If you could be a fly on the wall in the average 19th century American
home, you wouldn’t see modern technology, but you would see something
startling: family devotions. Almost unknown and forgotten today,
parent-led Bible education was the norm not so long ago. Fathers usually
led family devotions, often using only a Bible, although some families
also owned a catechism, The Book of Common Prayer and hymnals.
We can follow the examples from textbooks that our ancestors used, such
as McGuffey Readers, which seamlessly incorporated Bible teaching into
daily lessons in all subjects. How? Via free Internet resources such as
this excerpt from a 19th century history text:
“The Bible and the institutions of Christianity are with us, and are
presenting to us all the blessings which religion can impart . . . Let
but the spirit, the practical wisdom, the religious integrity of the
first planters of our soil, prevail among rulers and subjects-let God be acknowledged, by giving that place to his word and institutions which
they claim-and all these blessings are ours.
. . . yes, happy is that people whose God is the Lord.”-A History of the
United States of America, page 296, 19th Century Textbooks
Here.
In the manner of our ancestors, we can begin seeking God’s kingdom in
our own home. We can practice family devotions at any time, but it makes
sense to associate it with eating, rising in the morning and bedtime,
since we do these things every day. Our Lord said, “Man shall not live
by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of
God.” (Matthew 4:4)
We teach our children best by our example of how we use our time, to
value those activities which mean the most to us. A simple, sincere
prayer before meals and a brief Bible reading after dinner can be a
start. To add interest, you could listen to audio-visual Bible
resources. Many families (including ours!) can focus on eating together
at the table more often, if that has been a problem. After a short Bible
passage, parents can ask simple, open-ended questions, such as “What do
you think that Bible verse means?” or “How does that apply today?” As a
family, consider using supplemental resources such as concordances and
Bible handbooks, to help understand any difficult verses.
Don’t feel pressured. You don’t need resources you can’t afford. Seek
out inexpensive resources that integrate Bible teaching into everyday
life and that recognize the Bible as the preeminent authority. First,
consider using materials from your church library and denominational
resources. In our throwaway society, it’s easy to find inexpensive or
even free Bible resources. In the past, our family has used free daily
devotionals (such as Daylights, gccweb.org/gcc/daylights), Bible study/
apologetics books (Don’t Check Your Brains at the Door by Josh
McDowell), and Bible story books (The Bedtime Bible Story Book by Jesse
Lyman Hurlbut). At a thrift shop, we purchased a second hand copy of The
Story of the Christian Church (copyright 1933), by Jesse Lyman Hurlbut,
and we’ve found numerous Bible resources at dollar stores, library
discard sales, and even garage sales.
Although free and inexpensive resources abound, you can afford to be
picky. Mary Pride’s Big Book of Home Learning can help you evaluate
Bible and character-building resources. Look for materials that you can
use with all ages in your household, and for more than one subject. For
instance, you might want to practice writing Bible verses for
handwriting.
Avoid Bible study programs that require extensive preparation time, as
they may cause discouragement. Seek resources that complement your
teaching style and your child’s learning style. Do you like to teach
using visual aids such as Biblical movies, hands on materials like
dot-to-dot coloring activities, or do you prefer just reading out loud
with question and answer formats? Do your children learn best when they
can move to an mp3 Bible lesson, or do they like to sit and listen to
their parents read? It pays to tailor your lesson to your learner, and
look for teachable moments that make learning memorable.
The Internet offers an inexhaustible source of Bible resources. Here are
just a few to try:
As much as possible, show-don’t tell, especially when you’re teaching
young children. The Bible often uses the concrete to illustrate the
spiritual and abstract. The Old Testament practice of circumcision and
the New Testament ceremony of foot washing are two examples. You can
hold concrete objects in your hands, feel that they are real, smell them
(in the case of foot washing!), and gradually internalize a deeper
spiritual truth. A Bible comic book, puzzle, board game, or computer
game (such as Captain Bible) can make memorizing verses fun. Hands on
resources can also help keep little hands occupied during family
devotions, if that is a challenge. Materials like 20 Bible Verses Every
Child Should Know, a book/CD set published by Focus On the Family, helps
young hearers memorize Bible verses. Strengthen hands-on learning with
auditory methods, such as a song or a rhyme.
God’s Words to Live By offers full chapters of the Bible put to music.
Holidays and vacations present golden opportunities to demonstrate to
your children what matters to your family. Bring a CD or mp3 player and
listen to Bible memory resources on trips. Find more ideas in books such
as Thanksgiving Unit Study CD-ROM by Amanda Bennett, and A Family Guide
to Biblical Holidays: with Activities for All Ages by Robin Sampson and
Linda Pierce. We can learn the Biblical view of holidays such as All
Saint’s Day, Thanksgiving, Christmas, Easter, National Day of Prayer,
and other religions (see World Religions Made Easy: An
Easy-to-Understand Pocket Reference Guide by Mark Water). Books such as
James Dobson’s Christ in Christmas: A Family Advent Celebration focus on
the spiritual meaning for Christian holidays, and can help families
downplay secular, materialistic overtones.
If we spend time praying and reading the Bible as a family, our children
understand that means more to us than if we spent the same amount of
time attending sporting events, playing video games or using the
Internet. Not to say that we can’t teach our children about the Bible,
wherever we go. We can use the Internet as a family Bible study
resource, and a concordance as a guide to Bible unit studies. For
instance, before a sporting event, you might search for words pertaining
to sports such as “strong,” “fast,” and “weak.” What does the Bible say
about sportsmanship? Is winning really everything? We can spend time as
a family praying about those activities which we deem worthy of our time
and efforts. Involve all the children, as much as they are able. Older
children who are reading independently can take turns reading Bible
passages, and even young ones can repeat short Bible verses.
You may even celebrate informal family communion, worship, and
devotionals with friends and family. Consider reaching out and
ministering to other families in your neighborhood; host a backyard
Bible club through Child Evangelism Fellowship. Child Evangelism
Fellowship also offers free and inexpensive Bible courses through their
website.
Deuteronomy 6:5-7 tells us that “You shall love the LORD your God with
all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength. And
these words which I command you today shall be in your heart. You shall
teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you
sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when
you rise up.” This command is addressed to all of us, not just to
pastors or Sunday school teachers. If we make family devotions a natural
part of our every-day life, our faith can endure to the next generation
and beyond.
Melissa L. Morgan is the co-author of Educational Travel on a Shoestring and Homeschooling on a Shoestring.
With her husband, Hugh, she has homeschooled their three children from
birth, taking advantage of many educational opportunities in the real
world. She invites you to visit her website here.
