Basics

Eat well, exercise, get enough sleep, and practice discipleship

Posted on October 30, 2014April 27, 2017 by Carol Hulbert

It is easy to understand why Jesus assembled a crew of special disciples. Jesus needed help!

Enter, the Super Disciples!

These were not just average, I-like-the-sound-of-what-you-are-preaching, admirers. Jesus invited his apprentice good-news-broadcasters to come, follow me; become my students.

Fairly early in his ministry, they were called to receive basic training in Super Discipleship.

These selected followers saw it firsthand: God was up to something big! Here was a belief system that changed how you looked at everything! Transformed lives! And though they stumbled at times, Jesus’ disciples ended up doing an admirable job of spreading the good news about Christ, especially once they had the Holy Spirit.

Today Jesus still needs disciples to work at transforming the world. What about us?

Are we ho-hum fans, or are we Super-D disciples of Jesus?

It shouldn’t be a surprise that we need to work at becoming the latter.
How? It’s just like learning to play an instrument: we practice!

But how does one practice becoming this sort of committed disciple?

Here are some thoughts to ponder in forming a disciple-practice-plan:

Gather your family — how about around the dinner table? Read some of the stories of Jesus “calling” his disciples – fishermen, a tax collector, and others. Note that sometimes eventual followers were skeptical at first. Are we allowed to wonder at the mystery of what God is up to? You bet!
Next, discuss with your family what the difference is between an everyday follower and an in-it-for-the-long-run disciple like Peter and Matthew and James and John? How would it look if your family just “said” you were Jesus-followers vs. acted like you meant it? Would anything change or are you on that path now? Would you have to give something up? Is being a disciple of Christ one more thing to add to our to-do list? Or is it a new way of living?
According to your definition of a “Super Disciple,” tell stories of when you encountered someone like that. What was it that made that person memorable? What could you emulate? Perhaps you could invite a voted-upon Super D to share a supper with you?
Discuss which of these areas need your focus:
  On-going Christian education (not just for the kids!)
  Worshiping together as a family.
  Celebrating Communion together as a family.
  Regular Bible reading and prayer.
  Participation in mission to others.

The Rule of Discipleship: Worship, Devotion, Compassion & Justice

As United Methodist followers of Jesus’ teachings, we are guided in our quest to be Super Disciples by what is called “The General Rule of Discipleship” which is described in The Book of Discipline of The United Methodist Church as: following Christ “through acts of compassion, justice, worship, and devotion under the guidance of the Holy Spirit.”

This means we practice being disciples by inward, life-giving means such as worship and “devotion” (prayer and Bible study), and by outward participation in God’s mission for the world: seeking justice and having compassion for others.

Pastor Nancy Lynn told us about this in a sermon she preached at FUMC on September 7, 2014, saying: “These four acts reflect that our journey of faith is personal as well as social, private as well as public, inward as well as outward. And to grow and be healthy, we need balance between them.”

A person who commits to practicing can become a Super Disciple. How are you practicing discipleship?

Photo credits:
A Super Disciple! was altered from an image by Jam Zhang, who licensed this photo on Flickr under a Creative Commons License.
The Rule of Discipleship symbol © 2014, The General Board of Discipleship of The United Methodist Church. Used with permission.

You have a hand in this

Posted on October 9, 2014May 17, 2015 by Carol Hulbert

A bunch of gifts were handed out recently. Do you suppose that giving a gift will ensure that it gets used?

The 3rd graders and their families receive a new Bible during worship

Oh, if it were that easy!

Even the presentation of these Bibles was special. Will that do it? Will the memory of feeling significant and engaging in an unconventional ceremony remind those kids to pick it up and open it’s pages?

I doubt it.

Let’s review how it went (for an excuse to show the pictures) and then, we’ll talk about how to ensure your new Bible is used.

This gift was wrapped in several layers of paper – each layer having significance, which was revealed, as each layer was peeled back, during the class that happened after these Bibles were received.

The first layer was bright wrapping paper. After all, these Bibles were gifts from the congregation. And really, the Bible can be considered a gift from God! A gift giving us this picture: God is actively involved with his creation, and wants a relationship with us!

