My Kids Aren’t in Sunday School

Last updated on: March 13, 2015 at 4:50 pm by Tony Jones

My Kids Aren’t in Sunday School 2015-03-13T16:50:10-05:00 Tony Jones

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

In thinking about Michael’s post yesterday, I was imagining what a difference it makes to my own children that they don’t go to Sunday school. They really never have. And I wonder, is that helping them or hurting them?

Growing up, I went to Sunday school, just about every week. I have some good memories of that, and I was raised in a moderate, centrist, thoughtful church. Nevertheless, it’s the very theology that I was taught in Sunday school from which I’ve had to disabuse myself for years now. At HBC, Bo offhandedly mentions this in a post,

There seems to be a recurring problem that is inherent to the traditional view – it is tough to get around the fact that the short story is a violent one.

What I call the “Short Story” goes like this: A short time ago (say 10,000 years) God created the world in a short period of time (6 days) and He (always ‘he’) will come back shortly (any day now) and set things right.

The short story comes from an elementary reading of both the first book and last book of the Bible that is unaware of the two different genres they were written in. It is a violent reading because (in English) it makes it look like God does what ever God wants – or shall we say – whatever God wills. God acts both unilaterally and coercively to bring about what God desires.

As a process theologian, Bo goes some places I don’t, but he makes a good point. The overarching story in which the entire biblical narrative is couched in even the most moderate Sunday school curricula is one that I find irrational and even dangerous.

For my own kids, they go to Solomon’s Porch one week (with Courtney and me) and Catholic mass the next (with their mom). In both cases, they sit in the adult worship environment — while there are Sunday school options at both churches, my children choose not to go. And in neither congregation is Sunday school the de facto choice that it was in my youth.

At Solomon’s Porch, Doug is wont to say that the Bible isn’t developmentally appropriate for children, and I tend to agree. On the other hand, I can imagine the Israelites sitting around campfires and telling their children the stories of their ancestors. I don’t want to shield my children from the raw honesty and humanity of these stories.

But neither do I want someone else — i.e., a Sunday school teacher — interpreting the stories of the Bible for my children. I want to do that myself. Sadly, I don’t do it enough.

Do your kids go to Sunday school? Has that been good or bad?

christianity in america

church

family

parenting

Previous Post

July 24, 2012

Going to Sri Lanka

Next Post

July 25, 2012 Now Chik-fil-A Is Pretending To Be a Bible-Quoting Teenage Girl

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category bible blogging books christianity in america church church history dissertation divorce Dog Training education emergent church essay family funny glbt jopa productions ministry minnesota movies music parenting philosophy politics Prayer publishing Questions That Haunt random same sex marriage speaking spirituality Teaching technology television theology Travels Uncategorized writing youth ministry

Select a Month January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 September 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012 April 2012 March 2012 February 2012 January 2012 December 2011 November 2011 October 2011 September 2011 August 2011 July 2011 June 2011 May 2011 April 2011 March 2011 February 2011 January 2011 December 2010 November 2010 October 2010 September 2010 August 2010 July 2010 June 2010 May 2010 April 2010 March 2010 February 2010 January 2010 December 2009 November 2009 October 2009 September 2009 August 2009 July 2009 June 2009 May 2009 April 2009 March 2009 February 2009 January 2009 December 2008 November 2008 October 2008 September 2008 August 2008 July 2008 June 2008 May 2008 April 2008 March 2008 February 2008 January 2008 December 2007 November 2007 October 2007 September 2007 August 2007 July 2007 June 2007 May 2007 April 2007 March 2007 February 2007 January 2007 December 2006 November 2006 October 2006 September 2006 August 2006 June 2006 May 2006 March 2006 February 2006 January 2006 December 2005 November 2005 October 2005 September 2005 August 2005 June 2005 April 2005 March 2005 February 2005 January 2005 December 2004 November 2004 October 2004 August 2004 February 2004 January 2004

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

Who saw the Lord high and lifted up, with the train of his robe filling the temple?

Select your answer to see how you score.

Jeremiah Ezekiel Isaiah Daniel