Hey folks! Our current unit in the kids curriculum is about the Apostle's Creed. We'll be in this unit until the beginning of Advent!
This week we’re going to talk about the resurrection of Jesus from the dead.
One of the great things about a specifically Anglican approach to theology is that our theological tradition has developed the capacity to distinguish between core theological issues, secondary theological issues, and tertiary theological issues. Some things are absolutely necessary to believe for a person’s belief to be discernibly “Christian,” while other things are important and debatable.
For example, there are different views on the ordination of women to the priesthood within the Anglican Communion around the world. Some believe that the Scriptures and the Tradition are clear in their prohibition of Women’s Ordination; others believe that the the Scriptures are not so clear and the Traditional justification for the restriction of the priesthood to men is problematic. Its an important point of difference and is not frivolous theological nit-picking. At the same time, neither position, however firmly held, suggests that one is no longer discernibly Christian. It is an obvious second order theological issue over which faithful Christians may disagree.
The resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, on the other hand, is right at the center of the Christian faith.
The Scriptures themselves are at pains to demonstrate this: if there is no resurrection of Christ from the dead, we are all wasting our time. Christianity ceases to be a meaningful account of the world if it is not an account dependent on the truthfulness and historicity of the dead body of Incarnate God rising to life again.
The resurrection of Jesus of Nazareth, understood as the first occurrence of a promised resurrection of all flesh (all to judgement, some to destruction, some to unending life) is the ground of Christian hope for the future.
There is plenty about the faith that is opaque, mysterious, “grey.” The resurrection, however, is one of our major points of clarity.
It means that sin and its consequences—death and the dis-integration of everything, including our flesh—is not the final word about the human story. It re-shapes everything about how we ought to think about and live our life, and at the last it is the thing that makes a life of self-giving love worth it. Pouring yourself out for the sake of God and neighbor is not a tragic waste of a life, because your death is not the end of it.
Scripture to consider:
John 3:16
John 20:1-18
1 Cor. 15:13-20
Questions for your kids
Why do you think it’s important that Jesus came back from the dead? (Hint: because it means we will come back from the dead too!)
Is Jesus alive now? Where do you think he is? (Hint: in heaven! We’ll talk about that next week)
Jesus made sure Mary went to tell “the others” about him. Do you think we should be like Mary? Why or why not?
Holy Imagination
Learning the faith isn't just about memorizing facts. It's about seeing the world as it really is: "charged with the grandeur of God."
This might just be my kids, but it seems to me that kids have a pretty potent imagination for "heaven."
Ask them what comes to mind when they think about "heaven" and "life everlasting." Remind them that heaven is about heaven "coming down," not some disembodied dream-state in the clouds. Invite them to wonder about what that will be like!
Peace,
Danny+