The second layer is ordinary brown wrapping paper! This old-looking wrapper reminds everyone that this is a book of very old stories; stories that have been told for thousands of years. Some of the stories are so old they were told even before people knew how to write! That is pretty old!

Ah, but we can always ask ourselves: What is God saying to me, here and now?

The next layer is the funny pages! The comics tell stories. So does the Bible. We should always ask ourselves: why did people think this story was so important that it must be written down?

The next layer? It was gold paper, representing treasure. The Bible is a treasure more valuable than gold! Even gold cannot buy what we can learn from the Bible. And even more golden: In it’s pages you see that God is up to something big!

Finally! We are at the last layer – a blanket of fresh white paper. This layer represents a new start — growth. Adding to your understanding of who God is and how he wants us to “see that justice is done, let mercy be your first concern, and humbly obey your God” (Micah 6:8).

And the final layer comes off… to revel the Bible!

And the digging in starts…


She knows the quick way to find the New Testament!	Look at all of the special notes!

They’ve opened up the Bible! How can you be sure this happens frequently?

Set aside a time every day to read it. Make it a habit. You read books to your kids everyday, how about including the Bible in the line up? Or perhaps pull it out at the dinner table. Readers can take turns with a verse or two.
Take it with when you’re going someplace where there will be time to read.
How about encouragement from a non-family member? Ask one of the third graders (or any kid) when you greet each other in church: “What interesting thing did you learn from your Bible this week?”
Subscribe (up at the top, on the right when viewing the blog page) to receive an email every time there is a new post (which will generally include a new idea to use your Bible).

We have hope that our children will read the Bible, not to read a book of rules, but to discover and connect with God! What are your ideas for ensuring the Bible is opened?

Photo credits:
Photos are from my archives.

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God chose David; God chooses you

Posted on September 26, 2014September 27, 2019 by Carol Hulbert

“He is the one.”

Samuel distinctly heard God say the words. In a flourish, Samuel uncorked the animal horn; the one he had so carefully carried all the way to Bethlehem; the horn that held the olive oil. Not for cooking! No, this oil would be used in a sacred ceremony.

We are not told what words accompanied the pouring of oil on David’s head, but we do know the significance of this action: this “anointing” signified assignment of a special task. David had been chosen by God to be the next king of Israel!

What do you suppose the family dinner table conversation sounded like that night? It could have gone something like this…

Jesse (David’s father): … I was very surprised at how it all turned out!

Eliab (Jesse’s oldest son): I realize that it was God doing the choosing and all, but it was unnerving! As we all approached, Samuel kept muttering, “The Lord hasn’t chosen him…”

Jesse: Please pass the bread.

Abinadab (Jesse’s 2nd son): All seven of us…one by one… nixed!

Shammah (Jesse’s 3rd son): When Samuel asked you, “Are there any others?” I thought to myself, “what does he mean? All of us kingly-handsome, nice-and-strong sons are right in front of you!”

David was an unlikely candidate for king. He was a downright surprise candidate! After all, boy-David — who was probably 10 to 15 years old — hadn’t even been initially invited to visit with the prophet Samuel. Nope; small-fry-David was sent to tend sheep.

So why did God choose David?

Because God looks at the inside character of people. (See 1 Samuel 16:7c)
And God liked what he saw.

God decided that David was a man after God’s own heart.

A man after God’s own heart? What’s that mean?

Let’s back up in our Bible story. We know that God was in search of a replacement for Israel’s current king, Saul. Saul had started off as an okay king, but then he turned away from God. The prophet Samuel reported on the consequences for Saul:

You have not kept the Lord’s commands. Your kingly rule is falling to pieces. God is out looking for your replacement; he is looking for someone after his own heart. (Translation of 1 Samuel 13:14).

Of course “heart” in this case doesn’t mean the organ that pumps our blood. (You might know this but what about the youngsters around you? Explain it as: The Bible uses “heart” meaning our inner thoughts and feelings; the part of us where we wrestle with life, where we check it out inside.)

God was looking for someone who had a “heart” just like his!

