Sunday, January 10, 2010
9:59 PM | Posted by
Unknown
Elaine (my wife) and I were talking today as we went to church, about the new manuals for Priesthood Quorums and the Relief Society sisters. Instead of the teachings of the prophets, which we have had for the past eight years, we have the Gospel Principles manual.
I told Elaine that I was worried about what the teachers around the Church would do with this new manual. Many of the members of the Church have never even attended a Gospel Principles class. I know that when I was first asked to teach the class I was at a loss as to what to say. The lessons were so short that I was afraid that there would be no way of filling up the time allotted to us in Sunday School.
It took me a while to finally realize that I was no longer thinking like a new member of the Church. My head was so full of doctrine that I had forgotten the wonder new converts feel about the simplest parts of Christ's gospel message. That is what the whole Church needs to find this year, a new sense of wonder at the power of Christ's role in our lives.
The first two lessons are on the existence of God and the nature of God. Both of these lessons, so simple in design and content, fly in the face of all the worldly beliefs that there is no god of any kind, unless it is us, ourselves, which is shameless. To be able to bear testimony that I know there is a God, and that not only does He love me, but that He is keenly aware of everything I do, is a marvel in and of itself. Then, next week, we talk about the nature of God, and how he is the father of our spirits, how we lived with Him before coming to earth, and how we can, through Christ's atonement, become like Him and live with Him for all eternity. I will be curious to see if our instructors will be able to see past the casual verbiage and see the lesson for the marvel that it is.
If there is one thing I have learned in my time as a teacher of Gospel Principles, it is this, that the gospel of Christ holds power in every detail. What part of His atoning sacrifice is not essential to our eternal wellbeing? Is there any part of the great plan of happiness laid out by our Father in Heaven that we would be willing to toss as a thing of naught? I think not.
This year's course of study holds many promises of revelatory delight. I just hope we can all find them as we search for the true appreciation of all the simple messages God has given to us.
I told Elaine that I was worried about what the teachers around the Church would do with this new manual. Many of the members of the Church have never even attended a Gospel Principles class. I know that when I was first asked to teach the class I was at a loss as to what to say. The lessons were so short that I was afraid that there would be no way of filling up the time allotted to us in Sunday School.
It took me a while to finally realize that I was no longer thinking like a new member of the Church. My head was so full of doctrine that I had forgotten the wonder new converts feel about the simplest parts of Christ's gospel message. That is what the whole Church needs to find this year, a new sense of wonder at the power of Christ's role in our lives.
The first two lessons are on the existence of God and the nature of God. Both of these lessons, so simple in design and content, fly in the face of all the worldly beliefs that there is no god of any kind, unless it is us, ourselves, which is shameless. To be able to bear testimony that I know there is a God, and that not only does He love me, but that He is keenly aware of everything I do, is a marvel in and of itself. Then, next week, we talk about the nature of God, and how he is the father of our spirits, how we lived with Him before coming to earth, and how we can, through Christ's atonement, become like Him and live with Him for all eternity. I will be curious to see if our instructors will be able to see past the casual verbiage and see the lesson for the marvel that it is.
If there is one thing I have learned in my time as a teacher of Gospel Principles, it is this, that the gospel of Christ holds power in every detail. What part of His atoning sacrifice is not essential to our eternal wellbeing? Is there any part of the great plan of happiness laid out by our Father in Heaven that we would be willing to toss as a thing of naught? I think not.
This year's course of study holds many promises of revelatory delight. I just hope we can all find them as we search for the true appreciation of all the simple messages God has given to us.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
0 comments:
Post a Comment