Whew. So my children, three of them, heard the teacher say “be still and sit very quietly and think of all the good things God has given you.” They all claim they were asked to shut their eyes, that this was read off a paper. They also said it went on for five minutes at the time when they give offering. I told this to a friend who took charge and talked with the teacher who said she did not read it off the paper, and she did this on her own accord. She says she asked the children to pray silently and not to “keep thinking” while being still. So, now my friend thinks I’ve focused on this issue too much and my kids are hyper sensitive. My kids, by the way, all three of them, warned those who were around them that this seemed a lot like meditation and they didn’t like it. Soon, I’m sure, we may be hearing from parents of these kids.
So, did it happen the way my three little children ages 11, 9, and 8 describe, or did it happen the way the teacher said it did to my friend? I don’t know. I love this teacher by the way, we’ve had discussions, and I’ve witnessed her teach many times as I’ve been right there. She’s always right on as far as I remember. Maybe this was an honest mistake??? Not sure. All I know is that if my boys came to me with this story I might think they could have missed a detail. My daughter on the other hand is usually very careful to try to tell things as accurately as possible. No, she’s not perfect, but she is one I trust. They assure me prayer was not mentioned, there was no “amen” outloud. The kids may have been asked to pray silently, but my three children all missed that command. They brought the subject up to me because I had asked them to tell me what happened if they were ever told to sit quietly or “be still.” I know my children were paying attention.
Onto other fronts, my husband brought up some issues with an elder (he considers this man to be a mentor). This elder is a giver, a big teddy bear of a guy. My husband was told today the same kinds of lines we’ve heard from the other elder. He didn’t perceive the “bible police” statement to mean anything but to be loving when confronting others. He says the P.E.A.C.E. plan of Warren’s is a method our church is using to make efforts more effective. We are to “give hope” also and to serve the needy physically not just spiritually. He then said to my husband that he would be recommending him for elder as “if you want change, you can do it most effectively in this church as an elder.” Not sure what to make of that.
I am a C...I am a CH...I am a CHRISTIAN 