Sunday.....Christianity.....Sunday School

I had mentioned a couple times last week how I thought it was important for men to teach their children about the Christian faith. I saw a little bit of a ministry program the other evening on our local Christian television station and the topic might have been called, The responsibility of men in teaching their families. The minister quoted Deuteronomy chapter 6, verses 6, 7 in And these words which I command you today shall be in your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates, but then he held up his bible and pointed to it saying but not from this. His point, I take it, was that the actions of the father would teach the children who watch him ever so closely. Most certainly, the actions of fathers are important but the doctrines of God are preeminent. The passage quoted is preceded by verse 4 which in which God says Hear O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one! You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength. The New Geneva Study Bible note on this verse says The Hebrew expresses totality. For this reason the New Testament sometimes renders it with "mind and strength." Sunday Schools were started in 18th century England, primarily to bring poor children from the city who received no Christian teaching in the home, into the church. Have we turned that into giving Christian men a pass in teaching their own children? Today, Mrs Smith teaches our very young children, Mrs. Jones teaches the middle school children and Mr. and Mrs. Baker teach our high school aged youth. We ourselves pick a Sunday School class that seems interesting. Sunday School teachers of our youth are generally the most loving and caring of people and we need their efforts today, but, we cannot provide the congregation with a perpetual orientation, for we should be producing teachers, not tenuring students. When I was a new believer, I needed instruction. The pulpit provided some and Sunday School a little bit more, I therefore relied on cassette tapes and books. Our son was about eight years old when I finally knew enough myself to teach him, and even then I neglected simple catechizing. I continued to utilize cassettes quite often because the teachers (R. C. Sproul and others.) were more than exemplary. So what is a parent who is a new Christian supposed to do? Ultimately it is learn first and then teach what you have learned, and encourage the elders to teach us, for Deuteronomy also says in chapter 32 verse 7 Remember the days of old, consider the years of many generations. Ask you father and he will show you; your elders and they will tell you. I'm thankful for this faithful cadre of Sunday School teachers and also remember how Paul emphatically wrote Christ is preached; and in this I rejoice, and will rejoice, but I would also like to see Sunday School classes called Teaching fathers how and what to teach their children.