teaching the liturgy to our kids.

I didn't have a strong church background before I started attending a Lutheran church with a friend in middle school.  While Todd and I haven't chosen to be part of a traditionally liturgical church in our adulthood, we have a really deep love for church history and the comfort that believers have found for hundreds of years in the creeds of orthodox Christianity.

Earlier this year, I was prayer journaling, and suddenly a Lutheran confession of prayer immediately rose to mind - a prayer I had recited dozens, or maybe even hundreds of times in my pre-conversion days without giving much thought to it.  But in reciting it recently, I found so much comfort in the deep truth I had unknowingly and almost effortlessly stored away in my heart and mind in those years.

Most merciful God,
We confess that we are in bondage to sin and cannot free ourselves.  We have sinned against you in thought, word, and deed, by what we have done and by what we have left undone.  We have not loved you with our whole heart; we have not loved our neighbors as ourselves.  For the sake of your Son, Jesus Christ, have mercy on us.  Forgive us, renew us, and lead us, so that we may delight in your will and walk in your ways, to the glory of your holy name.
Amen.

It got us talking about the importance of liturgy, tradition, and rote memorization in the life of faith.  While I don't think it should make up the entirety of our interactions with God, it is so helpful to enter into words and actions that have been clung to for generations.  So because our church isn't liturgical, Todd has really started making it a priority at home to help our kids memorize and understand some of the creeds and foundational texts.

One thing that has really helped us is finding resources where they're set to music, to make it easier for the kids to enter in, and quicker for them to memorize.  Here are a couple of our family's current favorites!

In Wednesday's video post, I'll be talking about other ways we initiate faith discussions with our kids in our everyday lives, so make sure to check that out!



*Unrelatedly, just a reminder that today's Marriage Boot Camp vlog will post today at 10 a.m. CST on my YouTube channel.  (Will someone let me know if that link works?)  I'll be talking about one tiny, seemingly insignificant word that has made a huge difference in my communication with Todd, and can likely help you, too - I bet you'll be surprised to find out what it is.