Pass it on

Sunday school yesterday was based on the scripture Judges 2:16-23. I was a student in this class (I love to teach, but I also just LOVE to be a student.), and I thought the lesson was an interesting look at an Old Testament passage.

One idea that Anita (the teacher) brought forth was the cyclical nature of the book of Judges. I had heard that before – the people sinned, they repented and cried out to God, the Lord raised up a judge who saved them, the people followed God for a time, and then they fell back into their sinful ways. Anita presented the cycle differently, though. The difference was subtle at first, but important, I think:

• The people sinned.
• The suffered the consequences of their sin.
• The Lord heard their cries as the “groaned under those who oppressed them.”
• He had compassion and pity for them.
• He raised up judges to save them.
• After the death of the judge, the people returned to their sinful ways, even more than before.

Notice that there is no repentance in this cycle. The people receive help, not because of anything they did, but only because God took pity on them – doesn’t that sound like grace? I also like the image of God “raising up” judges. He pulls them up out of the sin and sends them on their missions. He doesn’t “poof” – make judges or "zap" -- find the most perfect person among them. He “raises them up.”

Anita made another point that I thought was revealing. When the people are sinful, and continued in their corruption, God says, “Because this nation has violated the covenant that I laid down for their forefathers and has not listened to me, I will no longer drive out before them any of the nations Joshua left when he died…” He doesn’t send other nations against them; he withdraws his protection.

He withdrew his protection until His sorrow and pity were once again so huge in response to the people’s pain, that he once again would intervene. What a picture of a merciful parent this passage portrays. I had never seen that before.

The Israelites never seemed to learn from their mistakes, and they continue to ignore God. Anita discussed the importance of passing on our faith to the following generations – Christian Education. At the end of this discussion, she said, “Well, we have Kim to worry about that for us.”

I have done some things right in the job that I have at church, but this is not one of them. Not that I don’t worry about Christian Education – I certainly do – but I wish I had been able to stress the importance of EVERYONE being involved in this mission. I wish I had known that I wasn’t getting that job done.

This idea that it is the job of the parents in a church to take care of education the children of the church isn’t new – I’ve seen it for years. I also certainly don’t mean to say that it is solely my responsibility to try to change that attitude. It isn’t. I also don’t want to give the impression that I think I AM the only one involved in this job – I am in NO WAY the only one “worrying” about Christian Education. We have over 60 volunteers who do this job. If I walked away from this job today, it would continue without a hitch – all that would be needed to replace me is someone to coordinate it.

What is part of my job, though, is to try to spread the opportunities for service around – to try to involve lots of people in the work of the Nurture Committee. No one should ever say that this is “Kim’s job” to worry about, and I have a feeling that if they are thinking it, that it’s at least partly because I have made it that way.

This job is everyone’s to “worry about.” If we are a family of God, then it is everyone’s responsibility to spread the word to the next generation.