September 20, 2022 — Make Them Known to Your Children

“But take care and watch yourselves closely, so as neither to forget the things that your eyes have seen nor to let them slip from your mind all the days of your life; make them known to your children and your children’s children—” Deuteronomy 4:9

“In crafting a sermon on this or another passage, we have occasion to reflect on preaching as necessary repetition of the story and of the commandments that strengthen faith and lead to life. It is not necessary to find or invent new stories each week. Moses cautions the people against adding on to the word God has given. He also cautions against holding back, or subtracting, whether by conscious effort to trim off the parts we do not like or by quiet omission and neglect of the parts we do not understand. We share Moses’ hope that our children will have the blessing of life. We want them to cross into a place where we will no longer carry them, where they will enter and claim the inheritance God has prepared for them. Our children stand at a threshold. We — preachers, parents, catechists, neighbors, priests, deacons, elders — are their teachers. We are entrusted with our people’s memory and testimony. May our preaching and our life together show to our children the wisdom and justice of God’s teaching, so they may trust in God’s promise and receive abundant life.” Dear Working Preacher, Commentary on Deuteronomy 4, Anathea Portier-Young, Associate Professor of Old Testament, Duke Divinity School, Durham, NC

Moses says “…take care and watch yourselves closely, so as neither to forget the things that your eyes have seen nor to let them slip from your mind all the days of your life; make them known to your children and your children’s children.”

So how are we doing? With the mass migration of young people away from the Protestant Church, I am not so sure we have done such a good job in teaching them the ways of the Lord. Why has this happened? It is hard to answer the question “why?” The major new survey of more than 35,000 Americans by the Pew Research Center finds that the percentage of adults (ages 18 and older) who describe themselves as Christians has dropped by nearly eight percentage points in just seven years, from 78.4% in an equally massive Pew Research survey in 2007 to 70.6% in 2014. And yet many of the Millennials will report themselves as being “spiritual” and report praying with the frequency of their grandparents.

I guess it is possible that the “old ways” just do not resonate with those between the ages of 18 years and 25 years of age. That means that our churches need to find some alternatives — so we can meet the needs of the aging Baby Boomers and the newer millennials. That will be a challenge, but most likely — but we also know that the beginning of any change must happen on the local level. As pastors and congregations assess their individual context including the makeup and needs of their community, it may be possible for people of all ages to find meaningful worship and ministry opportunities — that is if the congregations will trust G-d to lead them to new landscapes and new opportunities — just as the Israelites trusted Moses.

The question is: Will we be able to make those changes in time, or will the church lose another generation of people?

Let us pray,

Lord Christ, you remind us to teach our children your ways all the days of our lives. Give us the strength and the courage to do just that. Amen.

Pastor Dave

September 19, 2022 — Wisdom Cries Out In The Streets

“Wisdom cries out in the street; in the squares she raises her voice. At the busiest corner she cries out;
at the entrance of the city gates she speaks: “How long, O simple ones, will you love being simple? How long will scoffers delight in their scoffing and fools hate knowledge? Give heed to my reproof; I will pour out my thoughts to you; I will make my words known to you.” Proverbs 1:20-23

“Wisdom is not just a mother; she is also something of a prophet. Her first speech is nothing if not straightforward, and it is strongly reminiscent of several of the prophets. The opening verses (1:20-21) locate Wisdom in the midst of society’s hustle and bustle. She hawks her wares where everyone can hear — on the busiest corner and at the city gates (which often doubled as the place of justice in ancient Israel). The irony is that so few people do listen to her voice. We know those who heed Wisdom are few in number because she addresses her audience as “simple ones,” “scoffers,” and “fools,” and describes them as loving and delighting in such behavior while hating knowledge (verse 22). This scenario is no accident. Wisdom’s audience has refused to hear her call and has not heeded her outstretched hand (verse 24). They have ignored all her counsel (verse 25a), and, indeed, would have none of her discipline (verse 25b). How could it be otherwise? Wisdom is, after all, on the busiest corner where everyone can hear. Everyone can, but not everyone will.” Working Preacher, Brent A. Strawn, September 13, 2009

In the Apocrypha (non-canonical books (not in our biblical canon) but are useful for instruction) we have the book named “Wisdom” or the “Wisdom of Solomon”. In our biblical canon, the book of Proverbs introduces us to “Wisdom.” Wisdom, whether it is in our society or in our lives is something that can be very elusive. The classic definition of Wisdom is “the quality of having experience, knowledge, and good judgment; the quality of being wise.” Some synonyms for wisdom might include: intelligence, common sense, shrewdness, astuteness, judiciousness, judgment, and prudence.

“Wisdom cries out in the streets…” Proverbs states. I personally think wisdom is so elusive and misunderstood that in our society someone who has “street smarts” can be considered wise. How can we re-establish some Wisdom in our society, in our world, in our communities, and in our churches? Too often we add the unnecessary requirement of age to the one whom we think will possess wisdom. However, I have heard some very wise comments from children. Wisdom does come from experience, but it also can come from those who keep their eyes and ears open when others shut them tight out of fear. Let’s find ways to heed Wisdom when she speaks….

Let us pray,

Lord of Wisdom, keep us in your care and give us wisdom when others are lacking common sense. Your wisdom will always be a good guide. Amen.

Pastor Dave