Yep, these are the grand kids! Amazing isn't it? They are growing up so fast. This picture was taken on Palm Sunday and miraculously, all four of them chose to smile for the camera. That is rare, rare indeed.
I realize it's been awhile since I've written a blog. It's been absolutely crazy busy and I had to prioritize what I should be doing and the blog took a back seat to other responsibilities. But I thought it would be good to take a moment to jot down a few thoughts. It's not that life has slowed down - Confirmation Sunday tomorrow including 4 baptisms and 12 joining the church and then heading to Tampa for General Conference on Monday and on and on it goes. But the fact that the grand kids are growing up so fast reminds me of the responsibility that their parents, their grandparents, and other teachers in their lives have in seeing that they not only mature as young men and women in society, but that they grow up to be mature adults in the faith as well.
I mentioned that 12 youth are being confirmed in the faith tomorrow. What a great accomplishment! These kids have come to a point of publicly professing their faith in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. But that is not the end, only the beginning. For the rest of their lives will take them from the point of saying yes to Christ, from being forgiven of their sins, to becoming more and more like Christ in all they say and do. In other words, the rest of their lives will be the process of growing up in the Christian faith, becoming mature in who and whose they are in Christ.
Sadly, so many who call themselves Christian have not been intentional at all about growing in their faith. Many are satisfied with being comfortable with just attending church as if it is just something they can check off on a Sunday believing that is all that God desires from them. As a result, they are unable to articulate the meaning of grace, mercy, salvation, sin, or the reason to even know the importance of what these terms mean. Many can't say the 10 commandments, don't know the four gospels, don't know the difference between Genesis, Psalms, or Matthew, fail to take time to pray daily or read Scripture daily. Surely one would not last in a secular job if he/she did not know any more about that job after 20 years of being employed. Yet too often we have persons in our churches who have attended for years and years who know no more now than when they joined the church. This the reason for so much decline in our churches, especially the mainline churches.
That's why we have worked so hard with these confirmation kids these past 13 weeks - to help them in their Christian growth. And to challenge and encourage them to continue to grow up in Christ, to mature in the faith. My grand kids are growing up so fast. I can see that growth each time I see them. Let it also be true for us as Christians, that each time we would be seen by others, they would know we are growing up in Christ. Let it be so Lord, let it be so!!
