| How to teach Gods word? Practice, practice, practice  By Vivian McCarthy Its Sunday, and the lection reached out and grabbed me. The preacher was a newly commissioned probationer who obviously loves baseball. I guess it didnt hurt that, being here in upstate New York, all of us were following the Little League World Series. The lection was the one about putting on the whole armor of God, and the preacher likened that to the equipment one needs in order to play baseball. She told of how every ballplayer carefully chooses exactly the right bat, made from exactly the right material to exactly the right specifications; so that the hitter and the crowd can hear exactly the right crack when bat hits ball. I hadnt planned on thinking about Sunday School or Christian formation. I was on vacation, for heavens sake. But that probationary preacher and the Word from the Lord this day took me right to Sunday School. The first thing she said that I had to write down in my bulletin was, you can buy the best equipment, but it only works if you know how to play the game and you can only play the game well if you practice. My dear friends and co-laborers in the vineyard (or is it players on the diamond?), I often find myself saying essentially the same thing: you can buy the most attractive curriculum and have the best-organized supply cabinet in Christendom, but it only works if you spend time preparing for Sunday morning (or whenever your small group or class meets). Nurturing believers so that they grow in their relationship with God requires that the teacher live the faith and figures out how the students can best meet God in class. Michael Williams, a former director of preaching for the General Board of Discipleship, once said to a class of preachers, If you dont listen to me, thats not a big deal. However, if you dont listen to the Word of God, thats blasphemy, (here all the preachers nodded their heads and looked smug until he finished the sentence) and our task as preachers and teachers is to help the people in our congregation to hear the Word of God. Shoddy preparation on the part of the leader usually means that the teacher has not seriously considered how to present the material so that the students can hear Gods word and experience Gods presence and love. Thats part of what I mean by practice. The other part is that the teacher truly practices living life out of response to Gods love and teaching because she or he lives a life of faith. And one other thing the teacher loves her or his students and feels compelled to share that love with them. That young preacher this morning said it this way: The right equipment is in your hands. Now you have to play with your heart. (Apparently thats a quote from a famous coach, bur I didnt catch the reference.) When a teacher plays with the heart, she will learn to know her students: how each learns best, what is important to each student, what makes that student get that gleam in the eye that says I get it in short, what makes each student feel cared for so that each student feels the love of God. That rarely happens if the teacher doesnt prepare and practice. When a teacher plays with the heart, he will spend time (before Saturday night) considering the Scriptures for the upcoming lessons, choosing those learning activities that will connect best with his students, praying for each student by name, and remembering to pray for those concerns or joys that each student lifted up in class. When a teacher plays with the heart, that teacher will be more concerned with having a class where grace is the rule, laughter is heard often, and every student knows she or he is important rather than worrying whether the student has a particular set of facts that can be recited or that each student sits still and doesnt make any noise. Sometimes people ask me, whats happening out there in the pews whats exciting, whats new, whats effective? Thats a question that people ask frequently, but it usually means: what cool thing can I do to have the best class in the world? Friends, there are some great things out there, and many of them are right between the covers of your teacher manuals. United Methodist curricula are filled with learning activities and methods. One of the newest is called the rotation model and is similar to learning centers. The classes rotate from room to room, each room using a particular method (such as music or drama or a computer game) to focus on a particular part of that weeks lesson. But the real answer to that question is this: in those churches where the teachers practice and play from the heart, the students are coming to know God. I know that folk are busy. I know that they often take on more than they can or should handle, often calling that ministry. The challenge is to embrace your particular calling and fulfill that calling to the best of your ability with the help of God. Do you feel called to teach or lead? Do you love students? Do you want to grow in your faith and help others to know the love of God for themselves? Maybe you should answer that call and teach in your Christian education/formation program. Do you know of someone who has the qualities it would take to be a good teacher but may be overlooked? Maybe you should share that persons gifts with the chair or the education committee or your pastor. That young preacher reminded me that the equipment was provided and signed by the manufacturer. Its what we need to play like pros to live through whatever life throws our way. The right things are in your hands. Now go on and play with your heart. The Rev. Vivian McCarthy is an associate council director with the Baltimore-Washington Conference. | 
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