Someone who…

Cares about the same stuff that God cherishes;
Is humble; empties themselves so they are not focused on their own plans and agenda;
Admits to their wrongs and keeps on turning to God for forgiveness, for guidance and for help.

And do you know what?

God believes that this describes your heart!

God thinks of you as someone who has potential! As someone who displays admirable inside character. You are the one! Chosen by God!

You are a person after God’s own heart.

Who? Me?

Yes you! We do not have to be “perfect” to be chosen by God. David was far from perfect! (Refer to 2 Samuel 11:2-4, 14-17.) God values each one of us because we were created by him. God sees good qualities and possibilities in each one of us; each person is important to God!

So what does it mean to be a person after God’s own heart?

Hard work! God gives us a choice. We can choose to work at living up to the way God sees us, or we can ignore God and make a go of it all on our own.

What you can do?

Talk with your kids about how hard this can be in the midst of today’s societal pressures. Living a Christ-like life means we often have to go against the ways of society. (Good news: God has given us the Holy Spirit to help us attain this; to follow the example of Christ.)
Role-play situations where this choice may be exhibited: Standing up to a bully; noticing someone cheating; observing someone doing good. (Yes, practice affirming the positive!)
Over time we come to believe the words we say to ourselves. Fill your child’s mind with affirmations by regularly blessing them.

God looks at our heart, our motivations, and desires, at who we are on the inside. He chooses you! How will you respond?

Photo credits…
David is Anointed from an unknown publisher of Bible Cards, Date=early 1900’s; in the Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons.

Who do you want to become?

Posted on September 11, 2014March 27, 2017 by Carol Hulbert

Do you remember that persistent question you faced from a very young age?

What do you want to do when you grow up?

I always hated that question. (Because, how did I know?)

I believe we are asking kids (and ourselves) the wrong question. Instead we should be asking…

Who do you want to become?

We are surrounded by a culture where the focus is on “appearances.” Who thinks about what a person can become? People are impressed by good looks, by how well you speak or how strong you are. How are we to help our kids combat this bias?

By teaching them to look inside.

Our current Rotation is a good place to start. In our story, David is chosen as the next king of Israel. Can you hear his family sputtering, “Him? He’s just a young boy; a lowly sheep-keeper.”

Ah, but we learn that God doesn’t look at outside qualities, he looks at our inside, at our heart.

word art

Here’s what God tells Samuel about why David’s older brother, Eliab, wasn’t the one chosen king:

Samuel, don’t think Eliab is the one just because he’s tall and handsome. He isn’t the one I’ve chosen. People judge others by what they look like, but I judge people by what is in their hearts. 1 Samuel 16:7

What did God “see” in David’s heart?

Potential!

David is thought to have been between 10 and 15 years old when he was designated as Israel’s next king, but he didn’t take the leadership right away. David continued to care for sheep, building courage, a good leadership quality. David also wrote Psalms. We can look in his Psalms to find other seen-by-God heart characteristics.

Bring out a Bible and read the following Psalms. Try to figure out the heart quality conveyed.

Psalm 23 “The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want…” (Potential expressed heart-quality: Trust)
Psalm 5:7 “I am filled with wonder as I bow down to worship.” (A worshipful attitude)
Psalm 139:14 “I praise you because of the wonderful way you created me.  Everything you do is marvelous! Of this I have no doubt.” (Gratitude)
Psalm 5:3 “Each morning you listen to my prayer, as I bring my requests to you and wait for your reply.” (Asking for help)
Psalm 19:11 “By your teachings, Lord, I am warned; by obeying them, I am greatly rewarded.” (Obedience)
Psalm 25:11 “Be true to your name, Lord, by forgiving each one of my terrible sins.” (A repentant attitude)
Psalm 16:2 “I say to God, ‘Be my Lord!’ Without you, nothing makes sense.” (taken from The Message) (Realizing the importance of a connection to God)

God sees these qualities and possibilities in each one of us; each person is important to God. God looks at who we can become.

Discuss with your family about what heart-attitudes you see in each other. You may be surprised!
Are their qualities you need to work on adding?

Who do you want to become?

Photo credits:
Heart-shaped word art was created by moi, using Image Chef Word Mosaic.

