Part 2: “Christian” – What Does This Word Really Mean?

Embedded in Shannon Forest Christian School's very name is the essence of who we are:  we are a Christian school. While there are differing opinions about what Christian schools "look like" or "act like," at its core identifying ourselves as a Christian school is a statement of being. While what we look like and how we live are important practical outworkings of our identity in Christ, it is our identity IN Christ that defines us as a Christian school.     

In his first letter to Timothy, Paul writes “Watch your life and doctrine closely…” Applying this to Shannon means that our desire is to be Christian in our beliefs and practice. These beliefs are summarized in our school's doctrinal statement, which represents the "non-negotiables" of who we are as a Christian school. Our doctrinal statement reads as follows:

The Scriptures of the Old and New Testament are verbally inspired by God and are of supreme and final authority in faith, life, and standards of education. (Isaiah 40:8; II Timothy 3:16, 17: II Peter 1:21).

The Scriptures teach that: 

§  There is one God who eternally exists in three equal Persons – Father, Son, and Holy Spirit (Matthew 28:19-20; Mark 12:29; John 1:1, 14; 10:30; II Corinthians 13:14).

§  God is the Creator and Sustainer of all things. He created the universe and all that is in it out of nothing (Genesis 1:1).

§  Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of God, is the Eternal Word manifested in flesh; He was conceived by the Holy Spirit, and born to the Virgin Mary; He is true God and true man (Isaiah 7:14; 9:6; John 1:1-2, 14, 18; 3:16; Luke 1:30-35; Philippians 2:5-8).

§  Christ died for our sins and for all who repent and believe in Him as Lord and Savior become children of God (John 1:29; Romans 3:25-26, II Corinthians 5:14 Hebrews 10:5-19; I Peter 2:24; 3:18: I John 1:7).

§  Christ rose from the dead; He lives on high as Head of the Church, and shall return to earth to judge the world and reign over all. At the second coming of Christ, all humanity will be physically resurrected: the saved to eternal life, and the lost to the eternal condemnation and separation from God (Luke 24:36-43; John 20:20; Acts 2:32; I Corinthians 15; Luke 16:19-31; II Corinthians 5:8-10; I Corinthians 3:11-15).

§  The Holy Spirit is the Third Person of the God-Head; He convicts men of sin, and regenerates believers unto a holy life; He is the Teacher of the Word of God; He is the Light of our minds, our affections, and our morals (John 16:7-11; 3:6, 14, 17).

§  Man was originally created in the image and likeness of God, man fell through disobedience and, as a consequence, lost his spiritual life, became dead in sin, and subject to the power of the devil. This spiritual death has been transmitted to the entire human race so that every man needs regeneration of soul, body, and mind. The renewed man in Christ is enabled to worship and serve God to enjoy Him forever (Genesis 1:1, Genesis 1:26; 2:17; 6:5; Psalms 14:1-3; 51:5; Jeremiah 17:9; John 3:6; 5-30; John 6:53; Romans 3:10-19; 8:6, 7; Ephesians 2:1-3, I Timothy 5:6; I John 3:5, 3:8).

§  God has acted to save people who have rebelled against Him, not because of anything external compelling Him, but it is “according to His great mercy” that “He has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of
Jesus Christ from the dead” (I Peter 1:3).

§  Salvation is by grace through faith alone. This saving faith is in the sacrificial and atoning life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ (Galatians 2:16; Ephesians 2:8; Romans 5:1; Romans 5:8-10, 19; John 11:25).

§  The Church, both universally and locally, is the spiritual body of which Christ is the Head. The church exercises Christ’s authority until His return. It is the Church which is entrusted with the sacraments of baptism and the Lord’s supper (Matthew 16:18; Ephesians 1:22-23; 4:11-16; 5:22-23; Colossians 1:18).

§  The family is God's agency for populating the earth with people who would love God and be loved by Him. Marriage and the family are God's ideas and as such, they are not open to human renegotiation or revision (Genesis 1:26-28; Genesis 2:18-24; Isaiah 54:5; Jeremiah 3:20; Ephesians 5:23).

§  Those whom God has saved are sent into the world by Christ as He was by the Father. Those so sent are ambassadors, commissioned to go make disciples and make Christ known to the whole world (Matthew 28:18-20; John 15:8; 17:18; 20:21; Acts 1; Romans 10:14-15; II Corinthians 5:18-20; Colossians 4:2-6; II Timothy 2:14-26).

