Contemporary Christian day schools are filled with fear because Christ and something else have taken strong root. The results include dominating human-centered busy-work around ‘what to do’ to solve problems and concerns, and artificial constructs of control (i.e. exclusivity, legal rigidity, group norm, traditionalism, denominationalism, etc.) intended to soothe fears. Graciously Unapologetic was written to ‘out’ the fears that dominate the organizational landscape of Christian education; and as a clarion call to build and/or rebuild ‘a way of being’ around a singular vision of loving toward Christ alone with a commitment to Truth boldly proclaimed and Grace made lavishly accessible in a spirit of Christian liberty – which is to be done with Biblical order rather than through human control.
The book begins by suggesting a renewed model with Christ alone at the center. The model also reflects the teaching of Christ in content and process to the children of believers and of those drawn from ‘afar off’ (Acts 2:39). The author provides a careful Scriptural study to demonstrate that a return to Christ alone will result in the obedient inclusion of children of sojourners in Christian schools, if they desire to be fully representative of believing communities in the Old and New Testaments. This is done through a thorough investigation of Greek and Hebrew words used to describe the non-professing members of such community.
To convey how it is possible to include the sojourner from a practical and organizational standpoint, the author explores the application of Scriptural boundaries with respect to covenant community and demonstrates how these are to be applied using the New Testament principle of love. Such a school will be blessed with the fruit of God’s promise – the power and presence of Christ in spiritual renewal, and if by God’s design, also in organizational sustainability.
Graciously Unapologetic goes further to provide Scriptural clarification of words (i.e. grace, truth, and love) whose meanings have grown fuzzy in definition and which are widely spoken as though auditory utterances are equivalent to organic representations. Renewed definitions might motivate and equip educators toward authentic and organic reflections of Christ, but the book goes much further to offer experiential insight and provide practical examples in all domains of school life.
The author contends that Christian education as Christian is in peril, but also that: “The fallen tree will be renewed at the root of Christ, and Christ alone. All believers throughout history are guilty of periods in which the paths of Christ and something else are chosen above what we perceive to be the higher-risk way of Christ only. It is only following sincere repentance for that fundamental error that Christian education will move forward unimpeded on a path of spiritual renewal. The frenzied angst surrounding our hand-wringing discussion of “what to do” in order to “save” the nest ignores the reality that nestlings cannot rest in or learn to fly from any nest built in a tree whose trunk is fallen very near the ground and whose roots are rotting. Christ alone stands ready to restore the root and nourish the tree; the fruit of the promise follows obedience to the command”.
**Join us for our CACE Innovation Lab Webinar with Deborah Benson on September 20 @ 11 am Eastern.**
