Sunday School

Blessed are the Sunday School Teachers

“Then He (Jesus) took a little child. Mark 9:36

Nearly six decades ago Sunday morning meant a sleep in after a big day Saturday roaming the hills with my dog. In the winter we would dig up rabbits (and anything else that took his fancy) and in the dry weather before summer I would try to burn the hill. We achieved some success with both keeping rabbit on the menu and the volunteer fire service rehearsed for the approaching summer.

Sunday we went to church at 11:00am and Sunday School in the afternoon at 3:00. About all I remember now from the church services is that I frequently got into a giggle in the back row of seats. Mum played the organ and Dad often led the service so we were often on our own. When the circuit minister came (about four times a year) he would usually create a chalk drawing on paper while speaking. I don’t recall anything he, or any other preacher, said.

Sunday School was play time. I remember having class under the olive trees and throwing olives at children in another class. I don’t recall anything of lesson content. That I don’t remember does not mean that God’s word did not soak in through the efforts of faithful teachers. Anniversaries were great times but I don’t recall any of the special messages but I do remember the songs and hymns we sang on those occasions because we rehearsed so much.

In those years I did learn that there was a God who could be known. I learned that the Bible was His Word. I gained sensitivity to right and wrong that in my teen years I thought a curse but was in reality God’s restraining hand. The Bible stories faithfully taught, but not well remembered, had done a good work in my heart so that I could not sin without having to fight my conscience.

These are some of the reasons why I believe it is imperative that children hear who God is and what He has done through Jesus Christ as early as possible. Of course we would hope that they would be more receptive and understanding than I was. Since He was able to get hold of me we know that He can get hold of anyone.

Sunday School teachers must be among the most blessed of God when they teach His word faithfully to children. I have heard or read the testimony of many people who attribute their Sunday School teacher as having a significant influence on them coming to Jesus Christ.

One would think that the seventh Beatitude includes Sunday School teachers: “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God” (Matthew 5:9). Through their faithful teaching of God’s word many children have entered Christ’s kingdom. Truly they are blessed as they make peace, and reconcile children to Jesus Christ.

Send Me … Please!

“The things that you have heard … commit these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also.”

When in my teens I was asked to teach Sunday School. As I remember it the qualifications were that I was old enough and had been taught in Sunday School most of my life. At the time I believed that I was a Christian but I later discovered that I wasn’t. I knew nothing of Biblical requirements to teach others. I was given a class of boys about 10 years younger than myself. One of those boys was my brother. He knew me at home, at play and something of my social life. We didn’t get along at all. Perhaps he saw what Jesus saw in the Pharisees, “they say, and do not.”

That church was careless in the selection process for a Sunday School teacher and those boys may bear a terrible outcome. To this date, decades on, my brother is quite indifferent to the Gospel.

Not having been born of God I was easily attracted to the things of the world. I was out late three or four nights each week and very late Saturday night. It wasn’t unusual for me to role up at Sunday School to teach my class with no preparation and only a few hours sleep. As I reflect on that now I am absolutely mortified.

In the two or three years that I lived like this my role was never reviewed and no one ever spoke to me about the way I lived. Not only my own brother but several other boys suffered. Their parents may have thought their sons were receiving faithful Biblical teaching.

This has been a perpetual lesson to me ever since I received Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour. The church had the responsibility to ensure that the sons and daughters of the church were being taught by faithful men and women. If we fail this, we fail our children in a most awful way. I sometimes wonder if any of the parents of the boys I taught have wondered why their sons did not follow the Lord.

We need to be sure that the children of our church are receiving faithful teaching from godly people. This is not just the responsibility of parents but the whole church family.

Please be in prayer concerning who the Lord would have teach our children in Sunday School and please let Him know that you are available for Him to ask should He wish to do so.

Only faithful men and women can train others to become faithful men and women.