Skip to main content

Don't graduate from kindergarten

Image found at Coupon Phenomenon

September has arrived, Labor Day is only days away, college students are already taking classes, and local schools doors are going to open Tuesday morning. Student's are excited and maybe a little nervous about going back to or going to school for the first time. New back packs are filled with not yet used pens, pencils and notebooks. Shiny sneakers wait by the door to take squeaky steps into a school year filled with new rules, lessons and opportunities to grow.

The call back to structure and schedule isn't just for students, but for everyone. 
I have to admit, that as much as I like to resist structure at times; that it does help me to find a greater sense of balance. My days have a more defined beginning, middle and end once fall returns. Once the basics are in place, my life is more balanced. 

Robert Fulghum, author and speaker is a person that thinks the "basics" of life are all one needs to thrive.

Robert Fulgham has written many books, but the one that he most famous for was published in 1986 and is called " All I really needed to know I learned in kindergarten". 



                                                          Image found at Amazon.com

Here is an expert from the book, just in case you haven't heard about it before:

"All I really need to know about how to live and what to do and how to be I learned in kindergarten. Wisdom was not at the top of the graduate school mountain, but there in the sand pile at school.
These are the things I learned:
  • Share everything.
  • Play fair.
  • Don't hit people.
  • Put things back where you found them.
  • Clean up your own mess.
  • Don't take things that aren't yours.
  • Say you're sorry when you hurt somebody.
  • Wash your hands before you eat.
  • Flush.
  • Warm cookies and cold milk are good for you.
  • Live a balanced life - learn some and think some and draw and paint and sing and dance and play and work every day some.
  • Take a nap every afternoon.
  • When you go out in the world, watch out for traffic, hold hands and stick together.
  • Be aware of wonder. Remember the little seed in the Styrofoam cup: the roots go down and the plant goes up and nobody really knows how or why, but we are all like that.
  • Goldfish and hamsters and white mice and even the little seed in the Styrofoam cup - they all die. So do we.
  • And then remember the Dick-and-Jane books and the first word you learned - the biggest word of all - LOOK." (All I really need to know I learned in kindergarten Copyright 1986).


The old testament and new testament readings this week (Deuteronomy 4: 1-2,6-9 and Mark 7:1-8, 14-15, 21-23), also are a call back to the basics of the ten commandments found in Exodus 20: These commands were given directly by God to the people of Israel at Mount Sinai after He had delivered them from slavery in Egypt.


The First Commandment
You shall have no other gods.
The Second Commandment
You shall not misuse the name of the Lord your God.
The Third Commandment
Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy.
The Fourth Commandment
Honor your father and your mother.
The Fifth Commandment
You shall not murder.
The Sixth Commandment
You shall not commit adultery.
The Seventh Commandment
You shall not steal.
The Eighth Commandment
You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor.
The Ninth Commandment
You shall not covet your neighbor’s house.
The Tenth Commandment
You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, or his manservant or maidservant, his ox or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor.
For more on the Ten Commandments and Luther's Small Cathechism: Visit Concordia
Robert Fulghum's kindergarten basics list is not the same as the listing from Exodus' ten commandments, but they capture the spirit of building a life on something greater than personal whim and self-direction. In both of the readings today, the call back to the basics of faith, rings through loud and clear.

In the Deuteronomy reading, Moses is preparing to send the Israelite people out into the world and reminds them that the moral and spiritual demand upon them was unique. Moses wanted to be sure that the people and their children would remember and live according to the covenant that God had made with them.

Do not add(D) to what I command you and do not subtract(E) from it, but keep(F) the commands(G) of the Lord your God that I give you." (v.2)

"...be careful,(S) and watch yourselves closely so that you do not forget the things your eyes have seen or let them fade from your heart as long as you live. Teach(T) them to your children(U) and to their children after them." (v.9)

In the Mark reading, Jesus challenges the criticism the Pharisees speak to his disciples by reminding them to return to the basics of faith in quoting the prophet Isaiah...

“Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you hypocrites; as it is written:
“‘These people honor me with their lips,
    but their hearts are far from me.
They worship me in vain;
    their teachings are merely human rules.’[b](F)
 You have let go of the commands of God and are holding on to human traditions." (v.6-8)

The new rules the religious leaders had added involved requiring all people to follow rituals that were hardships or unnecessary for the majority of people to ascribe to. These new rules made it difficult for new believers and Gentiles to participate in the faith community. Jesus desired to draw all people into God's covenant, not exclude people based on race, status, or ability to follow man made to do lists.

God's covenant is a reminder that we always need to be open to his instruction. The challenge to follow God's 10 commandments is hard enough without adding more man-made requirements. These basics remind us of our great need for God's grace and forgiveness. Our God is unique in that his commandments come from a place of love and a desire for us to live whole lives in community. While no one technically deserves to dwell with God, we are invited into that place by his gracious hospitality. As children of God we have been called, like Noah, Abraham and David, not to be sinless, but to live lives that are completely oriented to and dependent upon God.

The basics of faith are a means of maintaining, growing and staying connected to our God. This relationship is one that provides a solid foundation for us and our children to build faith lives that will not be moved. God's care and covenant with us is complete. Nothing needs to be added or taken away from his promises.

Returning to the basics can take some adjustment, just like going back to school. While you have moved on since kindergarten, the lessons learned there continue to be valuable today. God's basics are something we never graduate from. They are our traveling companions, our rule of life and our daily reminders that those who trust God will always have a solid foundation for facing the world; they will not be moved - no matter what happens in class. 


Welcome back to the basics of faith, these lessons and the wisdom that come from them last forever.

Prayer: Heavenly Father:
In this coming school year, help us to get back to the basics of faith and relationship with you. Subtract what keeps us from you, and add what helps us live the life you dream for us. Help us to grow in faith, trusting that you are faithful to help us live gracious lives just as we have been recipients of your amazing grace. Amen.

Ideas to ponder and comment back:

What basics help keep you motivated to grow in your faith?
What is your natural tendency?
 To (A) go with the flow or (B)follow a routine?
How might a routine or basic rule of life help your to grow in faith?
Where do the basics need to be plugged in?
Why do you think that basics are so helpful?


This weeks complete readings: 
Deuteronomy 4:1-2, 6-9 New International Version (NIV)
Now, Israel, hear the decrees(A) and laws I am about to teach(B) you. Follow them so that you may live(C) and may go in and take possession of the land the Lord, the God of your ancestors, is giving you. Do not add(D) to what I command you and do not subtract(E) from it, but keep(F) the commands(G) of the Lord your God that I give you.

Observe(M) them carefully, for this will show your wisdom(N) and understanding to the nations, who will hear about all these decrees and say, “Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people.”(O) What other nation is so great(P) as to have their gods near(Q) them the way the Lord our God is near us whenever we pray to him? And what other nation is so great as to have such righteous decrees and laws(R) as this body of laws I am setting before you today?

Only be careful,(S) and watch yourselves closely so that you do not forget the things your eyes have seen or let them fade from your heart as long as you live. Teach(T) them to your children(U) and to their children after them.'

Mark 7: 1-8,14-15, 21-23 

 The Pharisees and some of the teachers of the law who had come from Jerusalem gathered around Jesus and saw some of his disciples eating food with hands that were defiled,(B) that is, unwashed. (The Pharisees and all the Jews do not eat unless they give their hands a ceremonial washing, holding to the tradition of the elders.(C) When they come from the marketplace they do not eat unless they wash. And they observe many other traditions, such as the washing of cups, pitchers and kettles.[a])(D)
So the Pharisees and teachers of the law asked Jesus, “Why don’t your disciples live according to the tradition of the elders(E) instead of eating their food with defiled hands?”
He replied, “Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you hypocrites; as it is written:
“‘These people honor me with their lips,
    but their hearts are far from me.
They worship me in vain;
    their teachings are merely human rules.’[b](F)
You have let go of the commands of God and are holding on to human traditions.”(G)

14 Again Jesus called the crowd to him and said, “Listen to me, everyone, and understand this. 15 Nothing outside a person can defile them by going into them. Rather, it is what comes out of a person that defiles them.” [16] [f]

20 He went on: “What comes out of a person is what defiles them. 21 For it is from within, out of a person’s heart, that evil thoughts come—sexual immorality, theft, murder,22 adultery, greed,(Q) malice, deceit, lewdness, envy, slander, arrogance and folly. 23 All these evils come from inside and defile a person.”

