We're Not Just Fishin'

Below is the message given in the Wheatland Parish Sunday, August 20.  The scripture is Deuteronomy 6:1-9.

            We’re coming to the end of our sermon series on country music.  I hope you’ve found it interesting and have gotten something out of it.  Some of you have made positive comments about it, which I appreciate, so maybe we’ll do it again sometime.

           

We’re also coming to the end of summer.  Summer is a time when people are gone a lot, of course.  There are weddings, there are family vacations, there are school reunions, there are ball games, there are all kinds of things going on. 

Around here, of course, there’s also fishing.  So, we’re going to conclude our country music series with the Trace Adkins song, “Just Fishin’”  The lyrics are in a bulletin insert, and they’ll also be on the screen.  As we’ve been doing, we’ll listen to the song and then we’ll talk about it.

I’m lost in her there holdin’ that pink rod and reel
She’s doin’ almost everything but sittin’ still
Talkin’ ‘bout her ballet shoes and training wheels
And her kittens
And she thinks we’re just fishin’

I say, “Daddy loves you, baby” one more time
She says, “I know. I think I got a bite.”
And all this laughin’, cryin, smilin’ dyin’ here inside’s
What I call, livin’

And she thinks we’re just fishin’ on the riverside
Throwin’ back what we could fry
Drownin’ worms and killin’ time
Nothin’ too ambitious
She ain’t even thinkin’ ‘bout
What’s really goin’ on right now
But I guarantee this memory’s a big ‘un
And she thinks we’re just fishin’

She’s already pretty, like her mama is
Gonna drive the boys all crazy
Give her daddy fits
And I better do this every chance I get
‘Cause time is tickin’
(Yeah it is)

And she thinks we’re just fishin’ on the riverside
Throwin’ back what we could fry
Drownin’ worms and killin’ time
Nothin’ too ambitious
She ain’t even thinkin’ ‘bout
What’s really goin’ on right now
But I guarantee this memory’s a big ‘un
And she thinks we’re just fishin’

She ain’t even thinkin’ ‘bout
What’s really goin’ on right now
But I guarantee this memory’s a big ‘un
And she thinks we’re just fishin’
Yeah, oh, she thinks we’re just fishin’
We ain’t only fishin’
(This ain’t about fishin’)
 

Sometimes pastors get kind of frustrated in the summer.  As we said, a lot of people are gone a lot of the time, especially on weekends.  That means that we don’t get to see some of you in church very much.  We don’t like that.  We like seeing you here.

It’s not just the summertime when people are gone, of course.  In the fall, there’s hunting.  In the winter, there’s wrestling.  In the spring, there’s track.  There are all kinds of other things going on in people’s lives, too.  There are birthdays and anniversaries to celebrate, there are holiday gatherings, there are all kinds of reasons why people travel.  And of course, in today’s society, travel is a whole lot easier than it used to be, so it’s a lot easier for people to be gone on weekends than it used to be.

The song that we just heard illustrates why I cannot get too upset about people being gone.  I understand what you’re doing.  As the song says, when you go fishing, you’re not just fishing.  When a family goes somewhere, it’s not just the family going somewhere.  You’re having family time together.  You’re getting closer to your kids.  You’re making memories.  You’re doing stuff that everyone in the family is going to remember for a long time, maybe all their lives.

This does not just apply to people who have little kids, either.  Those of you who are single still have nieces or nephews or some young person you make an impact on.  Those of you who are older have grandkids or great-grandkids.  Even if you don’t take trips with those people, you are having an impact on their lives.  What I’m saying in this message applies to you, too.

Because here’s the thing.  Kids notice a lot of stuff, much more than we adults realize.  Kids remember that stuff, too.  The things we adults do influence them, often when we don’t intend to and don’t even realize we’re doing it.

So, when a family’s not in church on Sunday, the kids notice that.  When the family takes a vacation, or goes fishing, or whatever, and God is not a part of it, the kids notice that.  This works in other ways, too.  When kids come to church and someone who’s normally there is not there, kids notice that.  When kids hear about God on Sunday but don’t hear anything about God the rest of the week, kids notice that. 

And they remember.  The reason kids notice all this stuff is that, whether they realize it or not, they’re trying to learn how to act like adults.  The way they learn to act like adults is by watching how adults act.  If they see that God is involved with the adults in their life, they notice that.  If they see that God is not involved with the adults in their life, they notice that, too.  And what they notice is going to play a large part in what they become, because what they see us doing is what they think an adult is supposed to do.

So, when you’re on a trip with your kids, it’s really important that they see that God is a part of that trip.  When the grandkids come over and visit, it’s really important that they see that God is a part of grandma and grandpa’s lives.  When you see your nieces and nephews, it’s really important that they see their uncle or their aunt has God involved in their life.

This is a everyone’s responsibility, not just the church’s responsibility.  The church has a role to play, of course.  We’ll be starting Sunday school in a few weeks, and that’s really important.  Youth group and confirmation class will be starting in a few weeks, and they’re really important, too.  Our Sunday service is important.  But the thing is, if kids don’t see the things that happen at church reflected at home, what happens here at church is not likely to matter very much.

Listen to what Moses told the people about teaching children about God.  He said, “These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts.  Impress them on your children.  Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.”

Moses was not talking to the church when he said that.  Moses was talking to everyone.  He was saying it’s everyone’s responsibility to teach kids abut God.  God needs to be so much a part of our lives that everything we do involves God.  Whether we’re at home or on the road, from the time we get up to the time we go to bed, God needs to be a part of our lives, so that our children can see that in us and learn that from us.

How can we do that?  In lots of ways.  Some of them are very simple.  Say grace before every meal.  When something good happens, be sure to thank God for it.  Let kids see you reading the Bible once in a while.  When the family’s together, take a little time to talk about God.  I know the idea of “family devotions” can be intimidating, but it does not have to be. If you want some prepared material to help with that, I can sure help you find some, but you don’t necessarily need any.  It can be as simple as taking some to talk about what went right in the day, what went wrong, what’s coming up, and then praying to God about that stuff.

I want you notice one thing, though.  Before that passage of Deuteronomy I just quoted, there’s another sentence.  Here it is:  “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.”

            There’s a reason Moses put that ahead of teaching the children.  We cannot teach children about God if we don’t first love God ourselves.  And if we do love God ourselves, it should not be that hard for us to teach children about God.  Because if we do love God, there will be things about our lives that show that love, and the kids will notice.  And that’s really the best way to teach our kids about God:  by example.  They’ll learn that an adult loves God and does things that show that love.  And that will be the kind of adult they want to become.

You know the neat thing about the song we heard this morning?  The singer is aware of what’s really going on.  The child is not—the child thinks all they’re doing is fishing.  But the dad knows better.  The dad is aware of the memories that are being made, and how important they are.

Too often, we’re not aware of that.  We don’t think about the impact of what we do on those around us.  We especially don’t think of the impact on the kids.  Too often, we adults think we are “just fishin’”.  But we’re not, and that impact is going to be there whether we’re aware of it or not.

We need to be aware.  We need to realize that our kids are watching everything we do.  And when I say, “our kids”, I don’t just mean your sons and daughters.  I mean all the kids you come in contact with. 

So, if you’re gone on the weekend, that’s okay.  It’s okay to go on vacation, or to go fishing, or to do whatever you do.  Just remember that you’re not taking a vacation from God.  If we want God to be in our children’s lives when they’re adults, it’s up to us to make sure God is part of our lives while they’re still kids.  Where kids are concerned, you and I are never “just fishin’”.