Sunday School Discussion

Every Sunday School the 'what abouts,' and 'think of this,' and 'yes but its seems' map a web of subtle course corrections creating what the lesson will be about. How is it possible this room of amateur gospel scholars can reconvene week after week without their disputes building into permanent multi-generational rifts? Rather, in just 45 minutes, agree? Personally I'm pained when the lesson goes wrong. I squirm. My hand pops up. I want to fix it. In that moment it wouldn't take much provocation to get me to fight, to storm off in a huff, to leave the church. Its serious business getting the lesson right. Then so very often a neutral "Okay" from the teacher pacifies me. It seems fine, dandy and normal at the time but now I look back and think its impossible such a meager bone could satisfy me. Mostly I simply forget, letting it fall away into the petty oblivion it belongs. But when do we actually put petty disputes of opinion into the oblivion they belong?

Its the Spirit! The Comforter, calming our minds. I'm slower to anger and quicker to forgive. So when the teacher says, "ok" as in "at least someone is participating" then I am ok, as in talked back down from the ceiling. Which lets me come back for more. The Spirit provides a buffer around the comments I say and hear. The process made easier by a group trying to bring the Spirit. When, in a huff, I decide to read the scriptures rather than hear the words I'm probably not being clever just prompted. So often I find something fascinating in the reading. I don't think I want discussions anywhere else, not safe. People say Sunday School is so pointless and why not rid ourselves of it. I think maybe not.

The Leaders of the Church aren't perfect - and that's okay

 I taught a fun Relief Society lesson (Teachings, ch.6) that helped me tease out why its okay to place such a great amount of faith in the President of the church, and other leaders. Even though there's (sometimes disturbing) evidence that they're human. When we say to you "follow the prophet", we're saying put your faith in the man who:

• has integrity and humility - the kind of man the Lord can work with
• has a determination to carry the message to all the world - the Lord grants our righteous desires
• was prepared for this role ("specially prepared, specially taught, specially equipped)
• is surrounded by leaders who share his determination and faith
• is a holy man - in other words men who are "set aside for a sacred purpose"
• will receive from Heavenly Father "the strength, power, wisdom, judgment, and inspiration to talk to Israel as they need to be talked to"
• presides as a representative of Heavenly Father 
• is sustained by the Lord
  

We are not relying on his perfection but in the fact that the Lord is working with him. The class made the greatest list, this just a portion. Reassuring.