Dear Fellow
Children of God,
Did you enjoy
confirmation classes when you were young?
If you were a Lutheran Christian as a young adolescent you attended
confirmation, or catechism classes. Other
traditions have other kinds of training for young people. In my younger days, back in the mid-1960’s,
these classes were held for 2 hours on Saturday morning. Classes usually included the memorization of
10 pages a week for 20 weeks from the catechism. It took work to memorize, and there was a
little fear if we had not prepared well enough.
I remember satisfaction if I felt I had done a good job in class. But I
did not invite any of my friends to attend with me, and I don’t remember
laughing much.
Confirmation
classes were different for young people attending at St. John. Students in grades 6, 7, and 8 would come to
church after school on Wednesdays.
Confirmation was more learning of Bible stories and growing in Christian
knowledge than memory, and most memory was Bible verses. But confirmation also included opening
prayers, games, snacks (that were sometimes a whole meal), classes, and closing
worship. Children were somehow always
bringing friends from school to our confirmation sessions, and some even joined
the church. The youth seemed to have a
good time, maybe sometimes too good, because we needed behavior standards.
One of the regrets
I had as I retired at the end of August 2019 was that, even though my
grandchildren were coming to confirmation class age, I would not be teaching
them these lessons about our Lord and Savior.
Josh’s oldest son, Jake, started attending classes in the 2019-2020 school
year. His daughter, Emma, and Andy’s
son, Jackson, started confirmation classes this year. Of course, COVID has thrown a wrench into all
social gatherings. Our grandkids are not
attending school in person, the same for confirmation class. Since I was asked last fall to return and
serve part-time at St. John, I took on teaching “Saturday Confirmation.” But COVID made it difficult for teacher and
students to gather in person. So we have
held Zoom Confirmation Classes on Saturday mornings, and are working through
100 Bible Stories in 20 weeks. In
addition to my 3 grandchildren another young lady, Kambree, has also attended.
I have been
surprised at how much fun they seem to have in these classes. When the cuckoo clock goes off in my home,
all four students on my computer screen raise their hands in the air and wave
them back and forth. During class on
February 27, we learned about the prophecy and birth of John the Baptist. We heard how John was named at his circumcision. When one of my grandsons asked what
circumcision is I brought his grandmother to the screen to explain. The girls covered their faces with their books,
and the look of anguish on the face of the boys . . . well you understand.
This week their
joking around while they were learning had me laughing, and Kathy listening in
the background had her shoulders bouncing as she laughed out loud. The class was studying about the Magi, and the
flight of Joseph and Mary and Jesus into Egypt.
Emma was reading the story. But,
Emma has a personality. She can joke
around while learning. In fact, all 4 of
the Zoom Confirmation students seem to joke during class. She was reading how, after the wise men or magi
had seen baby Jesus, God told them to return home a different way than they had
arrived. They were not to return through
Jerusalem, and not to tell King Herod what they had seen.
As Emma read the
story she said, “In a dream God warned Margi
not to return to Harold.” (It was supposed to read, “In a dream God
warned the Magi not to return to Herod.”)
I asked, “What? Who?” She repeated it again. Everyone else started giggling. Kathy was bouncing up and down with laughter
as she heard this exchange across the room.
I asked again, “Harold?” Yup,
Emma repeated again, “In a dream God warned Margi not to return to
Harold.” Then, acting like a TV
reporter, she put her pencil to her mouth.
It was Jackson’s turn to read.
But, Emma spoke into her pencil-microphone, “Back to you, Harold.”
I
have shared before that I believe Scripture when it calls parents to teach
their children about Him and His Word.
In Deuteronomy 6 God teaches His people, “6 These commandments that I give
you today are to be upon your hearts. 7 Impress them on your children. Talk
about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie
down and when you get up.” (Deuteronomy 6:6-7)
God
moved Solomon to write in Proverbs 22:6 “Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not
turn from it.”
And
St Paul wrote to Timothy, “14 But as for you, continue in
what you have learned and have become convinced of, because you know those from
whom you learned it, 15 and how from infancy you have known the holy
Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in
Christ Jesus.” Timothy learned about God from
infancy.
As you see, God wants parents to teach their children about Him.
I pray daily, by
name, for many people. But I always
mention family and pray for them to know God and His saving love for them in
Jesus. I truly believe that it is
important to teach God’s Word to my children and grandchildren, because, Scriptures . . . are able to make you wise for
salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.”
My grandchildren are learning that God loves them, that God
showed that love for them in the ultimate sacrifice of Jesus on the cross to
pay for our sins. They are learning that
Jesus rose to win eternal life for all who believe in Him.
And, when you can
laugh that “In a dream God warned Margi not to return to Harold,” maybe they
are enjoying learning and they will “continue
in what [they] have learned.”
A Child of God, Surprised
By What Comes Out of the Mouths of my Grandchildren!
Pastor Jonathan
P.S. Kathy and I are traveling this week with family. We are in Helen, GA, with my sister and
brother and their spouses. Kathy’s
birthday is on the 10th of March.
She tells me every year, “When I was a child in Memphis there were
always daffodils for my birthday.” This
year we got her daffodils in Georgia. https://photos.app.goo.gl/MUrtj1ZFLsTZHEpJ8
P.P.S. I did go fishing a couple of times. Here are pictures from two trips at the
Rodman Reservoir in Orange Springs, FL.
·
On Thursday, March 4, I went fishing with
brother-in-law Mark Reaves. Here are
pictures. https://photos.app.goo.gl/1K9bFieWofeZHmTBA
·
On Friday, March 5, I went fishing with friend,
Dustin Kunkel. Here are some more
pictures. https://photos.app.goo.gl/Hi9oootXMbL6UxdBA
·
On Tuesday, March 9, my brother Stephen and I
fished at Unicoi State Park in Helen, Georgia.
https://photos.app.goo.gl/ukvoVxy9SkjEiHKQA
*****
ABOUT
THIS DEVOTION - I retired at the end of August 2019 from serving as senior
pastor of St. John Lutheran Church in Palmer, AK. I was writing a weekly
devotion previously entitled, "Thoughts from the Pastor."
When I retired many asked me to continue writing these devotions. So I have continued writing. However, with life's changes I now call this
weekly devotion "Journeys Through Life as a Child of God."
Since
I am no longer senior pastor at St. John, I felt it right to only send
this message to those who asked to receive it. (Though I am now serving
again part-time at St. John as assistant to the pastor.) Perhaps you also know that I “killed” my
computer on November 7, 2020. In so
doing I lost, for a time at least, all my e-mail contacts. So, I was really goofed up. Many who were receiving this devotion each
week were no longer receiving it. I
tried to rebuild my distribution list, but I am not sure how accurate I have
been.
So, if you stopped receiving these
devotions and wondered why, now you understand.
And, if you are now receiving these devotions and do not wish to receive
them, please let me know, and I’ll gladly remove your name from my distribution
list. My e-mail address is
jonrock53@mtaonline.net.
My prayer is that these devotions
help each of you in your daily walk with our Lord, Jesus.
*******
Jonathan Rockey
Child of God
Husband, Father,
Son, Grandfather
Pastor Emeritus,
St. John Lutheran Church
E-Mail: jonrock53@mtaonline.net
cell phone -
907-841-4066
Home phone -
907-746-5131
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