(45.) Z is for Zest “He who has the faith has the fun!” If G. K. Chesterton was right, Christian schools need to make sure they are not operating with a personality defect. Being salt of the earth has many functions,including that of being a preservative, a peacemaker between people, an ancient home remedy for …
(44.) Y is for Yarn Remember that old fanciful term for a compelling story? In fact, a yarn is often synonymous with tales of high adventure, intrigue and the imagination. Tragically, schools have retreated from their ancient role as centers of storytelling, and education has consequently left the stage bare for the rationalists, utilitarians and …
(43.) X is for X Marks the Spot Any avid reader of pirate stories can tell you the meaning of that familiar phrase. Wherever there are rare treasure maps, there will be a much anticipated X. As we all know, the X reveals the general placement of the valuables, the hidden booty, the sole reason …
(42.) W is for Wildlife Refuge Many Christians believe that the perfect school is akin to a hothouse, a place where, protected by a bubble and nurtured by an ideal climate, young plants are nursed into a life of fruitfulness and prepared for the inevitable storms of life. I believe this hothouse image is troublesome …
(41.) V is for Virtue Certainly one of the pillars of a Christ-centered school is the role of helping the students to develop a godly conscience. Surrendering to goodness is a gradual process for each of us, so naturally moral education has its share of ups and downs in every school, Christian or not. Is …
(40.) U is for Unity of Curriculum “Everything, I am profoundly convinced, is connected with everything else; the universe, my life, the past, the future, all this is a oneness, in which each part bears a relation to each other part… I see in the world, this phenomenal world, in nature, in the achievements of …
(39.) T is for Time What a mystery time is. Somehow God created time out of thin air, from somewhere outside of time itself. Earthly existence is bound by time as chronos, but then again our eternal souls have unrestricted time too… kairos. In responsibly managing our time, we somehow juggle those two time systems …
“God knew what he was doing from the very beginning. He decided from the outset to shape the lives of those who love him along the same lines as the life of his Son. The Son stands first in the line of humanity he restored. We see the original and intended shape of our lives …
(38.) S is for Servants in Charge Jesus once mentioned a mini-parable with maxi-meaning. It is a little story about a regal homeowner who left his servants in charge of his property during an extended trip away. (Mark 13:34). This seems to be a clear picture of the in-between time in which we are living …
(37.) R is for Relationships Learning is all about making connections, between people, within each person and within the studies themselves. Education is a complex web of these relationships which then capture the truth and enable the learner to pounce on it and digest it. A school’s web of relationships might include: Teacher with student: An …
(36.) Q is for Quest “Tell the truth, but tell it slant,” says Emily Dickenson. Be real, but communicate reality from the side, through the imagination, I think she is saying. And that’s how life lessons are learned. There is no better way to prime a student’s mind and spirit for the challenges of life …
(35.) P is for Personhood “Yahweh God shaped man from the soil in the ground and blew the breath of life into his nostrils, and man became a living being… God created man in the image of himself, in the image of God he created him, male and female he created them.” (Genesis 2:7, 1:27, …