I have been working on Essential Questions with Christian schools for a number of years now. Asking questions is a gracious way to invite people into a conversation. Jesus used questions in many different ways, but in each it was a way to cause those being asked to move to a higher plane of reflection, engagement, and dialogue. Jesus’ questions … Read More
Praying to handle the truth
2 Timothy 2:15: “Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth.” The Scriptures mostly teach us by example: people in situations like our’s that learn how to deal with the same things we’re going through. The Bible as it has … Read More
Praying to not boast
For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast. Ephesians 2: 8-9 Grace is Paul’s word. He uses it about a hundred times in the New Testament documents that have come down to us. He uses it to try … Read More
Will We Earn the Honor of Future Generations by Standing for Truth and Justice?
French sociologist Alexis de Tocqueville visited America in the heyday of the 1830s and immediately saw the source of her strength: Americans, he wrote in Democracy in America, do not assume that government exists to solve their problems. Rather, they created flourishing institutions (families, churches, clubs, aid societies, and so forth) to solve those problems at the level closest to … Read More
Praying to hold, know and be free
To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” (John 8: 31-32) People often quote the second verse, not knowing it’s Jesus. As always, it is worth paying attention to the context. To be a disciple … Read More
Two Types of Wisdom and the Christian School
I recently read a blog post featuring an excerpt entitled “How Productivity Advances the Gospel” from a book by Matt Perman- What’s Best Next: How the Gospel Transforms the Way You Get Things Done. Perman’s exposition of the two types of wisdom go directly to the heart of the content and process of a holistic Biblical integration of faith and life … Read More
But I’ve Earned the Right To…
The older I get and the more tread comes off my tires, the more my eyes are opened to my warped sense of identity and value. As I rewind the story of my career as an educator and educational leader, I witness far too many scenes where I have fallen prey to a defensiveness in the face of conflict and … Read More
Praying to not leave
From this time many of his disciples turned back and no longer followed him. “You do not want to leave too, do you?” Jesus asked the Twelve. Simon Peter answered him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. We have come to believe and to know that you are the Holy One of God.” … Read More
Q and A with Pastor John Lee: A Response to “Why We Cover Silage Piles”
We were pleased to receive considerable positive feedback regarding Pastor John Lee’s sermons on Christian Education. Below are a selection of the thought-provoking questions from readers and responses by Pastor Lee. Thank you for engaging with CACE as we question and explore the challenging role of Christian Education and strive “to narrow that gap between the ideal and reality” as … Read More
Playing at Eternal Things
I am sorry to say that I had not read any book by Frank Gaebelein until I recently picked up a copy of Exploring the Bible off of a friend’s library shelf. Reading this work reminded me of the value of the Christian classics just as we see the value of other classics in literature. Gaebelein’s ideas on Christian education … Read More