Ah, school back is in session so that means one thing around the church: CONFIRMATION.
We are fully back into the swing of things on Wednesday nights. Songs, videos, screaming, games, writing in Bibles, highs and lows, flying candy and deep delving into the big questions of faith for all. I have to say this group of middle schoolers are a little on the energetic side. It makes it a little crazy/wild/chaotic at times but it also leads to more questions and sharing.
For the first third of this year we are exploring the 10 Commandments or the 10 Words (the First Word and 9 Commandments) as our budding theologians can tell you. This view of the 10 Commandments/Decalogue was a shock to me when I first heard it three years ago. Now it is just an ingrained tenet of my faith. I love the First Word and all that it means.
We are fully back into the swing of things on Wednesday nights. Songs, videos, screaming, games, writing in Bibles, highs and lows, flying candy and deep delving into the big questions of faith for all. I have to say this group of middle schoolers are a little on the energetic side. It makes it a little crazy/wild/chaotic at times but it also leads to more questions and sharing.
For the first third of this year we are exploring the 10 Commandments or the 10 Words (the First Word and 9 Commandments) as our budding theologians can tell you. This view of the 10 Commandments/Decalogue was a shock to me when I first heard it three years ago. Now it is just an ingrained tenet of my faith. I love the First Word and all that it means.
"I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Eqypt, out of the house of slavery" Exodus 20:2
This totally sets out the Israelites relationship with God. God reminds them they are His and He is ours. Period. It's not because they did anything amazing or that they deserved it (if you have read any of the OT you quickly realize this is NOT the case). It's not about God being their God because of all the amazing things He had done and will do. They are in this relationship and THAT Is all that matters. They just are. Then God reminds them "LOOK! Despite everything I love you so much I delivered you from captivity".
That is just amazing. But here is the even cooler thing: It is just the same for all of us. We are God's chosen people too. He feels just the same and we have that same relationship with Him. And we need to remember that he to has brought us out of the Eqypt's of our lives; those places of slavery we find ourselves. Jesus came to this world to deliver us. He freed us from sin and death so that we can indeed live the first part of the First Word freely. By His sacrifice, we can now live out that relationship fully. We can be God's and He can be ours. Completely.
I hope our kids get this message. It took me many years into my adult life to really begin to grasp the implications of Jesus' death and resurrection. To start accepting that I am truly free to be God's. Would have been really cool to grasp this basic premise oh so many years ago.
That is just amazing. But here is the even cooler thing: It is just the same for all of us. We are God's chosen people too. He feels just the same and we have that same relationship with Him. And we need to remember that he to has brought us out of the Eqypt's of our lives; those places of slavery we find ourselves. Jesus came to this world to deliver us. He freed us from sin and death so that we can indeed live the first part of the First Word freely. By His sacrifice, we can now live out that relationship fully. We can be God's and He can be ours. Completely.
I hope our kids get this message. It took me many years into my adult life to really begin to grasp the implications of Jesus' death and resurrection. To start accepting that I am truly free to be God's. Would have been really cool to grasp this basic premise oh so many years ago.