August is here, and if your home is like mine and it’s still populated by children, the back-to-school shopping has com¬menced – crayons, pencils, lined paper, pencil boxes, Trapper Keepers, new pants, new shirts, new shoes. Crazy! But there it is...still pretty important stuff for this reason: we all want our kids and grandkids to be equipped for the learn¬ing that will take place in their lives over the next year.
Sam is entering middle school this year, and Erin – in a stroke of mommy genius – thought it would be terrific for the adults in his life to write him notes of blessing as he steps into this new chap¬ter of his life. So the letters have begun to come in and I’ve been thinking about the things I want to share with my old¬est son.
Right or wrong, I think we all have some sort of image of the sort of future we want for our children...perhaps educa¬tional paths, vocational paths, and rela¬tional choices (in that order :-) we hope that they will make. Parenting is this delicate balance of mentoring, coaching, pointing, and then slowly over time let¬ting go as they make their own choices.
I don’t know what Sam will become, but I know that Erin and I have the most signif¬icant role to play in the formation of his faith...how it is he frames, with meaning, the world around him, the universe, and the purpose he has within it. And this has meant certain things for us:
1. Regular and intentional prayer with him in the usual places before meals (learning prayers of gratitude) and before bed (thanksgiving for today and for the promise of a tomorrow).
2. Always having an age-appropriate Bible in his hands as a part of what we read with him and as a part of what we invite him to read. As he has taken more and more owner¬ship of this, he comes to us with the faith questions! It’s powerful.
3. Being open and available to him for the questions he has and the wres¬tling with life he goes through.
4. Being open with him (as is age ap¬propriate) with how we struggle with faith and our own Christian walks.
5. Using the news of the day as con¬versational pieces about the nature of God’s grace, justice, and mercy.
6. Regular worship in our community of faith. Perhaps you all take it for granted that they have to be there... but the only person who has to be in worship is me (PN). That Erin and our children are in worship on a weekly basis has to do with our commitment (primarily Erin’s com¬mitment because Sundays are work days for me) and knowledge that aside from everything else we do in our home, the next most powerful thing we do is have their persons in worship week after week, month after month, year after year...where they can be shaped by the message of grace that rests at the center of our Christian identity, and where we are formed by a community of faith that helps us live out that story in our day-to-day lives. And yes...we worship even when we’re on vaca¬tion! Two weekends ago (July 10th) we were Episcopals in Sanibel!
You get the picture. Erin and I have the incredible privilege of discipling Sam (and Ephraim and Emma). But that discipling is intentional.
Sam probably won’t be a world class basketball player, gymnast, or the next A-Rod. But there’s absolutely nothing stop¬ping him from getting his Ph. D. in grace and Jesus. Let me tell you...you retire from those other things. But you never retire from your faith.
This Long View isn’t about Sam or about the Swenson-Reinholds. We are just a foil for the “in the trenches” work of rais¬ing children who know and love Jesus. And Saints...this doesn’t just happen. It’s the product of intentional investment in our children.
My back-to-school prayer for all of you... parents and grandparents alike: That the Lord of faith empowers you to engage the faith development of your children and grandchildren intentionally.
You are all more important to your kids and grandkids than you know. Don’t squander your impact!
In this work of growing faith with you,
Pastor Nathan
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