All I Really Need to Know I Learned in Sunday School

Meditation on Matthew 7:24-29

First Presbyterian Church of Smithtown, NY

Pastor Karen Crawford

June 23, 2024

Sunday School Recognition Day

Some years ago, Robert Fulghum had a best-selling book called, All I Really Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten. Does anyone remember that book? I found a list of things he said that he learned. Do you agree with these? Nod if you do.

Share everything.
Play fair
Don’t hit people.
Put things back where you found them,
CLEAN UP YOUR OWN MESS.
Don’t take things that aren’t yours.
Say you’re SORRY when you HURT somebody.
Wash your hands before you eat.
Flush.
Warm cookies and cold milk are good for you.
Live a balanced life – learn some and drink some and draw some and paint some and sing and dance and play and work everyday some.
Take a nap every afternoon.
When you go out into the world, watch out for traffic, hold hands, and stick together.
Be aware of wonder. Remember the little seed in the Styrofoam cup: The roots go down and the plant goes up and nobody really knows how or why, but we are all like that.
Goldfish and hamster and white mice and even the little seed in the Styrofoam cup – they all die. So do we.
And then remember the Dick-and-Jane books and the first word you learned – the biggest word of all – LOOK. [1]

As I prepared for this day when we recognize the caring labor and inspiration of Sunday School teachers and the faith and growth of our students, I thought about everything I learned in Sunday School as a child, growing up in a Lutheran congregation in Maryland. Yes, all that we learned in kindergarten is important for our lives, but we learned some of those same lessons in Sunday School—and so much more. Here’s some of what I learned in Sunday school:

“Jesus Loves Me, This I Know!” We learned this through the singing of the song at our Sunday School opening and through the study of all the gospel stories of Jesus and the good things he did, and how he tried to teach his disciples to be loving like him. We learned about Jesus’ love through the welcome and kindness of all our teachers. I might not remember their names today, but I do remember they were nice.
Sunday School tastes good. Snacks and drinks—especially when the weather was warm in our unair-conditioned classrooms—were important to us. Don’t underestimate the power of one cookie or graham cracker on a beverage napkin and a juice box to set a joyful tone for the class.
Sunday School is social. It’s about people! We made friends with children older and younger than we were in multiage classrooms, children who didn’t attend the same schools that we did. We only saw them when we went to Sunday School, but we knew each other’s names, sometimes their brothers and sisters, and they were our friends, just the same.
Sunday School is fun. We laughed and played games.
Sunday School is also school, a place of study. We brought our Bibles to class and learned to read by studying the Old Testament and New Testament. We learned BIG words and some old-fashioned ones we don’t hear anywhere else, such as “begat.” We learned to ask questions about our reading and looked for meaning in the text and application for our lives today.
Sunday School is inclusive and not competitive. There are no grades or tests, no pass, no fail. What a relief for some children who struggle with academic tasks! Children of all abilities are accepted and helped in Sunday School. But there are expectations for behavior. We learned to obey our teachers, listen to one another, and wait to speak in turn, raising our hands, sitting on small chairs at children-size tables or on a large carpet on the floor, coloring our Bible story handouts, and making crafts with scissors and colored paper, cotton balls and popsicle sticks, and, of course, Elmer’s glue all.
We learned that God likes it when we pray and listens to our prayers. We learned how to pray, with one person talking at a time, heads bowed, eyes closed, hands folded. We learned The Lord’s Prayer. We learned to say thank you, every time we spoke to God, and especially before snack.

Looking back, I realize now that everything I learned in Sunday School helped to prepare me for ministry! And there was a big gap between Sunday School and seminary; I didn’t begin seminary until I was 40! But the seeds were sown when I was young. Can you imagine this could happen to any of our Sunday School children and youth today? I wonder what God has planned?

I am captivated by the imagery of the wise person in Matthew 7 building a house on solid rock. This passage comes near the end of Christ’s teaching to the crowds in the Sermon on the Mount. This is a great summary of the Christian life!

Jesus says, “Everyone, then, who hears these words of mine and acts on them will be like a wise man who built his house on rock. The rain fell, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall because it had been founded on rock.”

What were some of those teachings of the Sermon on the Mount, beginning in Matthew 5? The Beatitudes: “Blessed are the poor in spirit…. Blessed are those who mourn…. Blessed are the meek…. the merciful… the pure in heart…. the peacemakers….. Also, “You are the salt of the earth….You are the light of the world….And do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets; I have come not to abolish, but to fulfill.”

In his Sermon, Jesus brought a fresh interpretation to scriptures studied from childhood, beginning, “You have heard that it was said.”

“You have heard that it was said to those of ancient times, “You shall not murder,”…But I say to you that if you are angry with a brother or sister, you will be liable to judgment….so when you are offering your gift at the altar, if you remember that your brother or sister has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar and go, first be reconciled to your brother or sister….”

Jesus said, “You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.’ But I say to you, ‘Do not resist an evildoer. But if anyone strikes you on the right cheek, turn the other also….’” And, “You have heard it said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, ‘Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you so that you may be children of your Father in heaven.’”

“Don’t store up for yourselves treasures on earth, but store up treasures in heaven…”

“No one can serve two masters; no one can serve God and wealth.”

“Do not worry… .But strive first for the Kingdom of God and his righteousness and all these things (that we worry about) will be given to us, as well.”

And, “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.” And, “wolves may come in sheep’s clothing, but they are known by their fruits.”

Then we get to today’s scripture, which ties up everything Jesus has taught so far in what editors divided into 3 chapters. “You who listen and live by my teachings are the wise person who has built your house on the rock.”

No matter what happens in your life, friends—rain falls, floods come, winds blow and beat on your spiritual house—you will NOT fall or fail. You have the strong foundation of your faith in Jesus Christ and your commitment to living out your faith, as the Lord would have you do.

A song from Sunday School popped into my mind when I was studying this scripture this week. It was probably from when my children were in Sunday School. Pablo, can you and the choir help me? Maybe some people in our congregation know it….?

The wise man built his house upon the Rock,
The wise man built his house upon the Rock,
The wise man built his house upon the Rock,
And the rains came tumbling down.
The rains came down and the floods came up,
The rains came down and the floods came up,
The rains came down and the floods came up,
But the house on the Rock stood firm.

Last Tuesday night, the Session, our Treasurer, and some of the spouses gathered for a picnic at the manse. At one point, I looked around at the people sitting on lawn chairs eating, talking, and laughing, and I thought, “I bet everyone here went to Sunday School.” Just look at their faithfulness! They serve their church, their families, their communities through their professions and volunteering! They may be known by their fruits!”

Friends, while everything we learned in kindergarten has helped us live our lives, everything we learned in Sunday School has helped us live our lives of faith, answering the call to follow Jesus Christ.

And it all started when someone, long ago, welcomed us to a Sunday School class. Maybe we were scared to leave our families in church. But then they smiled at us, shared the words of Jesus and the stories of God, offered us food, drink, and friendship, and taught us, “Jesus Loves Me, This I Know.”

Will you pray with me?

Holy One, thank you for your love and for our Sunday School teachers—those who nurture the faith of our young disciples and help build a good foundation for the Christian life. Stir each of us, Lord, to gratitude for those who taught us and all the inspiring lessons that we have learned—all of your words that have made us better people today. Then, embolden us all to be teachers and builders of hope and faith in our next generations. Lead us to bear the fruit of this good foundation we have had, beginning in childhood, and be like the wise person who built their house upon rock. In Christ we pray. Amen.

[1] Robert Fulghum, All I Really Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten: Uncommon Thoughts on Common Things, 15^th Anniversary Edition (Ballantine Books,2004) 1.