Have you ever come home from church and asked your child “What did you learn today in Sunday School?” We did that when our oldest son was four years old. We figured that on Easter Sunday it should be pretty obvious to everyone what was learned that day. Well, much to our surprise, our son answered “Jesus was in prison.” What??? We couldn’t believe our ears! Jesus in prison? On Easter?
Suddenly, though, we realized that all morning Andrew had been hearing the words “Jesus is risen!” Preschoolers don’t say the word “risen” or even hear the word used in everyday conversation, so Andrew automatically thought of a word he had heard of: “prison.” He knew there were Bible stories about people who had been put in prison. Once we figured out the problem, we knew what to explain. “The word ‘risen’ means to be alive again. On Easter, God made Jesus alive.”
This story is one I like to remember because it encourages me to watch the words I say—in the middle of playing, listening and talking, I need to use words that kids understand. Because I don’t want them to miss out on the good things to know about Jesus! (And I'm glad my curriculum gives me the words kids understand best!)
Sunday, April 11, 2010
Watch What You Say!
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5 comments:
Hahaha! So very real!! What a great reminder to keep words kid friendly!
Thanks for sharing!!
d.lacy
Houston,TX
I used to think that people were called "human BEANS" instead of "human beings". It made sense to me, we both grew!
I also had a friend in high school who said, after watching a thought-provoking movie about heaven, "Of course God's not in heaven!" We asked our church-going friend why, and she said "hello, the Lord's prayer, 'Our Father who AREN'T in heaven?!'" (instead of "who art in heaven"). She had memorized the Lord's prayer by ear as a child, and hadn't read it for it's content. Goodness!
Little ones listen while they're playing, and while you're talking!
Or how about, "Our Father, wish hard in heaven,...?
Growing up in a Lutheran church, we sang "Hosanna, Hosanna, Hosanna in the highest!" For most of my young life I thought it was "Oh Santa!" It seemed pretty cool to me that our church sang a song about Santa all year long! Seems silly now, but that's what my little ears heard!
My daughter was singing an older hymn when I realized she was singing "When all around me is stinking sand/ on Christ the solid rock I stand"
I couldn't stop laughing, Lord forgive me!
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