The buck stops here!

How many Christian parents know that religious instruction is our responsibility?  A responsibility that cannot be handed over to a church, a school, a Sunday school teacher.  It is our job, folks.  Ultimately, it is actually the father's job, but we mothers spend far more time each day with our children (especially we homeschool mothers) and so we should take on a share of that responsibility as well.

One thing I'm going to be starting in our homeschool is The Child's Scripture Catechism.  You can find it here at the Bluedorns' website, Trivium Pursuit.  We usually pray, then work on our AWANA sections, and then go straight to reading/spelling.  I think now we'll put the catechism before the AWANA sections.  Or maybe we'll do it just before bedtime?  I don't know for sure.  I haven't had a chance to discuss it with my husband yet, I'm still thinking about it.

A few sample questions...

1.  Who made us?
...the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground...  Genesis 2:7

3.  For what are we made?
...glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's...
1 Corinthians 6:20

17.  How can we learn to do what is right in God's sight?
Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way?  By taking heed thereto according to thy Word.  Psalm 119:9

66.  Is the Holy Ghost in Scripture called God?
...why hath Satan filled thine heart to lie to the Holy Ghost... Thou hast not lied unto men, but unto God.  Acts 5:3,4

118.  In whose name must we pray?
Whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name, he will give it you.  John 16:23

I'm thinking of memorizing one or two each week, with discussion about what they mean and a search for more Scripture on each topic.  I'll be using either NIV or NASB because those are the versions my children are memorizing.  In situations where the meaning, flavor or intensity/gravity of purpose seems to be too different from the original languages and/or the KJV, I dismiss the contemporary translations and stick with the trusty KJV.

Here's a good article on the LAF website (which prompted my post) that talks about the importance of teaching your children the basic tenets of our faith.  She uses a different catechism, which looks like it covers all the bases, but with the notable exception of leaving out Scripture references on which to base the answers.

I'd love to hear from you all about how you incorporate religious instruction into your daily lives!