Catechism #108-109

You know, studying the Bible with a 10yr old, and especially a 7yr. old, can get awkward at times. Talking about adultery and unchastity is one of those times. Glad the Bible forces me into uncomfortable conversations; after all, I am commanded to 'teach them [the commandments] diligently' to my children (Deut 6:7)!

Question #108: What is God's will for us in the seventh commandment?

Answer: God condemns all unchastity. We should therefore thoroughly detest it and, married or single, live decent and chaste lives (Lev. 18:30; Eph. 5:3-5;Jude 22-23
^3 1 Cor. 7:1-9; 1 Thess. 4:3-8; Heb. 13:4)

Question #109: Does God, in this commandment, forbid only such scandalous sins as adultery?

Answer: We are temples of the Holy Spirit, body and soul, and God wants both to be kept clean and holy. That is why he forbids everything which incites unchastity, whether it be actions, looks, talk, thoughts, or desires (1 Cor. 15:33; Eph. 5:18; Matt. 5:27-29; 1 Cor. 6:18-20; Eph. 5:3-4)

Song of the Week

I think Matt may have been the first to turn me on to the Civil Wars. I love their music - reminds me a little of the Cowboy Junkies. This is an incredibly sad song. I love it.

The Civil Wars, "Poison and Wine"

The Goal of Education

I remember vividly a conversation I had with my mother in our kitchen in Endicott, NY. I was a senior in high school and was in the midst of making decision regarding my educational future. I was not overly excited about college. In fact, I was going round and round with my mother, arguing that the only real purpose in college was to get a good job, so I could send my kids to a good college when they grew up, so they could get good jobs and send their kids to a good college when they grew up, ad infinitum. Admittedly, it was a shallow and cynical view of education, but one that had been confirmed by society and my educational environment. It's also a mindset that is easy to pass on to our kids. When they ask, why do I need to learn this, how do we answer? Is learning all about 'utility', about acquiring skills we'll need in the marketplace to make money? If so, then why do we really need to know about the ancient civilizations of Indiana? Or great literature? Or ethics? If it's all about being productive, what about further education as an adult? And what about learning in the church - is it just about producing leaders or evangelists, etc.?

Thankfully I've set aside the cynicism of my pre-college years and have recently begun to think a lot more about the 'how' and the 'why' of good education - both in the school and the church setting.

Now, older and a little wiser, if (when) my kids ask "why should we learn about _______________?" my simple answer is, "to make you a better worshiper of the true and living God." Certainly other byproducts of education are important also - like becoming a wise person who can make informed and godly decisions, becoming a person of virtue, becoming a contributing member of society (not just in terms of economy), etc. But in the end, I think these byproducts should be subsumed under the big goal of worship, or 'glorifying God'.

For years now, I've been praying with my kids each night and have included a sentence or two like "help them to sleep well tonight (with no bad dreams and no bad thoughts), so they can wake up rested and ready to go to school and learn all about the world you created."

I realized a couple nights ago that I'm fighting an uphill battle. I asked the boys why they go to school and learn to read and write and do math. Their first response, "to get a good job." The system is hell-bent on turning us into cogs in the wheel. I shouldn't be surprised, but I realized how much work I have to do to impress upon the Christ-centered, God glorifying nature of education, of knowledge. They won't learn it from their teachers, nor will they learn it by osmosis. Not even an short sentence every night before bed. It's going to take a concerted effort to point their minds to the God that stands behind the orderliness of geometry, the story of history, the beauty of art and music, and the wonder of science. I look forward to our summer and doing this work together!

Boys, it's not about the job, it's about God. And it's about the end for which God created us - to glorify him and enjoy him forever. Enjoying him includes enjoying his creation, his world, his good gifts. It requires you live rightly. All of these are the proper goals of education. A job you enjoy is too. But lets keep the first things first - learning about these things don't just make you useful, they make God bigger in your eyes (if you have eyes to see him).

I really enjoyed and would recommend the book by Paul Spears and Steven Loomis Education for Human Flourishing: A Christian Perspective (Christian Worldview Integration).

PS. Boys, get good jobs so you can take care of mom and me when we're old and decrepit!

Catechism #105-107

Caleb's great question from the catechism: if God said don't murder, why did Jesus change the law. Was ok to hate your neighbor in the OT? Short answer - No. Love has always been the command. I can see why Caleb would ask this, and frankly, the way we talk about the OT and it's relationship to the new contributes to the confusion. We talk of an 'internalization' of the law, as though God didn't care about the heart in the OT. That couldn't be further from the truth! See, for example, the 10th commandment. The prohibition against coveting is clearly a heart matter. Moreover, Jesus' summary of the law (Matthew 22:36-40) is taken directly from the OT - Deuteronomy 6:5 and Leviticus 19:18,34).

Question #105: What is God's will for you in the sixth commandment?

Answer: I am not to belittle, insult, hate, or kill my neighbor— not by my thoughts, my words, my look or gesture, and certainly not by actual deeds— and I am not to be party to this in others; rather, I am to put away all desire for revenge.

I am not to harm or recklessly endanger myself either. Prevention of murder is also why government is armed with the sword (Gen. 9:6; Lev. 19:17-18; Matt. 5:21-22; 26:52; Prov. 25:21-22; Matt. 18:35; Rom. 12:19; Eph. 4:26; Matt. 4:7; 26:52; Rom. 13:11-14; Gen. 9:6; Ex. 21:14; Rom. 13:4)

Question #106: Does this commandment refer only to killing?

Answer: By forbidding murder God teaches us that he hates the root of murder: envy, hatred, anger, vindictiveness. In God's sight all such are murder (Prov. 14:30; Rom. 1:29; 12:19; Gal. 5:19-21; 1 John 2:9-11; 1 John 3:15)

Question #107: Is it enough then that we do not kill our neighbor in any such way?

Answer: No. By condemning envy, hatred, and anger God tells us to love our neighbors as ourselves, to be patient, peace-loving, gentle, merciful, and friendly to them, to protect them from harm as much as we can, and to do good even to our enemies (Matt. 7:12; 22:39; Rom. 12:10; Matt. 5:3-12; Luke 6:36; Rom. 12:10, 18; Gal. 6:1-2; Eph. 4:2; Col. 3:12; 1 Pet. 3:8; Ex. 23:4-5; Matt. 5:44-45; Rom. 12:20-21 (Prov. 25:21-22)).

Catechism #104

Question #104: What is God's will for you in the fifth commandment?

Answer: That I honor, love, and be loyal to my father and mother and all those in authority over me; that I obey and submit to them, as is proper, when they correct and punish me; and also that I be patient with their failings— for through them God chooses to rule us (Ex. 21:17; Prov. 1:8; 4:1; Rom. 13:1-2; Eph. 5:21-22; 6:1-9; Col. 3:18- 4:1; Prov. 20:20; 23:22; 1 Pet. 2:18; Matt. 22:21; Rom. 13:1-8; Eph. 6:1-9; Col. 3:18-21).