Word for the day by Christian Education Forum

-

 FAMILY :  PLACE  OF  FAITH  FORMATION  

Ephesians 3:14 – 21
v14, 15 - For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth takes its name.  

Family,  which is the basic unit of  our society,  is an institution established by the will of God.  It plays a major role in the faith formation.  The future of mankind depends on family. It is the co-operators in the love of God; a covenant relationship rooted in love.  Family is called to live together with other families as a community.   The world today is being carried away by materialism, consumerism, immorality and such contemporary trends.  We as Christians need to inculcate faith values in our children and in our families.  Changing role of our schools in the secular society places new demands on Christian education and faith formation and we need to bring our children to Jesus who can provide answers to many questions and challenges that we face in our contemporary world. Proverb  22:6 says “Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it”.  Our children are the heritage from God (Psalm 127). They are like arrows.  Arrows are meant for a special purpose.  Once it goes out, either it will hit the target or miss the target.  This emphasizes the need to make sure that our children are nurtured in the faith of God and making our families a place of true Christian faith formation.
 
The Epistle of St. Paul to  Ephesians contains two prayers; the first one  Ephesians 1:15-23, and the second prayer Ephesians 3:14-21.  The first prayer is for  enlightenment  and the second  prayer is for enablement for action through faith.   Through faith, Christ will dwell in our hearts, rooted and grounded in love.  Through faith , we can experience the love of Christ that surpasses all  knowledge and be filled with the fullness of God.  St. Paul through this prayer is advising us that God’s power, the power of Christ -  a  power far beyond human understanding and far beyond human measurement – is available to us.   This is the faith that we need as we walk and carry on spiritual warfare in this world.  If we want victory in this life, we must have this faith in the power of Christ in our life today.  Lack of faith, unbelief, careless living, worldliness  in action or attitude can rob us of this power.

PRAYER
  Let our families be places of faith formation, which will enable us to overcome difficulties and trials and lead a victorious life in Christ Jesus, our Lord. AMEN

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY
“Seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness and all these things shall be added  unto you"

Mr Philip Jacob
The Mar Thoma Church Staten Island
 
Christian Education Forum, Diocese of NAE of the Mar Thoma Church

Popular posts from this blog

Word for the day by Christian Education Forum

-
  Constant, patient and welcoming love of God   St. Luke 15: 11-32  V.21: And the son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight, and am no longer worthy to be called your son.’ The parable of the ‘Prodigal son’ is one of the most frequently quoted parables that Jesus told His disciples. The parable contains the rich mine of human virtues and emotions. This parable is lived and re-lived in progressing civilizations from time immemorial and continuing. It brings out in vivid detail the pathetic depth of human sinfulness and the glorious heights of God’s forgiveness.      As a story of human nature, fathers are generally merciful to their children in any circumstance. They are very protective and are eager to provide for and secure the lives of their offspring. Jesus is telling this parable to underscore the superlative love of God to His children. The nature of such love is reiterated by Jesus in Matthew 7:11. Humankind who are evil by nature, give good gifts t
Read more

Word for the day by Christian Education Forum

-
PRIESTHOOD: THE ANOINTED MINISTRY Exodus 40:12-16 Bring Aaron and his sons to the entrance to the Tent of Meeting... wash them with water. Then dress Aaron in the sacred garments, anoint him and consecrate him so he may serve me as priest (Exodus 40: 12-13). Priesthood among the people of God was a divine command and initiation. God wanted some people to be separated for the special ministry among his people. God appointed Aaron and his descendants to take up this kind of ministry among the people of God. Priests are always separated and appointed as channels that connect God with his people. All throughout the history of Israel, priests played an important role in connecting people with God and to lead and guide them in the statutes of God. But there are incidents in the Bible where the priests failed in their duties and that led the people to go away from God. So the priests have a special and significant ministry to perform in this world among his people. Two important things
Read more

Word for the day by Christian Education Forum

-
Revelation for Liberation Acts 27:18-26 Sherine Thomas Long Island MTC, NY 20  When neither sun nor stars appeared for many days, and no small tempest raged, all hope of our being saved was at last abandoned. “After winter comes the summer.  After night comes the dawn.  And after every storm, there comes clear open skies” so said a Scottish clergyman from the 1600s. It’s been said, that hope can sometimes be the most dangerous weapon.  However, it’s sometimes the hardest weapon to carry when you’re living with the loss of a loved one, something that almost feels like a terrible nightmare that’ll never go away.  It’s a weapon difficult to carry when day in and day out no one seems to hear or see those tears that are shed or silent cries that are made during a heartfelt prayer. It’s a weapon difficult to carry as you see your loved one lying on that hospital bed.  It’s a weapon difficult to carry as you search and seek out answers to tell a child as to why they’ve been a
Read more