“Studyin’ about that good ole way”

There is an old gospel hymn, that is a favorite in our house, called As I Went Down To The River To Pray. It is a simple tune and repetitive enough that our boys learned it as they were learning to talk. You can listen to Allison Krause's version here:  Allison Krause sings "As I Want Down To The River To Pray"

Crystal River near Red Stone, CO 
This song is an invitation to all to be baptized into the body of Christ, but even more important to me than the invitation is a kernel of wisdom that I think is so important for Christians to remember.  The first line of the song is “As I went down to the river to pray, studyin’ about that good ole way.” It is the “studyin’ about that good ole way” that I would like to focus on today.

For years, we taught that the Hebrew Scripture and the New Testament were two separate stories but through more study we have come to understand that the old stories tell us as much about who God is as the do the stories of Jesus. 
Christianity uses these stories to help us form our understanding of God. Even the first Disciples and Jesus knew that the stories of Hebrews Scripture were and are an active part of the story they were experiencing.  Jesus, Peter, and Paul referenced stories and characters from Hebrew scripture in their teachings so that those who were listening knew that God had always been faithful
The entire work of scripture ties together in a way that tells us that God is always been with us and that God loves us always. It is however difficult to see this because of the way that we study and teach scripture to our children. We are pretty good at teaching them the stories of the Bible but we miss the step of having them connect the story to other stories and their own lives. Through talking about the scripture we can help our children to make this connection that can only deeper their understanding and faith.
Flooding in Charleston, SC  due to Hurricane Irma, September 2017

Today’s Scripture: 1 Peter 3:18-22

Christ also suffered for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, in order to bring you to God. He was put to death in the flesh, but made alive in the spirit, in which also he went and made a proclamation to the spirits in prison, who in former times did not obey, when God waited patiently in the days of Noah, during the building of the ark, in which a few, that is, eight persons, were saved through water. And baptism, which this prefigured, now saves you-- not as a removal of dirt from the body, but as an appeal to God for a good conscience, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ, who has gone into heaven and is at the right hand of God, with angels, authorities, and powers made subject to him.

Conversation Starters:
  • Ask your children to tell you all they know about Noah and the flood.
  • What does water do to the earth? How do we use water everyday? (Think about a cleansing rain or washing.)
  • How is water used in the Church?
  • Why do you think Peter talks about Noah this reading?
  • Whose actions have saved us? How did He bring us back to God?

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