To the mother who was so embarrassed…

Posted on August 31, 2014October 22, 2015 by Carol Hulbert

I’ll bet you cringed when your child sighed loudly at all the wrong times in worship this morning.

Did his twitching, I-can’t stay-still-I’m-a-kid, bother you? Were his seemingly constant, questioning whispers so distressing?

Please know: It didn’t bother me!

Really. I welcomed his presence.

I'm bored

I’ll bet you wanted to melt away at the number of sheets of pew note papers he doodled upon. Or the way he dragged at your arm and gave you those sad eyes.

No matter! I rejoiced that I shared your pew!

I saw good parenting in action.

He may not be able to tell you who was a major (or a minor!) character in the Bible story, or what sort of music was played during the service, or list the finer points of the sermon. The important thing…

He was there! He watched you worship!

He held the hymnal with you when we all sang and followed along with his finger on the words. (At least for the first few hymns).
He heard everyone pray together the Lord’s Prayer.
He saw the offering plate encircling the Sanctuary.
He was vigilant when the pastor lifted his arms to invoke the Benediction.

He was learning about worship.

So, don’t be embarrassed! And please keep bringing your child to worship. It’s your job as a loving parent. Keep up the good work!

Love, Carol

a blue line

Photo credits:
Bored child adapted from a photo by Stephanie Jones on Flickr, under a Creative Commons License.

Are we good enough?

Posted on August 19, 2014January 27, 2015 by Carol Hulbert

Buck Denver and Chester Whigget's Popsicle Stick Theater

Where has summer gone!? There is one week left to join us on our movie adventure. In the meantime, continue the learning at home!

Last week we learned about Esther. Our video included a presentation by Chester Whigget’s famous Popsicle Stick Theater. Watch the start of Esther’s story in this video. (If you are reading this in an email click here to view the video).

Yep. King Xerxes definitely had too much coffee. Here are some questions to talk about at the family dinner table. (Or wherever your family is gathered together.) You can ask these questions even if you missed the video showing last weekend! For other sets of discussion questions view here. If desired, print out this family discussion guide here. (Spread this out over several days.)

HAVE SOME FAMILY DISCUSSION…

Pass around a Bible. The person holding the Bible gets to be the one who shares their glads and sads for the day. (Or perhaps you call them peaks and pits?)
Just as a library has different types of books, so does the Bible! Did you know that there are books we call “History books” in the Bible? What sort of history do you suppose those books tell?
The books of History tell of the interaction of God with people in history. Why do you suppose that learning about God’s past interaction with people is important?
Esther is a book of History. What can you tell me about Esther?
Esther is good storytime reading. Read it together with feeling! (You may wish to paraphrase parts for the younger set.)
Did you know that in the book of Esther, God is never mentioned!?! Why do you suppose that is? (Scholars continue to debate this question!) Do you suppose it is for us to see that God is always with us even though he doesn’t get talked about?
God is always with us, but are we good enough for God? I mean, as humans we mess up all the time! (And we forget to ask God for help.) How can we be good enough for God? (Brother Louie asked this question in our video.)
Do we need God in our lives or can we do it on our own?
We are humans. We fail. We do things that separate us from God and from other people (we call that sin). What we learn from the historical books of the Old Testament is that people throughout history have tried and tried to be good enough for God. What usually ends up happening? (That’s right – they fail. Just like we do. But rather than being depressing, it points out our need for Jesus as our Savior!)
God used an ordinary woman named Esther to save his people. Do you suppose that God could use you to do something special? How does it change your life to know that God has something special planned for you to do?

Photo credits:
Click here for info on banner photo (not visible in readers or email).
Other photos from the producer of our video What’s in the Bible, under a fair usage category.

Being impressive or obedient – which one are you?

Posted on August 13, 2014February 6, 2017 by Carol Hulbert

A collage representing parental involvement with their kids Adults! Join your 1st – 6th graders on our movie adventure. It gives you an “easy in” for continuing the learning at home! Asking questions such as the one in this post’s title!

Here are some questions for the family dinner table. (Or wherever your family is gathered together.) You can ask these questions even if you missed the video showings. (For other sets of discussion questions on our summer movie series, view here.)

