I think the heart of the difference in focus expressed by the last two researchers is that they're saying a child's spirituality isn't just something internal. All of a child's relationships and the various environments they walk through every day play a significant role in a child's faith development. Is that support for Christian schools? Home school?
Thinking about scripture, if anyone could write a biography about someone from the inside out, God could do that. If I look at the stories of scripture I do see a weaving of environments and relationships. I don't read alot about the internal faith of the people that God uses. I hadn't really thought about it before. Psalms, Ecclesiastes, Proverbs, are the exceptions - more of the internal workings of faith but apparently David and Solomon were writers - maybe not literally but enough that their thoughts and feelings were recorded. Maybe Paul in the New Testament, too.
The Conference that Children's Spirituality is based on is focused on "spirituality" as a relatively new dimension of humanness to explore in the realm of social science research but let's call it faith. I think the hope is that this research will help us better lead and nurture our children in faith.
If we're talking about faith I don't think we can separate the inside from the outside. I don't think God does. Does He? We can't always control a child's environment or a child's relationships. Some will disagree but I like to think God can, but He doesn't always do it the way we'd like Him too. Maybe it takes us back to giving kids the faith tools and the skills to process life. What are they?
What do you think? Would these realizations change how you minister to children? If so, how?
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
You ask far too many excellent questions, Margie.
ReplyDeleteI'd love to come up with answers for all of them, but am failing; rest assured, though, I love these posts of yours. They help me to remember what really matters in dealing with children – they keep me grounded in the "real stuff" of faith, not the ministerial fluff we as an American church have surrounded ourselves with.
Keep it up! Your words and questions are appreciated.
Christian Schools really make the students' school life easier to bear. They are given guidance and proper values formation that these students could later use.
ReplyDeletechristian schools
Hi, Kate! I'm not writing here as much as I was six years ago but welcome! I don't disagree with you, but there are many many sides to this. I need
ReplyDeleteto revisit some things and write a new post! I'll get back to you on that. :-)