A strong man. A devoted wife. Together, they are inspiring through music. Plus, winning the heart of their first-born, a responsive three-year old named Lilly. With Dad’s Day, I wanted to pass on some special ways parents can give their children the blessing of a big, beautiful faith.
From the moment I first heard Miles Pike on stage three years ago and met his amazing wife backstage, I was impressed with them. With twins on the way that day, Martha wrangled a tired toddler on her hip as we talked. I always have a heart for strong women, especially given what women often do behind the scenes. My first impression of their little daughter, Lily, was how adorable she is. And strong, too, like her parents.
Inspiring Through Music
These two parents travel the world together inspiring through music. Plus, together they coach their kids in specific ways designed to grow big, beautiful faiths in each child. What are their secrets for winning the heart of a child? How do they inspire their own children through music?
Naturally, I couldn’t wait to get Miles on Fireside Talk Radio so you, too, could hear his deep thoughts how a love of music can serve your kiddos. You’re gonna love the stories this tender-hearted daddy tells about winning the heart of their three-year-old first, with the twins close behind.
Clearly, I’m musically-challenged, but Miles didn’t disappoint. He jumped right with a topic a word nerd like me finds irresistible: breaking down big, churchy words.
Catechism? What in the Heck is THAT?
Catechism is a big churchy word that no one seems to use anymore. If winning the heart of a child is on your agenda, you’re gonna love this stuff. How do you inspire through music as a catechism?
“I’ll simplify it for an East Texas boy,” he laughs, when I begin asking him questions. Miles grew up right down the road from me in Jacksonville, Texas. Even though the guy’s a scholar, I know our conversation is going to be down-to-earth, East Texas style.
Catechism as Fun Bedtime
“I looked at several definitions,” he begins. “Catechism is a word that goes way, way back in church history. The way that you can understand it as simply as possible; it’s a summary of Christian principles in the form of questions and answers.” He enthusiastically adds a personal note.
“I’ve been going through a catechism book with her (Lilly) as soon as she was able to speak. A year, year and a half. We got seriously into it.”
Okay, but most of us old folks groan remembering the drilling we took in Catechism Class as children. Not Miles. Somehow he and Lilly think catechism is fun. Yes, fun.
Deep Questions. Heart-felt Answers.
Right now their family turns to Tim Keller’s New City Catechism for inspiration. Keller reworked a very old catechism to suite young people.
“I even super-simplified it,” Miles adds. He asks Lilly simple questions like the following.
‘Who is God?”
“Creator,” she responds.
“What did God create?”
Her answer. “Everything.”
“Why did God create us?”
“For His glory.”
Now this isn’t about brainwashing kids. Instead, it’s about giving your child the vocabulary they need to ask their questions about spiritual things at a very deep level. Plus, having the right vocabulary allows them to follow the conversations adults have all around them about faith, according to Miles. (Find a list of more resources Miles loves for his family at the end of today’s blog.)
I couldn’t wait to find out how Miles and Martha are combining this time-tested teaching method with music. (Find his music here. Request a concert booking here.)
Music as a Catechism For Children
Miles keeps coming right back to how the fun they’re having as a family together is paying off.
“It’s very short answers for her, but she has 52 questions memorized from that book. And then, we’ve got the Lord’s prayer memorized, the Ten Commandments memorized, Psalm 23 memorized, and several little Bible songs,” he reports happily.
Next, he quotes a favorite verse he puts on all his CDs when folks want them autographed.
“Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.”
~Colossians 3:16 (NKJV, italics mine)
“That’s a commands to all Christians, certainly to all families,” Miles says, defining the types of songs for us. “It’s through categories of singing.”
- Psalms—“The psalms are obviously the 150 Psalms we have in the Old Testament. We’re commanded to know them, to sing them, to identify with them,” he explains.
- Hymns—“Then hymns are the songs that—like we talked about before in the last episode—go all the way back, tying us to millennium and centuries of church history.” (Find more about how hymns convey truth in last week’s blog.)
- Spiritual Songs—“And then spiritual songs are songs that more help us to articulate the Christian life. That aren’t so much catechesis in a musical sense but they just express our emotions.”
Hymns that “Catechize”
He spontaneously lists a few examples of hymns that “catechize” (teach us about faith in God).
- Revive Us Again teaches us about the Trinity, according to Miles.
- How Firm a Foundation “about the doctrines of the Word of God; each verse deals with different elements of it (doctrine),” he says.
- This Is My Father’s World “teaches us about a beautiful but broken world and helps us deal with that.”
Then, he cites a couple of modern hymns.
- How Deep is the Father’s Love for Us “teaches about substitutionary atonement.”
- In Christ Alone “is Romans Chapter 8,” he says, paraphrasing, “For I am convinced that nothing will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
“And I could go on and on,” he exclaims. “If it’s a good song, it’s going to talk about the doctrine of the church!”
