In the book of Joshua, the Lord supernaturally intercedes and allows His people to cross an overflowing Jordan River by using the ark of the covenant to stop the river from flowing. Following this incredible miracle, He instructs His people to grab twelve stones from the dry riverbed as a testament to future generations of the miracle He had done. Today, we’ll unpack what this means and how we can adopt the same idea with our own children.
Passing Down the Faith
There are lots of ways we can talk about this portion of Scripture and what it means for passing down the faith. The Israelites were obedient to God’s prompting for the benefit of their children and their children’s children and all generations. So much great depth is found in Joshua 3 and 4.
There are many places where we have “memorial stones” of our own—things or places that remind us of God’s faithfulness. Our churches have symbols, statues, and elements that are meant to engage our senses to remember Christ. From our own lives, there are specific places that were impactful to our faith journeys. In our own families, we have items of faith heritage that have been lovingly passed down through the generations. I invite you to think about how you can use these things to point back to Christ’s faithfulness.
Church Scavenger Hunt
Does your church have any special items in it? I’m certain it does. Recently, my church family used a “sanctuary scavenger hunt” to teach our young children and families about the memorial stones in our local context. We walked around, pointing out crosses in the stained glass, discussing our baptismal font, and talking about our altar and some paraments, which came from another church that closed and folded into our flock. What story does your sanctuary tell?
It doesn’t have to solely be things that clearly are meant to evoke thoughts of Jesus. Many of the families we walked with started on that altar. Three generations of one family were baptized at that font. One couple had met in confirmation and been married in this church. Others found community in sitting on the far left side with other families. We talked about God’s hand in their lives flowing from this place. What memories do you have of God’s love shown by your local congregation?
Cherished Books
Coming from a nonreligious family, I will always treasure the books people gifted me that they thought would be impactful to my faith walk. The friend that gifted me my first real Bible will be thanked in my prayers forever. And I still cherish and am grateful for the storybook of selected biblical narratives that was my introduction to God’s Word prior.
With my own children, I plan to make it a milestone celebration when they outgrow their storybook Bibles and get their new “mature” Bibles. As your children grow physically, spiritually, and intellectually, different children’s Bibles can nurture them every step of the way.
For little ones, you can start with a highly visual Bible like My First Bible Storybook. As your children begin to learn phonics, they can read along with The Hear Me Read Bible and graduate to resources like The Growing in Faith Bible, The Growing in Faith Bible Storybook, or The Story Bible. As they head toward middle school, give them their first full ESV Bible text with the Faith Alive Student Bible or even a compact version of The Lutheran Study Bible in their favorite color.
Think through this for your own family. Where are the moments where you can walk alongside and celebrate new stages of their faith journey? It doesn’t just have to be Baptism, confirmation, and high school graduation. Think outside the box!
Celebrating Baptismal Memories
Many readers of this will likely not remember their baptismal day. They won’t recall being dressed in white, being passed from their mother or father to the pastor, or feeling the cool water on their forehead. Instead, there will be other physical items to remind them of the miracle of their own Baptism.
My husband’s family has a white blanket that all of his siblings and now the next generation have been covered in while being baptized. Seeing that blanket and remembering its use at each family Baptism is a great reminder of how much bigger our heavenly family will be! My grandmother knit our daughters’ baptismal gown without knowing that it wouldn’t be used for a quarter of a century. Are there items used at your Baptism that you can show or use again? Maybe this month it’s time to dust them off to tell the story of your Baptism!
During the rite of Baptism found in Lutheran Service Book, the congregation offers a baptismal candle to the new member of God’s kingdom. It states,
Receive this burning light to show you have received Christ who is the Light of the world. Live always in the light of Christ, and be ever watchful for His coming, that you may meet Him with joy and enter with Him into the marriage feast of the Lamb in His kingdom, which shall have no end. (P. 271)
Many of these candles are beautifully crafted, and children may feels like “Oh no—this is my special candle that I don’t want to ruin!” But you can’t take a candle to heaven! Light the candle, remember these words, and bask in the glow of the One who was present at your Baptism, is with you now, and will be forever.
Quotation taken from Lutheran Service Book © 2006 Concordia Publishing House. All rights reserved.
Use narratives of God’s faithfulness in the Old Testament to remember our faith heritage in this month’s Everyday Faith Calendar.
