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Let’s raise disciples
We should allow children to model Christ for us too Text by Amy Lindeman Allen Illustrations by Fran Lee
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hristian parents and caregivers have the difficult and blessed task of raising disciples. When
our children are baptized as infants, we profess our belief in their full and complete membership in the body of Christ from the start. We also promise to teach and
model what that means: to “bring them to the word of God and the holy supper, teach them the Lord’s Prayer, the Creed, and the Ten Com- mandments, place in their hands the holy scriptures, and nurture them in faith and prayer …” (Evangelical Lutheran Worship, page 228). Secular parenting calls this
“being the example.” If you want your child to read, let them see you read; to exercise, let them see you exercise; and so on. Te apostle Paul called it imitating Christ (1 Corin- thians 11:1). In either case, we know that children learn by imitating the adults in their lives. As both a pastor and parent, I
try to model discipleship. My chil- dren (7, 4 and 7 months) sit in the front pew with me every Sunday, not to mention all of the other fel- lowship and service opportunities that bring us to church. Te two older girls know when to sit and stand, how to fold their hands, and they even use fancy church words like “altar” and “hymnal.” Tey have been communing since they first reached for the bread, and the baby will too. When the bread and wine are liſted, I exclaim, “Tere’s Jesus!” and my children know he is present in their lives. But I’m not unique. Most parents,
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grand- parents and godpar- ents who make such baptismal vows really mean them. We tell our children about Jesus, take them to church and teach them to pray. We sing them songs like “Jesus Loves the Little Children” and, at our best, model this faithfulness in our lives. At the risk of self-congratulation,
until recently I felt I’d done a pretty good job teaching my young dis- ciples. Ten one morning as I was dressing my then 2-year-old for church, my false confidence came crashing down. My dear child par- roted my use of the word “church,” adding with all due severity, “Quiet voice!”
An example of decorum Somewhere along the way the intended message had been lost. Despite my careful planning and deliberate instructions, my toddler was learning that church was about
being quiet rather than about
being the body of Christ. And, I’m ashamed to admit, I know how it happened—aſter all, we are the example. Te sitting and standing, the
folded hands and impromptu expla- nations of the real presence come at a cost. In between this “good” church behavior are whispered lec- tures, confiscated toys and tottering toddlers on both hips. Sometimes we only make it to the “right” posi- tion in time for the last petition of a prayer. And that’s OK because we’re learning. But from our place in the front,
where the children can actually see what’s going on, I’ve also received a fair number of “looks.” Aſter a few well-intentioned reminders about the nursery and cry room when my second child hit the toddler phase, I
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