Like I said, the guy’s a scholar. I just thought I liked hymns because they reminded me of why I love God. Now, I’m rethinking how grandparents can incorporate hymns more intentionally into family times. At my house, yep, this probably involves tambourines.
Most importantly, Miles emphasizes to talk deeply and intimately with your spouse about all the details of life. “Certainly about your children.”
I wanted to include all he said about the “anemic national church scene” in America, but I ran out of room in today’s blog. I hope you will tune into the podcast for his thoughts on how churches can go from anemic to empowered.
A Family Bedtime Story
At bedtime, he always reads the question, then the paragraph in the book. Next, he repeats the question and pauses. This allows Lilly to answer with the shortened, age-appropriate answers he created just for her. He describes a recent moment when he went through their routine and got a surprise answer.
“I was fixing to give her my shortened answer. Without any cues and any hesitation, she gave me her own answer. I want you to think about a 2 1/2 year-old coming up with this on her own,” he says, pausing for affect.
The question was “What is the Church?”
Her own spontaneous answer in her little two and half year old voice? “God’s chosen people.”
“I don’t think a theologian could have summarized it any better than that,” laughs her proud papa. “I asked her again because I thought I must have misheard. There’s no way she got this from me. We’ve not talked about this before.”
However, they’ve immersed their children in church, concerts, catechism at home, and the scripture.
“She came up with that at 2 1/2 on her own,” he says.
Building Faith and Confidence Together
Imagine the self-esteem of a child who at the age of three already knows she is chosen by the creative and loving Father God. To know God and realize God seeks her out at such an early age!
“They’re an absolute joy,” Miles emphasizes about all three of their kids. But he’s also aware he and Martha enjoyed the benefit of godly parents and lots of good input from wise friends as they became parents.
“But maybe you’re a new Christian and you’re not sure where to go with this,” he adds. “I want to list a handful of resources. So you can back this podcast up, jot them down. Save them, go google them. They’ll be invaluable to you.” (I put his list at the end of today’s blog for you and for myself!)
One More Lilly Story
And we wanted to share one last story from Lilly, my new favorite three-year-old Bible student.
“Lilly has gotten into this habit where she will say she wants something and then change her mind. She wants it and then she doesn’t; she wants it and she doesn’t,” he begins. “So we’ve been memorizing, without a song, just memorizing the verse, ‘A double-minded man is unstable in all his ways.”
Recently, she changed her mind after he gave her something she said she wanted.
“Lily, a double…” he began his usual reminder.
“A double-minded man is unstable. And I’m unstable…,” she spontaneously sang in conclusion. In our interview, Miles demonstrated her happy little lilt in his best falsetto.
“She turned it into a song! But also put herself in it,” he exclaims with delight. “That was a big laugh out loud moment for this dad!”
I bet it won’t be long before Lilly is helping mommy and daddy compose their original gospel songs!
Bearing Fruit. Inspiring Faith.
“Whatever their age, this is the time to begin to plant seeds of truth so they will bear fruit as they are older,” he concludes.
I’m thankful for the seeds of truth he planted in my heart through our interview.
Finally, don’t forget to hug the good Dads you love. Happy Father’s Day to all of you who fill father roles in the lives of another generation of kids and grandkids. We are grateful for all the was you demonstrate the unfailing love of our good Father in heaven.
🙂
Cathy
We LOVE to hear from YOU!
What hacks have you discovered for inspiring through music? How are you fighting to win the hearts of the next generation? What do you remember from your childhood, impacting you in a positive way forever?
May we pray together?
Dear good Father, You model what it means to be a parent. You love us unreservedly with unfailing, devoted love. Oh, how we respond to You in gratitude. And we still sometimes we disobey Your good plans for us with utter impunity. Have mercy on us and teach us to be more like You, our good parent. Let us cling to the Truth found in Your Son. Teach us to sing for joy. Bless us now because that’s Your heart’s desire. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
Miles’s Favorite Resources
- New City Catechism – Tim Keller
- Truth And Grace – Thomas Ascol – Founders Press
- Steve Green – Hide’em In Your Heart 1 & 2
- Michael Card
- Gettys Kids Hymnal
- Metrical Psalter – Julie & Timothy Tennent
- The Miles Pike Podcast
Write a Review
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- For Marriage Conversations: https://Amazon.com/review/create-review?&asin=1936501562
- For The Well: https://www.amazon.com/review/create-review?&asin=B08M4G1Q6Z
Cathy Krafve, Speaker, Blogger, Podcaster, and author of The Well: The Art of Drawing Out Authentic Conversations and Marriage Conversation: From Coexisting to Cherished. We invite you to join the Fireside Tribe. Truth with a Texas Twang
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