1. Teaching the Real Gospel: Avoiding Moralistic Therapeutic Deism
Robert Keeley, Ph.D.
Calvin College & Calvin Theological Seminary
CSI Bible Instruction Symposium
Washington, DC
Feb 15, 2018

2. Why did God save Shadrach Meshach and Abednego?
Not because of what they had done.

4. The National Study of Youth and Religion

5. Moralistic Therapeutic Deism
A God exists who created and orders the world and watches over human life on earth.
God wants people to be good, nice and fair to each other as taught in the Bible and by most world religions.
The central goal of life is to be happy and feel good about oneself.
God does not need to be particularly involved in one’s life except when he is needed to resolve a problem.
Good people go to heaven when they die.

6. The Good Place
trailer

7. How did we get here?
Example – Palm Sunday

8. How did we get here?

9. Exodus 17
“The Amalekites came and attacked the Israelites at Rephidim. Moses said to Joshua, "Choose some of our men and go out to fight the Amalekites. Tomorrow I will stand on top of the hill with the staff of God in my hands.“
So Joshua fought the Amalekites as Moses had ordered, and Moses, Aaron and Hur went to the top of the hill. As long as Moses held up his hands, the Israelites were winning, but whenever he lowered his hands, the Amalekites were winning. When Moses' hands grew tired, they took a stone and put it under him and he sat on it. Aaron and Hur held his hands up--one on one side, one on the other--so that his hands remained steady till sunset. So Joshua overcame the Amalekite army with the sword.”

10. What’s this story about?
It is good to have friends to lean on
It is important to have Christian friends
Is there more?

13. God chose story to tell us about Himself
If we attach a specific moral to the end of a story we limit the impact of the story
The Bible’s authors did not give us these stories to teach a specific lesson – they told these stories because they happened
Bible stories are the language of faith

14. Obedience and Faith
Obedience and Faith are both important but they are different
When we turn Bible stories into moral tales for small children, we realize that, at best, we are hoping to influence their most basic instincts and convince them that it is in their best interest to be “good”.
People in the Bible are complex
David
Abraham
Joseph
Don’t make them two-dimensional

15. Being good is not enough
We shouldn’t settle for morality
Children naturally moralize – they don’t need our help
Become more comfortable with letting the stories work inside them.
Faith lessons instead of moralizing
Blind Bartimaeus
Wondering

16. Watch out for bad pedagogy and questionable theology
Children's Ministry Magazine - Teacher Tips / 3-5 years
Snack: Caramel Apple Sundaes
A sweet and tasty snack that packs a great lesson-Jesus pours out his sweet love over us.
Stuff: Diced apples, caramel sauce, plastic forks, and plastic bowls.
Give each child a bowl of diced apples and let them pour caramel sauce over the top for a sweet treat. Remind kids that like the sweet sauce we pour on the apples, Jesus pours out his sweet love over us.

17. Children's Ministry Magazine - TEACHER TIPS 6-9 years old
Snack Bucket
Decorate a bucket and lid, and each week send it home with a different child to fill with treats to share the next week. On the lid, secure information including number of kids in class, food allergies, and snack favorites. Include Isaiah 58:6-8 and discussion questions for home, such as "Why is it important to share with others?" and "How do you think Jesus wants us to treat others?"
In class, ask kids to share why they chose their snack. Kids learn about giving to the church, and they'll enjoy sharing their favorite snacks.

18. A reasonable faith
A God who is fully explainable is a God who is too small
We need to give children permission to dwell in the mystery of God.

19. Faith and doubt The relationship between questions and faith
Anne Lamott:
“I have a lot of faith. But I am also afraid a lot, and have no real certainty about anything. I remembered something Father Tom had told me – that the opposite of faith is not doubt, but certainty. Certainty is missing the point entirely. Faith includes noticing the mess, the emptiness and discomfort, and letting it be there until some light returns.”

20. Jacob  Israel

21. Let’s look at the Gospel of Luke
In pairs you will be assigned a chapter in the first 10 chapters of Luke.
Let’s look at them together and answer some questions
What happens in your chapter?
Who are the people in the chapter? What do they do?
Does God or Jesus chastise them, heal them, or something else?
Assign the even number chapters: 2, 4, 6, 8, 10

22. Let’s look at the Gospel of Luke
I would suggest that we will see a pattern.
First contact is gentle: healing, etc.
Jesus saves his scolding for the teachers of the law.
Instruction is two-fold: sanctification and enriching our lives
Assign the even number chapters

23. An OT example Genesis 38: Judah and Tamar
Theme of perhaps the whole book: Genesis 50:20. “You meant it for evil but God meant it for good.”

24. Pay attention to our theology
Getting our theology right. God grabs us first.

25. Practicing Faith

26. Music I practice I listen
Scales / Riffs / Songs / Improvisations
I listen
To music like / To music I don’t know
Sometimes I listen carefully / sometimes I don’t
I don’t need to be playing to learn

27. Practicing Faith
We need to practice our scales – scripture and other important words of our faith
Improvising – Mary riffed on Hannah’s song