A Parent’s Debt
Sermon
Doors To God
SPECIAL OCCASION SERMONS
First Sunday in Family Week
Most parents try to pay their debts to their children. They try to do the best for their children. Yet what parent would say, 'There is no way for me to improve.'?
What do parents owe their children? In writing to the church in Rome Paul said, 'Owe no one anything, except to love one another.' Parents can dominate their children’s lives. They can over-indulge their children. But can they love, that is seek the good of a child, too much? That is one debt never paid, the debt of love. What parents owe their children is love.
Parents owe their children love by caring for their physical needs. In a museum in Chicago one wing houses a display of the story of humankind. One of the first scenes depicts a cave family. In the foreground is the hunch-backed cave father. He is dressing an animal he has killed for the family to eat. Inside the cave is the naked mother with long, stringy black hair and an animal-like face. She is nursing the baby. Here is a symbol of a family caring for each other’s physical needs. That is the basis of all family life.
Among the physical needs of children are those for food, air, water, clothing, shelter, exercise, rest, cleanliness, medical attention and play.
Parents also owe it to their children to love them by caring for their emotional needs. Parents owe their children a sense of achievement. Children need to feel that they are important. They need to feel that what they do is important. Parents more than anyone else can give children this feeling.
Parents owe their children encouragement to develop their minds. They owe their children frank, honest sex education. When questions are asked, they should be answered truthfully and naturally. Reproduction is understood in the Christian home as an experience of love which represents the common bond of the family. Parents owe their children some good books in their home.
Parents owe their children freedom. All parents must learn to cut the 'apron strings.' They need to let their offspring fly from the nest, test their wings and take some of the hard knocks that come with those experiences.
Among the emotional needs of children are a sense of achievement, encouragement to development, freedom, acceptance and control. What they do not need, and what seldom does any good, is nagging and scolding.
Parents owe their children love by caring for their religious needs. They do not owe their children narrowness, fanaticism, restraints on having clean fun, or too much talk about religion. These tend to drive children away from genuine religious experiences.
How can a family live its religion? One way to start is through family prayers. For prayer it is important to have a quiet time. Some families find this time in the evening and others find it at the breakfast table. Some families have a short service one night each week when they light candles and have songs and prayers together.
Another way to build religion in a home is through reading the Bible together. Wise parents choose stories from the Bible which their children can understand. Early they teach their children some of the great passages from the Bible, such as the Lord’s Prayer, the Ten Commandments, the Twenty-third Psalm, the Beatitudes, and First Corinthians, Chapter Thirteen. With radio, television and records available to the modern parent, the Bible can be the most fascinating book in family life.
Family experiences can be explained religiously. Birthdays, holidays, weddings, graduations, new jobs, family moves -- all may be occasions for teaching religion.
In who a child’s parent are and how they love, the child finds his or her richest lessons in religion. If the source is authentic, the child learns from the parents to love God and to 'owe no one anything, except to love one another.' The way to Christian parenthood is through love which seeks the good of the child.
Parents build something more important than skyscrapers, automobiles, or bridges. They build human lives. The constructive way to accomplish that task is through love.
Prayer
Our God, in whose fellowship is known the best that we have known in our families, we praise You. We adore You not only as the Creator and sustainer of nature and history but also as our heavenly Parent in whose care we are secure.
We thank You, O God, for families. For the experience of eating, working, playing, sharing, and worshiping together we have had with our families we are grateful. We thank You for our parents as well as for the other members of our families who have gladdened and enriched our lives.
Forgive us for the resentments we have borne toward people in our families. Enable us to accept ourselves and those with whom we live as we are accepted by You.
Grant guidance to all who are attempting in these days to build Christian homes. Guide our children to maturity as strong Christian people. Strengthen our youth to resist the temptations that come to them. Assist and inspire parents as they seek to fulfill their responsibilities. Grant the ability to older people whose families are grown to enjoy the fruits of their labors. Equip those who have little family life to find friendships elsewhere which will enrich their lives.