Comments

Mel said…
What basics help keep you motivated to grow in your faith?
The word for the month is 'reverence'....therein lies my focus. Actually, having the focus keeps me motivated...so there! ;-)

What is your natural tendency?
To (A) go with the flow or (B)follow a routine?
I'll own it--I'm a routine kinda gal. I'm lost without 'discipline' in my life. That 'go with the flow' stuff hasn't always served me well.

How might a routine or basic rule of life help your to grow in faith?
Where do the basics need to be plugged in?
Why do you think that basics are so helpful?

Ya see that word for the month? I know how having that to inventory will help me stay focused on what's good and true.....and it will help me be attuned to see where G-d is present.
Basics are my foundation. Anything I build ON that shaky foundation is at risk of tumbling down. And that's why being disciplined IN the basics is 'required stuff' for me.

Wow....LOL...wordy booger, huh?

I like that you added the 'don't subtact from or add to' bit that you posted.
We have a tendency to complicate the simple and make a fine murky mess of it...k.......*I* do that..LOL Dunno about the 'we'!
Tara Lamont said…
I love your words Mel. Keep on writing!

Popular posts from this blog

SWB: Claustrophobia and clearings

Mary Lue shared her host post on business and rest for this weeks Sleeping with Bread Examen. Her words resonated with me in the fact that due to a significant staff change at my office, there is more work to be done and my plate is feeling fuller lately. There have been more meetings, and lots of talking and planning. For the most part, I've felt much more connected to people since I've become more involved in this way, but oddly when I'm done for the day or night - I find myself in need of some quiet. Maybe I'm still sorting and planning in the back of my mind, but silence (even my own) is something I find myself being more and more drawn too. It's like the extra noise, both internal and external, makes me feel claustrophobic . A few days after Christmas, I went into a game store with my son and was overwhelmed by all the noise and activity there. The store was tiny but filled with kids and their parents vying for their video game of choice. My head felt hot, my

Sunny and rainy day friends

There are two kinds of friends in the world: Sunny day friends and rainy day friends. This is a statement that my Mom used to remind me of when I was in the midst of drama or conflict with one school friend of another. There are lots of people that we define as friends, but they are really acquaintances. Two men were out hunting in the northern U.S. Suddenly one yelled and the other looked up to see a grizzly charging them. The first started to frantically put on his tennis shoes and his friend anxiously asked, "What are you doing? Don't you know you can't outrun a grizzly bear?" "I don't have to outrun a grizzly. I just have to outrun you!" This story is funny, but it does help define the distinct difference between a rainy day friend and a sunny day friend. The sunny-day-friend is more concerned with watching out for their own health and wellness, than their friends' wellbeing. On the other hand, a rainy day friend is willing to take risks, work fo

What Summer Camp Means to Me...

  I was around six-years-old when I first went to sleep-away summer camp.  At the time I lived in PA and the camp (through my church) was in Ohio. All school year, I attended Sunday School faithfully partially because regular attendance allowed my family scholarships to help with the cost of Summer Camp. Over the school year, I attended most Sunday's and by the end of the year, my little coupon book was full of stamps - providing me with a scholarship to attend a camp session. I provide this background on how I first got to go to camp, because it is an essential part of explaining what Summer Camp meant (and means) to me.   Going away to Summer Camp gave me a whole new experience of community. The whole process of going to and attending was the first times I experienced, "it takes a village", personally. From the Sunday School Teachers who drove a sedan full of kids to Ohio, to the counselors and staff who supported new campers: through the first 48 hours of homesickness