This week, I don’t have super lengthy answers to these questions. Here they are in no particular order:

Do pets go to Heaven?

Would it be heaven without our pets? For me, no it would not be heaven without my pets there. I take comfort in that answer and I hope it’s true. See how my dog sleeps most of the day and never has to cook, I think he’s currently in heaven. It could be our job to get where our pets already are.

I struggle with how evil we can be to one another. What is it about human nature that has such a need to discriminate?

Me, too. Just when I think we’ve visited all manner of evil, I seem to learn about some new way we’re discriminating or have in the past. Why this is… well, the short answer; sin. We’ve been awful to each other since there were only 4 people on the planet (metaphorically speaking). Cain couldn’t take Abel being favored, so Cain murdered his brother and then asked, “Am I my brother’s keeper?” The answer is YES! YES, we are our siblings keeper. The evil will keep happening until we have sympathy for all people as our sibling of God, a fellow child.

How can I ensure my child will be a follower of Christ?

By modeling Christ-like behavior. That’s what I’m banking on. I hope my children will do what Christ did: hang out with all the wrong people, plead for the poor, the oppressed, the marginalized. Love something bigger than their own latest opinion and their neighbor as themselves. If they happen to do this with a UCC church, that’d be great! If they find another denomination or even if they make it their profession, however they are Christ to the world, I will try to find and celebrate it.

I think we tried the “children should be seen and not heard” approach. We’ve tried the “let’s guilt them endlessly about going to church” and I don’t think that has really worked for us. Let’s try modeling and celebrating. Positive reinforcement. Teaching them bible stories and morals both here at church, at VBS and Sunday school, and as frequently as you can at home. Speak your faith. Live your faith. They will see the appeal and follow after.