Another inbox challenge from the Daily Dig @ Bruderhof.com today:

====
Spiritual Education
Johann Christoph Arnold

What about our children's spiritual education? 9/11 should have taught us that we live in frightening times. The more I think about it, the more I feel that as parents and educators, our main task is to equip our children for such times. This means not only educating them physically and mentally. It means teaching them to listen to their consciences in the midst of mass hysteria. It means helping them to find courage when others are cowering. It means inspiring them to hold on to faith when everyone around them has lost it. It means preparing them to make sacrifices, rather than save their own skin.

What will your child need more as an adult--high grades and a prestigious degree, or selflessness and courage?
[© 2003 Bruderhof Communities]
====

One of the things that is definitely lacking in our culture is an intentionality towards teaching & training our children. I just got off the phone with Pastor, talking about filling a vacancy in our church's children's director position. It's hard enough to get people deeply committed to children - you'd think it would be easier for parents to be deeply committed to their on children's growth as human beings and as christians.

But children more often than not are a reflection of their parents' values, desires, misconceptions. One school is trying to implement a "silence policy" to cut down on unruly and excessive/loud talking - and the parents are up in arms, loudly yelling at each other and the principal & school officials at a meeting last night. Just one example of many - like parents "coaching" from the stands and berating the referees, or pushing kids too hard to excel and then breaking their spirits with overwork and overstress.

Just rambling on and on... and praying I don't fall into the trap.
- posted by Rick @ 09:48