Singing is a natural way to pass our faith on to our children. Church leader and theologian Augustine (354-430) said, "When you sing, you pray twice." My mom prayed twice by singing hymns to me. She often knew more of the tune than the words — and her tunes were sometimes off-key — but it didn't matter. I heard her "pray twice."

I can tell you what my mom believed about God — and what she hoped I would believe about God — by remembering the hymns she sang: "Amazing Grace"; "Savior, Like a Shepherd Lead Us"; and her favorite, "What a Friend We Have in Jesus."

Ironically it wasn't a parent who first sang "What a Friend We Have in Jesus" to a child. It was a son, Joseph Scriven, who wrote the hymn in 1855 to encourage his seriously ill mother. Scriven, who was from Ireland, definitely knew about the "sins and griefs" that he wrote about Jesus bearing. He lost two fiancées to death.

Jesus talks with his friends Mary and Martha in "No need to fuss" (February issue.)

What a friend we have in Jesus. Our little ones may be making their first friends right about now. Describing Jesus as a friend reminds our children that Jesus notices us and we notice him — like a new friend. Friends are exciting because they expand our lives and take us to new places.

When we encourage our children to make a friend of Jesus, we entrust them into the care of a friend who will lead them to places we can't imagine. At almost exactly the time that Scriven wrote "What a Friend We Have in Jesus," Elizabeth Fedde was born in Norway (see January issue, page 12). She was born on Christmas Day, so I'm sure she heard many carols sung to her.

Fedde grew up to be a deaconess. Her friend Jesus led her to New York City in 1883, where she founded a hospital and helped innumerable refugees. Every day she stepped out to help hurting children and adults. You can read her diary online. Jesus must have been her friend, otherwise she couldn't have carried his light to so many people.

Friendships made a difference for reformer John Calvin too (February issue, page 14). His friend Jesus led him to help his friends understand God and to teach people everywhere.

We hold our children and hum to them the hymns that hold us near. And then we find out that we were also singing these snippets of hymns to ourselves, "praying twice" that we will trust God to carry our children forever and forever.

OK, it's time to sing!