I can barely recall what it was like sitting at church in grade school. All I can remember is goofing off after service. I have more recollection of sermons as a middle school student, but that consisted mostly of reading comic books at a corner.
Here I am now, a teacher for Sunday school, sitting among students much younger than I, trying to remember what exactly went through my mind every week listening to the pastor.
Now there are a handful of other teachers as well. As much as the teachers sit alongside the students, it is really difficult to have the kids pay attention to what the pastor is saying. The senior teachers would tell me to hush the kids and I do try, but in the back of my mind, I often find it pretty ridiculous to even try to keep the students in control. It is what children do! They doze off, find dust balls to play with, talk among friends or even read whatever is in front of them. I sometimes think we as teachers need to thank them for even having tried to keep quiet and pay attention.
I do remember some of the Sunday school teachings, but I feel like the most influence it had on my spirituality was that I remember church fondly because the teachers would play with us afterwards. Then again, I get this notion that everything is indeed grace of God, grace to have stuck with church and have experienced his love.
With that in mind, I felt the need to really pray for these students. Perhaps it was my inattentiveness towards the Bible that the children would dismiss reading the sermon messages. Perhaps it was my carelessness in prayer that the children would talk among friends during prayer time. Perhaps it was my greed to time that the children would be half asleep having spent the night before playing until late. Perhaps it was my failure to truly enjoy God's presence that the children do not find joy in worship.
Grace of God, yes, but could it have been the collection of prayers all the teachers in church offered that I stand now under the wings of His Glory? Strict judgment, more responsibility, greater delight.
Here I am now, a teacher for Sunday school, sitting among students much younger than I, trying to remember what exactly went through my mind every week listening to the pastor.
Now there are a handful of other teachers as well. As much as the teachers sit alongside the students, it is really difficult to have the kids pay attention to what the pastor is saying. The senior teachers would tell me to hush the kids and I do try, but in the back of my mind, I often find it pretty ridiculous to even try to keep the students in control. It is what children do! They doze off, find dust balls to play with, talk among friends or even read whatever is in front of them. I sometimes think we as teachers need to thank them for even having tried to keep quiet and pay attention.
I do remember some of the Sunday school teachings, but I feel like the most influence it had on my spirituality was that I remember church fondly because the teachers would play with us afterwards. Then again, I get this notion that everything is indeed grace of God, grace to have stuck with church and have experienced his love.
With that in mind, I felt the need to really pray for these students. Perhaps it was my inattentiveness towards the Bible that the children would dismiss reading the sermon messages. Perhaps it was my carelessness in prayer that the children would talk among friends during prayer time. Perhaps it was my greed to time that the children would be half asleep having spent the night before playing until late. Perhaps it was my failure to truly enjoy God's presence that the children do not find joy in worship.
Grace of God, yes, but could it have been the collection of prayers all the teachers in church offered that I stand now under the wings of His Glory? Strict judgment, more responsibility, greater delight.
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