The sign-up sheet from church stared at me for months while I hemmed and hawed. What was the best day and time to pick for their religious education classes? Which one of us would drive and pick up? How would we fit it into the rest of the weekly calendar? Nothing worked perfectly. We talked ourselves into one option. Then another. Frustrated, I picked two class times and scribbled out a check. Then one Sunday morning, before I dropped off the registration forms, I pulled everything out of the envelope again. Nope, I thought. This doesn't feel right. We're not cramming faith formation in as one-more-thing, one-more-pickup-and-drop-off. We're doing it at home. . . . Here is the embarrassed admission of the theologically-trained mother: I am terrified to be the primary educator of my kids' faith formation, as the Catechism so beautifully puts it. I am scared because I know how frightfully important this is. It is the ultimate truth, the faith that defines my life and … [Read more...] about faith formation at home: 4 favorite resources
catechesis
book, bath, table & time: teaching at home
I recently read Fred Edie's Book, Bath, Table, and Time: Christian Worship as Source and Resource for Youth Ministry for my research on vocation and youth. Drawing from his theological work with teenagers at the Duke Youth Academy, Edie writes about simple ways to retrieve the holy things and practices of the church to engage youth. I'm not a youth minister. But I enjoyed this book, and not just because it's about empowering teenagers to explore their vocations. I loved this book for its title. Book, bath, table, and time. Most of my life as a mother of two little ones revolves around these four things, places and moments. We read books from sun up to sun down. We splash in the bath every night. We gather around the table three times a day. And we follow a rhythm of routine that gives gentle order to our time. Since I finished Edie's book, I've found myself musing about book, bath, table, and time. Each offers opportunities for teaching my children - not just about God or religion, … [Read more...] about book, bath, table & time: teaching at home
