I love studying the scriptures because no matter how many times you examine and read the Bible you can always come up with some new concept. I try to read four chapters each day. I’ve done this for more than 40 years. From the time I was 12 years old, I’ve taken time from my day (almost every day) to study the scriptures. I delight in uncovering the mysteries hidden in the passages that others seem to ignore or skip over.
Uncovering revelations in a familiar passage is an amazing things to me. When I sit under a teacher who can bring out a degree of understanding that I’ve never considered, I am thrilled. I also try to bring that into my teaching of the scriptures. But there is a warning. In bringing mysteries to people who are mentally challenged, you must never give misinformation.
In preparing to give a devotions to people who are mentally challenged there are some pretty simple rules to follow.
- Begin with an attention getting device
- Give only one point, not the traditional three points and a poem
- And the old stand by, tell them what you are going to tell them, tell them and tell them what you told them.
- “Jesus loves me this I know for the Bible tells me so” is the deepest theology concept you ever need to use.
Another rule is to not give opinion as though it is fact. Or perhaps a better way to say this is: Only give facts, never opinion in regard to interpretation of the scriptures.
Last month, I broke the last rule. I taught on an opinion that I had in regard to Israel asking for a king. I stated that I didn’t believe that Israel asking for a king was a sin. I explained that I could be wrong but it was my opinion that Israel didn’t sin in asking for a king. Then I proceeded to teach about this issue as though my opinion WERE fact.
In a few words, I was wrong.
This would be a fascinating topic to teach and discuss with the Bible class with above average or even average IQ. In fact, within our staff, it has sparked a great deal of biblical research and study. This is a good thing. However, within the mentally challenged community, there is not always the academic ability to decipher complicated concepts such as this. Therefore, my members would’ve accepted the concept as a biblical principle, rather than an item for contemplation and reflection.
I let my interest in the mysteries unearthed through study and meditation override my knowledge of how to teach the congregation to which God has called me. Of course, whether you are teaching people who are mentally challenged or folks with average IQ’s avoiding speculation is a good rule. It was a rule I broke and I’m really sorry.
It is the job of each minister of the gospel to give the whole counsel of God to our members. It is also the job of each minister to understand from what vantage point his/her members are reaching.
Have you ever taught a lesson that you felt wasn’t correct? How did you correct your mistake? Did it make you more careful next time?
