In the blanks below write the two most significant statements in today’s reading assignment. Be prepared to discuss why the statements you chose were significant to you.
“When God gives a child to a Christian couple, they must realize that their little bundle of joy is essentially a pagan – Wow, that’s so true, yet so weird to realize.
“The work must be done, but the whole job isn’t done unless the saints are developed in the process – sometimes requiring a church to make tough choices.”
Why are parenting goals such as ‘to raise a good kid’ or to have a child who will make his parents proud or to rear morally responsible children inadequate goals for Christian parents?
“The biblical goal is to lead the child to Christ and thus ‘produce a disciple of Jesus Christ.’ We want our children to truly be God’s children, not just His grandchildren.”
Fill in the blanks from the text: Without a passion to “disciple” believers to Christlikeness through the ministries of the church, the church will focus merely on perpetuating its “programs”, and the sheep will grow “sickly” and “unfruitful”.
Are you currently discipling someone in your local church? “no”
Is someone currently discipling you in your local church? “no”
Explain why the following statement is false: Well-ordered classrooms, high academic achievement, cultural appreciation, and athletic accomplishment are the measurement of success in Christian education.
“These will only produce highly trained rebels. It is the change, growth, and development of the heart within each student which should be the measurement of success.”
What is the difference between the goal of Christian education and that of most businesses?
“changing the customer to make him a contributor instead of pleasing the customer to make him a consumer.”
Explain this statement from the text: God’s ‘recovery program’ is sanctification.
“I’m not sure I fully agree with this section, so I’ll refer back to page 5 because then it makes more sense to me: when the primary goal is sanctification, other needs will often get met in the process.”
What did Paul call believers in the church who were fighting, envying each other, and creating division (I Corinthians 3:3)? “carnal”
Praise – “You are creative, caring, compassionate, counseling, counseling…”
Repent – “I’m sorry my mind wanders so much and my thoughts are scattered.”
Yield – “I’ll try to step up if You’ll show me where and how.”
Dearest Rachel –
When I was going through your papers, I discovered several books on raising a special-needs child (like Daniel), as well as dealing with raising boys in general. I also found various lists regarding timing of doctors’ visits for immunization and the like. They weren’t organized such that would make any sense if I were to include them on one of these Sunday entries, but they showed a deliberate and planned approach toward the occupation of child-rearing that I wasn’t aware of in you.
Granted, this is mostly on me; preoccupied as I was with my own working life (and the general obliviousness in my character), I didn’t notice the dedication you put into making sure that Daniel turned out ‘right.’ Not just ‘right’ as the world defines it, either (some of which would be impossible, given his condition); but to be a child of God as much as a child of ours. A study like this just goes to show me the thought you put into ensuring his spiritual progress, even over the worldly measures of achievement.
Not that any of those aims are wrong, in and of themselves; they’re simply secondary to ensuring his eternal destiny, as well as (hopefully) equipping him to lead others to such a place in turn. I’m pretty sure I still have your note commemorating his second birth in February 1998, although I can’t seem to find it where I thought it was at the moment.
To be sure, by the time of your passing, our days of raising Daniel should have been over and done with. While it’s true that we will always be his parents, there comes a point when he’s supposed to be a man, functioning more or less on his own. These instructions regarding his education, at least on a formal basis, should no longer apply. Then again, on an informal basis, no one’s education ever ends; no one ever “arrives” until God says so, and brings them Home. Even then, the “arrival” doesn’t happen on this side of the veil; this is only the point of departure, to extend that analogy.
I’ve actually been struggling with that a little bit lately, honey, as I’m not sure just how much parenting I should still be doing. There’s a certain sense where one could expect that “my house, my rules” ought to apply; and while I don’t worry about him being a rebellious child, I do sometimes wonder if he’ll be able (or maybe more to the point, willing) to function on his own. I don’t want to push him to do things, but it sometimes feels like if I don’t push him, he won’t move at all; a sort of spiritual inertia. And yet at the same time, I don’t want to micromanage his life either, especially since I don’t think mine is completely under control. There’s no point pushing him in the right direction when I don’t even know what direction that is.
So with that having been said, honey, I guess I should ask you as always to keep an eye on us, and wish us luck; we’re going to need it.
Letters to Rachel 