Parent/Child Relations

Grace to you in the name of Jesus Christ, THE only source of salvation.

I am convinced.  The world is turning upside down.  I’m already struggling with ways to reach out to our youth of confirmation age (usually middle school youth in the Lutheran faith) to provide some contact with the basics of what we believe as Christians and why we believe it.  Our young people have so much crammed into their schedules it’s tough for our fundamental faith understandings to get much of a hearing, especially in an educational system that seems bent on excluding God talk from everything.  The way I look at it is if they can’t come to church for worship and study so I can spend some real time with them on a regular basis, then I’ll use the internet or whatever to make face time with them any way I can.  As sad as that is, it’s getting worse.  Now, according to some child care experts (I’m always dubious of anyone claiming to be an expert in dealing with children, having raised three of my own.) they now say I am to ask consent of an infant before I can change a wet diaper.  (I thought that’s why they were crying in the first place.)  Really?  Where has sanity gone?

It’s bad enough we have some millennials telling us that socialism and communism is good for our nation who have no life experience or knowledge beyond the academic brainwashing currently passing for education.  Now, we have teenagers, who in accusatory tone, point their fingers at those of us who own and shoot guns and call us evil, demonic or worse.  By their definition, we are hateful with no regard for the life of any child.  However, when they inform me that my time with God is wasted because He doesn’t exist and they claim to be smarter than me, even when incapable of speaking or writing the king’s English themselves, I have reached my limit.

This whole PC concept of treating children of all ages as if they are “little adults” is insane.  As a child growing up in the 50’s or with my own kids and grandchildren, our home life did not exist in a democracy.  It was an absolute dictatorship.  Oh, discussion and diverse opinions were welcomed and encouraged, but in the end the parents made the decisions, not the kids. Going to church wasn’t open to discussion  —  we went. Following the rules laid down by parents for conduct were demanded  —  totally. Respect for elders and persons in authority was expected  —  without question.

Scripture tells us a whole lot about raising children and the relationship we are to have with them and they with us as parents.  From Proverbs 4:1-2  —  Listen, my children, to a father’s instruction; pay attention and gain understanding.  I give you sound learning, so do not forsake my teaching.
Colossians 3:20  —  Children, obey your parents in everything, for this pleases the Lord.
Proverbs 22:6  —  Train a child in the way he (or she) should go, and when one is old one will not turn from it.

These aren’t even scratching the surface of what God would have us as parents and as children learning to be adults need to know.  Somehow, somewhere, we lost hold of what’s important and it isn’t our iPhone, iPad or social networking.  It’s a relationship with God by His standards and relationships with one another based on REAL human contact.

And those are my thoughts for this week.  God bless.
Pastor Lee

Post Scriptum:
I’ve been encouraged to add a Facebook video blog.  I will now be sharing some of my thoughts on topics of interest or concern to me, spiced with a little humor, a whole lot of life experience and a word or two from the manager  taken right from the pages of His manual for living.  Since God and I are not very PC, be ready for a bumpy ride.  You’ll be able to find me on Facebook.  If you want others to see it, you can certainly share it with your friends.  Soon, we might even be adding these videos to You Tube.  I hope you’ll check them out.  Thanks.