Education Information

In previous posts I have admitted my woeful relationship with education.  My lack can be attributed to laziness and disinterest but a bit of the blame goes to not understanding the building blocks of education in the first place. 

I always thought that math, science and composition were studied to simply gain knowledge of the subject.  Then another was studied and so on until a degree was obtained.  The eventual outcome of course was a career in one’s field of interest be that garage mechanics, home management, teaching, engineering or vocational ministry. 

Only recently have I learned that subjects are not an end in themselves but provide an avenue for acquiring the building blocks of education.  These building blocks include understanding the principles and rules of a subject, examining and discussing how ideas relate, learning to think logically, and expressing oneself persuasively through various means (grammar, dialectic, logic, rhetoric).  More than acquiring information of specific subjects, a well-rounded student acquires the foundation for becoming a lifelong learner whose horizons are expanded.   

 

Beyond education I wonder if we haven’t inadvertently taken this same approach in the church.  In collecting information about the Bible, have we neglected or even abandoned the purpose of the studies in the first place?

The systematic studies of last things, the temple, 1 John, the parables and angels are not an end in themselves.  Collecting information about the Bible is not the main point.  Instead the real point is to study in order to intimately and consistently know God, to be lifelong learners of the Way, to accurately and humbly communicate the Message, to recognize the mysterious hand of God crisscrossing our lives and to have our spiritual horizons expanded in Him.

Instead of just a belief system we have a way of life that bursts forth form our beliefs.  It is not static information but life giving revelation.   It is a compelling and coherent.  It is formed deep in the soul and shaped in the faith community.  It expresses itself in mission.  

“What If…?”

 I heard an author make the point that when screenwriters and novelists get stuck they ask the “What if…?” question.  “What if a meteor falls from the sky? or What if the protagonist falls in love?” 

From there he encouraged and challenged families to sit down together and ask fifteen “What if…?” questions.  “What’s going to happen if you do this experiment is that about two days later a couple of those things will stick in your brain and you will not be able to not do it.  Because you will realize there is a beautiful story waiting for you that you didn’t know you could live.”

So on this uncharacteristically cool July Saturday while we looked out across our back lawn and Christina made herself a cup of chia tea I asked, “What if we owned a big house?”  It set off a firestorm of response.   

“We would open it up for young adults to live with us in community” was our immediate answer.  “Who do you think would be interested in living with us?”  “I’ve been texting with one of our former student friends…maybe she would.”  “And there are others who have expressed interest in the past.”  

Then we wondered how the community would look.  “They could have responsibilities as well as having the jobs they were working.”  “Of course we would have to charge some rent.”  Diana chimed in that it would be a full time job just to keep meals going.  “Maybe we could have a person who could come as the cook,” I offered. 

“Would we get that big house we like down the street?” someone asked.  “That was a nice house, wasn’t it?”  Diana pointed out, “We would need to have a bedroom with a private bathroom and a setting area so we could have personal space when we needed it.”  “How would I fit into the community?”  Christina wanted to know. 

“We should have some bigger purpose than just living together” I said.  Diana came in with an idea, “We could all read a book or listen to something and discuss it.  Everyone would come with the understanding that participation is part of the community.”  I added, “We should start a church, too, so that there is opportunity to live out our discoveries in a wider community.” 

Christina asked the ultimate question, “Are we just talking or are we serious about this?”

Not a bad start for one question about owning a big house I would say.  

Memo

Memo

To: the ladies who discuss theological and philosophical issues on Sunday afternoons

From: K.E.H

Date: 7/12/2014

Topic: questions for discussion

·         Do I see myself primarily as a “saved sinner” or a “saint who still sins”?

·         When I talk to God, do I spend more time rehearsing my failures or enjoying His presence?

·         Am I drawn to severe authors and preachers who challenge me to “get serious about sin” or those who encourage me to trust this new identity in me?

·         Am I drawn to messages telling me I haven’t done enough or those that remind me of who I am so that I’m free to live out this life God’s given me?

·         Do I trust disciplines to make me strong or grace to strengthen me?

·         Do I read the Bible as “You ought. You should. Why can’t you? When will you?” or as “You can.  This is who you now are.”

Ladies, Diana and I have been reading a book entitled The Cure by John Lynch.  It encourages us to live out of our true identity in Christ through a narrative that explores the difference between living in the Room of Good Intentions and the Room of Grace. 

Across the facade of the building that houses the Room of Good Intentions there is a sign that reads: Striving Hard To Be All God Wants Me To Be and an embroidered banner inside reading: Working On My Sin To Achieve An Intimate Relationship With God.

Similarly for the Room of Grace with the front reading:  Living Out Of Who God Says I Am, and the banner: Standing With God, My Sin In Front Of Us, Working On It Together. 

The questions came from this book and should give you ample reasons for a good discussion the next time you’re together.  

Ladies Luncheon

The sermon was over.  It was one that featured the story of a man born blind and the judgmental assumptions made about him because of his blindness.  From it our pastor reminded us that, “being analyzed often feels like abandonment.”   

The meal was over.  After the service the meeting room had been transformed into a dining room with the variety of food from chicken nachos to salad to egg rolls to desserts. 

Now I approached the table where my wife sat with a group of ladies.  “We’re being segregated today,” I said and then asked, “What is the ladies’ table talking about?”  A variety of answers came back at me along with a question of their own, “What should we be talking about?”  For the fun of it, I replied, “Something philosophical.”  “And if we were going to discuss something philosophical what might that be?” one of them asked. 

Not wanting to disappoint I posed this question, “Is the motivation for salvation only for individual benefit or can it also be for collective benefit? (Individual benefits might include personal forgiveness of sin, a personal relationship with Christ, heaven, deliverance from my sinful struggles, receiving a new life.  Examples of collective benefits might include a community flourishing because someone is present who has an intimate relationship with Christ, blessings to others because of the person’s salvation, ongoing harmfulness to family being broken and restoration of relationships, an open invitation for others to receive this same forgiveness and salvation.)

Is it possible for the motivation of salvation to be primarily for the community and secondarily for the individual?  What about cultures like Mexico that place greater value on the collective group ahead of individualism?  What does Paul mean when he tells the Philippian jailer “you will be saved—you and your household?”  In the biblical culture was a father’s decision impactful to the whole group?” 

Lots of conversation ensued. It was insightful and interesting to say the least.  I can hardly wait for the next segregated luncheon discussion.