May 26, 2009

Number21

VIEWPOINT

Church is good for children.  Did anyone question that fact?  But in case you’ve been debating the value of Bible school attendance, here is some information for you. 

A 2007 study says young children of churchgoing parents fare better behaviorally, emotionally and cognitively than do children of parents who never attend church.  In fact, the more often the parents attend, the better off the kids are.

The study by sociologist John P. Bartkowski and a team of researchers at Mississippi State University examined data from the nationwide Early Childhood Longitudinal Study, which evaluated first-graders by interviewing parents and teachers.  In the data Bartkowski used, some 9,500 parents and 8,800 teachers were interviewed.  The ECLS study was sponsored by the U.S. Department of Education’s National Center for Education Statistics.

Examining the ECLS data, Bartkowski and his team concluded it is “quite clear” that religious attendance impacts children positively.  “Religion does seem to be good for young children,” the study says. “The religious attendance of parents and a cohesive religious environment in the home yield significant benefits for children’s behavioral, emotional, and cognitive development, and such outcomes are most pronounced when both partners attend services frequently.”

The study also said parent-child discussions about religion “often yield positive effects on child development.”

Regularity in attendance can make a difference, too.  The study suggests that may be because it gives other adults  –  for  example, in Sunday School settings – the opportunity to “reinforce parental values” taught at home.

If you’ve been questioning the effort it takes to make it to Sunday School, you may get encouragement from these thoughts.  If you’ve been trying to decide between cultural activities, athletic events, school work  and Wednesday night Bible class, you might want to consider this study.  Or you might just want to read Psalm 119:8-11. 

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I am especially interested in emphasizing attendance at our VBS beginning June 14.  I hope that will be a top priority for everyone in our Cedar Grove family! 

I look forward to seeing you Sunday with a Bible, a smile and a positive word. RA

THE ART OF FINISHING

In 1912, marathon runner Shizo Kanakuri was chosen to represent Japan in the Summer Olympics at Stockholm.

He began the race with the rest of the runners, but along the way was overcome with heat. He stopped at a garden party for some refreshment, but he stayed a little too long -- more than an hour. It was now, he thought, too late to get back in the race. He took a train to his hotel and caught a boat back home, too ashamed to tell anyone he was leaving.

For more than 50 years Shizo was listed as a missing person in Sweden, until a journalist finally found him; he had spent the last several decades living a quiet life in southern Japan.

In 1966 the Swedish Public Television network called him with an offer: Would you like to finish your run? The 85 year old Kanakuri accepted, and he traveled to Stockholm to finish the race he had started so many years before. This time he did cross the finish line; his final time was 54 years, 8 months, 6 days, 8 hours, 32 minutes and 20.3 seconds.

Our reward is not for starting the race, it's for finishing it. We already know that. As Paul said in his farewell, "I consider my life worth nothing to me, if only I may finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me..." (Acts 20:24)

Here's the next thing I want you to remember: It's never too late to get back in the race. You can start running again today. The finish line is still where it used to be.