We surrender our family lives to You with our personal lives as living sacrifices in token of Your Lordship over all of life; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen
Most parents try to pay their debts to their children. They try to do the best for their children. Yet what parent would say, 'There is no way for me to improve.'?
What do parents owe their children? In writing to the church in Rome Paul said, 'Owe no one anything, except to love one another.' Parents can dominate their children’s lives. They can over-indulge their children. But can they love, that is seek the good of a child, too much? That is one debt never paid, the debt of love. What parents owe their children is love.
Parents owe their children love by caring for their physical needs. In a museum in Chicago one wing houses a display of the story of humankind. One of the first scenes depicts a cave family. In the foreground is the hunch-backed cave father. He is dressing an animal he has killed for the family to eat. Inside the cave is the naked mother with long, stringy black hair and an animal-like face. She is nursing the baby. Here is a symbol of a family caring for each other’s physical needs. That is the basis of all family life.
Among the physical needs of children are those for food, air, water, clothing, shelter, exercise, rest, cleanliness, medical attention and play.
Parents also owe it to their children to love them by caring for their emotional needs. Parents owe their children a sense of achievement. Children need to feel that they are important. They need to feel that what they do is important. Parents more than anyone else can give children this feeling.
Parents owe their children encouragement to develop their minds. They owe their children frank, honest sex education. When questions are asked, they should be answered truthfully and naturally. Reproduction is understood in the Christian home as an experience of love which represents the common bond of the family. Parents owe their children some good books in their home.
Parents owe their children freedom. All parents must learn to cut the 'apron strings.' They need to let their offspring fly from the nest, test their wings and take some of the hard knocks that come with those experiences.
Among the emotional needs of children are a sense of achievement, encouragement to development, freedom, acceptance and control. What they do not need, and what seldom does any good, is nagging and scolding.
Parents owe their children love by caring for their religious needs. They do not owe their children narrowness, fanaticism, restraints on having clean fun, or too much talk about religion. These tend to drive children away from genuine religious experiences.
How can a family live its religion? One way to start is through family prayers. For prayer it is important to have a quiet time. Some families find this time in the evening and others find it at the breakfast table. Some families have a short service one night each week when they light candles and have songs and prayers together.
Another way to build religion in a home is through reading the Bible together. Wise parents choose stories from the Bible which their children can understand. Early they teach their children some of the great passages from the Bible, such as the Lord’s Prayer, the Ten Commandments, the Twenty-third Psalm, the Beatitudes, and First Corinthians, Chapter Thirteen. With radio, television and records available to the modern parent, the Bible can be the most fascinating book in family life.
Family experiences can be explained religiously. Birthdays, holidays, weddings, graduations, new jobs, family moves -- all may be occasions for teaching religion.
In who a child’s parent are and how they love, the child finds his or her richest lessons in religion. If the source is authentic, the child learns from the parents to love God and to 'owe no one anything, except to love one another.' The way to Christian parenthood is through love which seeks the good of the child.
Parents build something more important than skyscrapers, automobiles, or bridges. They build human lives. The constructive way to accomplish that task is through love.
Prayer
Our God, in whose fellowship is known the best that we have known in our families, we praise You. We adore You not only as the Creator and sustainer of nature and history but also as our heavenly Parent in whose care we are secure.
We thank You, O God, for families. For the experience of eating, working, playing, sharing, and worshiping together we have had with our families we are grateful. We thank You for our parents as well as for the other members of our families who have gladdened and enriched our lives.
Forgive us for the resentments we have borne toward people in our families. Enable us to accept ourselves and those with whom we live as we are accepted by You.
Grant guidance to all who are attempting in these days to build Christian homes. Guide our children to maturity as strong Christian people. Strengthen our youth to resist the temptations that come to them. Assist and inspire parents as they seek to fulfill their responsibilities. Grant the ability to older people whose families are grown to enjoy the fruits of their labors. Equip those who have little family life to find friendships elsewhere which will enrich their lives.
We surrender our family lives to You with our personal lives as living sacrifices in token of Your Lordship over all of life; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen
