Growing Spiritually

(Author's Note: I posted this as my contribution to Faith Feet which is a group effort. Due to technical problems only the title is displayed, so I am posting it here as well - Jim)

Last week was really an incredibly challenging week for me. It was a week that kept me very busy but it also provided for my spiritual growth, as well.

Our church hosted its annual Vacation Bible School for five consecutive evenings. With the help of a friend, we alternated teaching the adult class. The other nights, I helped out where needed and took a great many photographs for the church pictorial history I maintain. This allowed me to both document and share in the lessons the children were learning and the activities designed to reinforce them.

On Thursday afternoon, the Sunday School class I teach was invited to an ice cream social at a local assisted living center for senior citizens. This was not an official church function. It was simply a chance to have fellowship with the residents and I read to them some of the devotionals I had written before closing with prayer.

When the week ended, I reflected on the fact that I had, to one degree or another, been involved with Christian education that covered the entire spectrum of ages from toddlers to senior citizens. I realized how truly blessed I was to have had such an opportunity,

The fourth night of Vacation Bible School focused the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus and what it means to Christians as a whole as well as to individuals. These events are central to the Christian experience, yet this topic presents particular challenges to teachers who must factor in the age of the students in his or her presentation in order that they get the most out of it.

I am not able to go into any great detail about how this was presented to the children as I was occupied teaching the adult class at the time. I am confident that those involved teaching the children did so in a way appropriate for the age groups for which they were responsible. They clearly demonstrated this ability with other topics on other nights.

For the senior citizens, I chose to begin with two of my devotionals that had introductions with which I thought they could relate.

In my first, I began talking about my fondness for freshly baked bread. This devotional then concluded with the reminder that Jesus is the "Bread of Life".

John 6:35 (KJV) - And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to Me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst.

For my second, I read to them a devotional I wrote about a picture no one wanted to buy. I found it in a second hand store covered with numerous price tags that clearly showed the history of its devaluation. I bought the picture and cleaned it because I knew its real beauty was hidden from view. I then gently reminded them that even when others fail to see our real value, the blood of Jesus cleanses us completely of all our layers of self doubt.

Revelation 1:5 (KJV) - And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto Him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in His own blood.

By far the biggest challenge I faced was composing an hour long class on this topic for the adults I taught that evening. I wrestled with the lesson plan provided in the guide that came as part of the package we had purchased for Vacation Bible School. In the end, I opted to completely forego the introduction as I felt it was not adequately serious enough for a lesson of this magnitude.

Instead, I took my adult students straight into the five sections of scripture called for beginning in Luke chapter 22 and concluding in chapter 24.

I paused between sections to field questions and comments and there were far fewer than I anticipated.

With the time remaining, I asked my students to turn to Isaiah 53. As they turned the pages I reminded them that the words God inspired Isaiah to write were written 700 to 800 years before Luke’s account and asked them to notice how similar the two were. I reminded them that God intended to provide for our salvation all along and in in the only way possible.

Jesus had to pay the price we could not pay ourselves.

I then read them Isaiah 53 in its entirety.

After a few closing questions and comments we closed with prayer.

I said at the beginning that I felt both truly challenged and truly blessed by the events of last week and I honestly feel that I have grown spiritually as a result.

Young minds, I am certain, were presented a simplified view of God’s love for us and absorbed it quickly.

It was gratifying to take senior citizens on a journey that began with things with which they could either remember or relate. From there I led them down the road that ultimately leads to Jesus and what He did for us all.

It was particularly challenging to present the heart of the Christian experience to adults in a very serious and straightforward manner.

Young children, adults, and senior citizens have nutritional needs like vitamins, carbohydrates and protein. Yet the ways in which they obtain these nutrients vary through time.

It is the same way with spiritual nutrition.

To be fully absorbed, it must be presented in a way that can be comprehended.

Its truth, however, must never be compromised.


Blessings,
Jim Pokorny
The Other Brother Jim
http://otherbrotherjim.blogspot.com