Dugout Confessions | Leaving Guilt in the Dust
Teaching kids that forgiveness does not come with guilt
Many families, mine included, are navigating Sunday morning church and sports commitments. Sunday morning youth sports are up for debate in and out of the church pre-COVID. Still, once the Sunday morning timeslot that the Church held was paused because it was not safe to gather in person, the door was opened for other activities and commitments (namely youth sports) to take center stage. And now, as we return to life as it was before COVID-19, this question has hit my household.
As a pastor, the last thing I want is for my children to look back and resent the Church because they were not able to do the kid things they wanted to do because of their dad’s calling. At the same time, I want my children to learn the faith they have been baptized into. I want them to know stories in the bible other than Noah’s Ark and Daniel in Lion’s Den. I want them to learn about and experience God’s amazing grace.
As the parent of a travel baseball player and as a travel baseball coach, I get it. Field space is limited, but kids enjoy playing sports, and there is a community to be made within these teams and leagues.
I want to share what I am dubbing “Dugout Devotions” for families navigating this same dilemma. I hope this will let you know that you are not navigating this alone and that you and your children can have a rich life of faith between the foul lines and in your church’s sanctuary.
Read John 21:2-18
Re-tell the story to the kids by saying something like:
Jesus saw his disciples while they were fishing in a boat. Explain that the disciples were not successful. Jesus saw that they were not catching any fish, so Jesus told them to try fishing on the other side of the boat. Ask the kids if they remember what happened next. The disciples caught so many fish that they could barely get the nets to the shore.
When the disciples arrived on shore, Jesus had prepared them breakfast - fish over a charcoal fire.
Jesus asked Peter the same question three times. Each time, Jesus heard Peter’s answers. Jesus was not ignoring Peter; instead, Jesus was helping Peter undo something he had done earlier when Peter told others he had never heard of Jesus.
Ask the kids if they have ever done something or said something they know they should not have said or done. Was it toward a parent, friend, teacher, or stranger?
After the thing that was said or done was forgiven, did your child still feel guilty? Had the other person moved on, but your child was still beating themselves up over what occurred?
We all need to hear, “I forgive you.” Jesus gave Peter three opportunities to undo his mistake. Even when our big feelings of guilt bubble inside of us, we can remember that Jesus, as he did with Peter, will always forgive us. And, in being forgiven, we can let those big feelings wash away like waves in the ocean.
Invite your children to pray with you, repeating after you (or you can invite your children to pray for your family).
Dear God, thank you for breakfasts on the beach, for the boats that we can fish in, and for forgiving me. If I do something wrong, help me remember that you will always forgive me and that you will always love me. We’ll talk to you later. Amen.