If desired, print out this family discussion guide here. (Spread this out over several days.)

Have some family discussion…

Pass around a Bible. The person holding the Bible gets to be the one who shares their glads and sads. (Or perhaps you call them peaks and pits?)
Take a look at the Table of Contents of your Bible. Find 1st Samuel. Does your Bible have a topical index – perhaps a Concordance – at the back? Look up Samuel and do some research!
Let’s see if we can quickly figure out the important characters in the book of 1st Samuel. What would be a way to do that? How about checking out the headings! (if your Bible has them.) Look at the heading at chapter 1; it probably mentions Samuel! It’s expected that a book by the name of “Samuel” means that he is an important character! Headings at chapters 9 and 16 give us other clues of who is in here.

Puppet 8 year old Michael-the boy in the car seat

Samuel was a prophet. Michael, the boy in his car seat who introduces every video, says some funny things; I wonder what he would have to say about prophets? (He would probably think they were a type of candy bar! Isn’t it good to know it’s okay to get confused about words?) What do you know about prophets?
A prophet is someone that God uses to deliver messages; a prophet is God’s messenger. What message was God trying to tell King Saul? Here is a short video to see the answer:

(If you are reading this in an email click here to view the video).
Read together 1 Samuel 13:13-14. God was trying to tell King Saul that he should serve only God. But Saul served God “halfway.” King Saul wasn’t always good at doing what God wanted him to do… when it came to following God, he was a failure! How good are we today at hearing God’s messages? Do we pay attention to God all the time? (To be honest, I’d say no!) How can we take better care at paying attention to God?
Read 1 Samuel 13:13-14. Samuel was telling Saul that because he hadn’t obeyed God he would be replaced… with someone who was a “man after God’s own heart.” What do you suppose it means to be a “person after God’s own heart?” (Lots of possible answers but I’ll bet that one of them includes someone who wholeheartedly serves God!)
In the video we watched above, Sunday school Lady says, “God doesn’t want us to be impressive, he wants us to be obedient.” What do you suppose she meant by that? How are we sometimes guilty of trying to be “impressive” rather than obedient to God?
God does replace King Saul with King David. What stories do you know about David? Read 1 Samuel 16:1-13b, about God sending Samuel out to find and “anoint” David. [Note: We’ll be studying this story in September 2014!] What does “anoint” mean? (Anointing is the process of pouring oil on someone, or something, as part of a ceremony that marks that person, or thing. for a special task.)

Photo credits:
Collage was created by moi.
Michael photo is from the producer of our video What’s in the Bible, under a fair usage category.

How’s your home environment?

Posted on August 9, 2014September 27, 2019 by Carol Hulbert

We are blessed to have homes that contain familiar “environments” — times and places where certain events take place. As our kids grow up they presume that at home they will find…

…a designated spot for family dining…

…opportunity for play…

…and time for reading (hopefully every day!)

Other environments we set up for our kids include a place to get some much needed shut-eye and an area for study. (Yikes, coming soon!)

It’s the way things are. Eating, sleeping, studying, playing… You could say:

It’s how we do it around here.

But something important is missing.

What about purposefully setting up space and time to experience God?
So it feels normal.

Here are some suggestions for adding this critical environment to your home:

Include the Bible in your daily reading roster. And make sure your child “catches you” reading.
Practice being grateful. (Documenting your gratitude brings attention to God’s gifts; they are everywhere! Even in the midst of darkness!)
Spend time as a family with everyone sharing one glad and one sad for the day – AKA: Glads and Sads, or Crowns and Thorns! Don’t try to fix anything, just listen and celebrate and commiserate.

Start every meal with a table blessing. Try here for some new ones.
Introduce new ways to talk with God – prayer. (Get out markers to pray? Yes!)
Offer your child a daily blessing – words said out loud that reassure your child that they are loved and accepted.
What other ideas would you add?

Photo credits:
Dinner table by Sean Dreilinger; Reading by John Morgan; Swing set by Wouter Verhelst all licensed on Flickr, under a Creative Commons License.
Adult reading the Bible by StockSnap on Pixabay released under Creative Commons CC0 1.0 Public Domain.