tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6821288.post782557114100246142..comments2023-11-05T04:01:05.199-05:00Comments on Phil Wilson's Blog: Suffer the Little ChildrenPhilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11540149196113374329noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6821288.post-53500419246360337132007-05-18T16:24:00.000-04:002007-05-18T16:24:00.000-04:00i think we will be doing some contemplative pentec...i think we will be doing some contemplative pentecost worship for our youth.. not sure how that will work yet, but it'll be different i am sure. &:~)gavin richardsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16089190477657027849noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6821288.post-83702067788583055112007-05-18T14:44:00.000-04:002007-05-18T14:44:00.000-04:00I don't disagree with the fact that many of the st...I don't disagree with the fact that many of the stories we read to our children are a watered down version, but I don't see anything wrong with bringing it down to their level. As they get older you introduce harder concepts. I think they need to know the truth and you as a parent can decide what your child is ready for. <BR/><BR/>I was 9 years old when I was baptized. I begged my parents for a year before they even let me talk to the preacher about it. After talking with me, he said that I was one of the most knowledgable 9 year olds he had spoken with and if I wanted to do it my parents shouldn't stand in my way. I know that many will say I didn't understand the total ramifications of surrendering myself to Christ and I agree. I know much more now 20 years later, but I think we all change and grow no matter what age you first come to the belief that you need to be living differntly. <BR/><BR/>As a parent, I would not tell my child that they were too young to be baptized if they could show me that their heart was in the right place and that they had a basic understanding of what they were doing. I don't think God calls us to anything more than that basic understanding--at first. After you have committed yourself I believe He demands that we continue to grow and search.<BR/><BR/>Phil, I would agree that I wouldn't want people scaring my kids into the decision--that's not the way to go about it. A constant message and example goes a lot further in my book.Christyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01384777861788472588noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6821288.post-31925632092001763162007-05-18T14:00:00.000-04:002007-05-18T14:00:00.000-04:00I see what you're saying David, although I don't k...I see what you're saying David, although I don't know if the OT is the place to start, and that's not a reference to Phil's earlier post on creationism in re inerrancy of the Bible.<BR/><BR/>Of course, I know you are talking about some of the more tame stories (creation, Noah, Abraham, David, etc.) but there is a lot of rough stuff in the OT. I know I've been challenged by my reading (some for the first time) of the early OT books (Lev. through Joshua) and how bloody and violent Israel's move from Egypt to the promised land was. I forgot just how much God called them to utterly obliterate the Hivites, Jebusites, and so on. Burning towns, killing men and women, etc. If I have a hard-time swallowing some of that in the context of Jesus' message, I can't imagine how my kids would take it.<BR/><BR/>To Phil's original comment, I'm with you that I want to have a significant influence on what my kids learn about Jesus and Christianity, and help them understand how adult of a decision it is. I don't think I've understood it until recently, and it is a process that started in college. I'm glad that OC has put less of the conversion/baptism responsibility on the 5 minute "invitation" each week ("let's sing 'O Why Not Tonight' one more time!), and stressed the role of the parent and community as a whole.Jeffhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00594387404856908452noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6821288.post-63020304755785077402007-05-18T13:33:00.000-04:002007-05-18T13:33:00.000-04:00This may sound strange, but I wish there were some...This may sound strange, but I wish there were some way to not talk about Jesus with our children until they are in high school or even college. I think we water down the radical, life-altering message that is represented by Jesus to make it palatable to kids.<BR/><BR/>Can we teach them just the Old Testament as kids and then introduce the New Testament later? I wonder what difference that would make having a base knowledge of God and his people before ever being introduced to Jesus.<BR/><BR/>Why does my 6-year old concern herself with baptism when she doesn't have the slightest idea what it means to surrender her life to live as Christ? <BR/><BR/>In my opinion, we do our children a great disservice by innoculating them to the true deep discipleship that the radical message of Jesus calls them to.Davidhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02063752741875890443noreply@blogger.com