A simple 101

I have a few things as an insignificant layperson that I would love to tell someone. This is sort of in response to a comment I made to Susan in the previous post or at least an explanation. CCA is a wonderful thing. I love it. I have also read A LOT about such things on my own through various books I have picked up at the Sem and other places. I probably have said it before but much of my life was spent trying to 'figure things out' in the church. My confirmation process was far from memorable and that was not even in the LCMS but I don't think it was a lot different from the LCMS in process. We went over some cute books with fill in the blank obvious answers and it was taught by lay people with no training.

As a 'grown up' (if I can manage to act like one), I have met many older people who spoke fondly of their knowledge of the catechism and still remembered it. I know I have written about that before. This knowledge seemed sort of elusive to me and I wanted to know it myself. So FINALLY I have pastors who are telling me what I want and need to hear. Phew. Fortunately for me when I hear such instruction it just makes sense to me and I am certainly not wired to question, question, question what I hear. I just find it a relief to have pastors who are willing to take the time to TELL me these things EVERY week from the pulpit, in Bible class and in the hallways, highways and byways. If the pastors explain something new, I seem to just have a knack for understanding it in my quiet little brain by my quiet little self.

Then there are people like my cute engineering husband who could hear a lot of deep thinking explanations and it frankly goes over his head. He TOO was deprived of hearing the word of God in instruction and being catechized along the way in a catechized for life sort of way. The emphasis seems to have been mostly on how to 'make this church thing' work to see how we can get more members. What the man loves the most to hear is the sermon on Sunday and Bible class learning about David and Saul etc. The 'deep' stuff escapes him. It is not that the deep question stuff is bad, it just loses him in the process.

My cute engineering husband has not had the opportunity to have a bare bones course similar to Higher Things. That statement is not pointed at my already overworked pastors but it just seems to me I would love to find a conference or weekend spent where he could just go and hear the basics of worship, catechism, and the good old simple gospel etc for him. I know he is not alone in this as I know other people my age who also missed out on such things and are simply exhausted from worrying about programing etc (not members of Emmaus....yet) and whether the church is pulling in the members. I can recognize the symptoms of the exhausted church member who is starving for the Gospel. I think Charley and I are recovered from such exhaustion as we are going on our third year at Emmaus. Perhaps it would be a nice retreat or something. I don't know. I am just thinking out loud here. But.....CCA is a bit much for him as well as many deep questions that come up at church and people could just say that if he just stuck with it he would learn it eventually but his mind is not made up that way. Some people are just not patient enough I suppose for deep theology. He is the one who should really be the Higher Things chaperon as he would benefit from it. Sigh. No. I am not trying to whine but trying to explain that not every member of the church is suited for long hours of deep theology even though this particular man's wife loves and craves it and practically speaking can't do that sort of thing all the time. I suppose I should have thought of the chaperon thing before but I do know that is the sort of thing he would enjoy and the Higher Things conference is supposed to be for the youth anyway. Higher THings conference for the adults????? Now there is thought. My dear husband is not alone I know or there would not be such an issue with too many chaperons at the conferences.

Hopefully this doesn't offend anyone but my 'looking at the big picture' mind has been thinking about these things and I suppose I thought it was worth sharing.