was bothering him, apparently he had been listening to a Rich Mullins song about Jesus and was convicted of his sinfulness. I explained to him that we are all bad, and none of us can get to heaven by our own goodness, that it is only the goodness of God by sending Jesus to shed his perfect blood that can give us access to heaven. We prayed together and went downstairs to greet a visitor.
Would he have heard enough to convict him of sin if the music had been Silly Songs? I have nothing against silly songs, or silly Sunday school, once in a while, but so often today it seems that adults want to consign children to dumbed down religious instruction to their detriment. There are actually churches where children are not allowed in the service. They are stuck in Sunday School singing Father Abraham, while their parents get to sing really wonderful songs about who God is. They are eating cookies and gluing animals on the ark while their parents are hearing the gospel. I have nothing against children's programs. It is a fun break for my children occasionally, but when parents aren't allowed to make the call about where their child will be most edified, when parents are forced to leave their children in a silly program when they could be learning to worship, this bothers me.
I am raising adults, not children, adults who I pray will be passionate about their Savior. How will they become passionate about Him without knowing His word, and being aware of their position in relation to Him? Sunday School is a fun diversion for my children, a place where they can learn classroom skills and be with peers, but it should not be their only instruction in righteousness, and should not cause them to miss worshipping God with adults who, by their passion, can instruct our children to be worshippers also.
Jennifer Pepito- Chapel Editor