If our school is to have any authenticity as a Christian school, there must be consistency between doctrine and "doing;" between belief and practice. Therefore, in tandem with the doctrinal statement, we believe that all employees and Board members must have a relationship with the Jesus Christ and adhere to the following Personal Lifestyle Statement:

A Christ-honoring lifestyle bearing the fruit of the Holy Spirit will be the standard for the faculty, staff, and Board of Shannon Forest Christian School. The faculty, staff, and Board members will embrace a lifestyle that is marked by the positive pursuit of personal holiness  (Galatians 5:18-25, Romans 14:13, I Corinthians 8:9-13, 10:31-32, I Thessalonians 4:4-6, Romans 8),

In addition, an employee of the Shannon Forest Christian School community shall:

§  Be an active, communing member in good standing of a local evangelical church, as evidenced by references from ministers and involvement in church worship and service.  

§  Practice Biblical principles of conflict resolution (Matthew 18:15-17; Galatians 5; Ephesians 4:29-32; Colossians 3:12, 14, 16).

§  Adhere to the moral principles of the Bible, which are considered by Shannon Forest Christian School as indisputable and wholly practical. We believe that God has written His law upon the hearts of all mankind (Romans 2:15; Jeremiah 31:33; Hebrews 8:10).

§  Follow the Biblical standards for sexual behavior. Immorality and promiscuity, including adultery, pre-marital sex, and homosexuality, violate the occupational requirement of being a Christ-like role model (Romans 12: 1-2, I Corinthians 6:12-20; Ephesians 4:1-22, 5:3-5; I Timothy 4:12; II Timothy 2:19-22).

§  Demonstrate obedience to the laws of government, evidence of one’s belief that God has ordained the authority of those in leadership over us (Romans 13:1-2).

§  Exercise responsibility and authority diligently and in humility as servant, sacrificial, accountable leaders. Genuinely care for and encourage those for whom we are responsible, with Christ as our model (Luke 22:25-26).

§  Agree to be known by our love (John 13:35, 1 Corinthians 13:2-8a).

The litmus test for us as a Christian school is the extent to which what we say we believe permeates the day-to-day life of our school and how we do things. Foremost, in all of our instruction, Shannon Forest is committed to teach the truth. Although Shannon does not exist solely to give instruction in the Bible, all of its instruction, in all subjects, is based upon the Word of God. The Bible is our authority, and we want to approach all of learning through the lens of Scripture.

Christian education puts God at the center of everything. Therefore, “a Christian School is not where a few ‘ornaments’ like prayer, chapels, and Bible class merely complement an otherwise secular education”  (Jim Drexler “Why Christian Education Matters” World). Being Christian in practice is not about outward boundary markers of behavior – let us not confuse the two. It is much deeper than that. We seek to live according to our calling, and our calling is to live transformed lives as a result of the completed work of Jesus on the cross. Our lives are lived based on Gospel motivation. In other words, we are no longer compelled by moralism or legalism, but rather by the desire to have lives that reflect in ever-greater measure the fruits of the Spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.

Our prayer is that Shannon Forest not be consecrated by outward symbols or adornments for show, but that our faith simply be displayed in how we live our lives.

Part 1: “Private” – What Does This Word Really Mean?

While mission statements are designed to focus and define, they are often filled with "big ideas" that have little impact on the life of an organization unless purposeful energy is put into translating those ideas into action.  As Head of School, I spend a lot of time thinking about the mission of Shannon Forest Christian School.  Recently, I began defining some of the terms we use to describe our school and giving thought to the implications these terms have on how we think about ourselves as a community.

One of the foundational distinctives of our school is that Shannon is private.  Being private affords us great latitude in defining our mission, yet often times we forget how important it is that we are a private school.  Most notably, being a private school allows us the incredible freedom to determine the best way to prepare our students.

As bureaucrats and unions argue over how to address the crisis in the American educational system, nothing of substance seems to change, and I am not optimistic that a solution is forthcoming.  There are too many factions, too many personal agendas, and no overarching goal. Thus, the solutions offered, be they Common Core, No Child Left Behind, or whatever flavor-of-the month is on the menu, are generic prescriptions that are of little value and use to schools.  Furthermore, these initiatives rob educators of motivation, energy and creativity that could be better spent teaching the very students entrusted to them.  As a private school, we do not have to get caught up in all of the noise associated with such government mandates, and we are free to focus on equipping our students for the future in the most relevant and comprehensive ways.

As we think about the term "private," I also think it is helpful to think about what "private" does not mean.  I often hear people define “private” as “exclusive” or “selective,” like a country club membership. There are private schools all over the country that take this exclusive, just-for-a-select-group-of-people approach, and unfortunately, it is the historical legacy of most of those private schools. At Shannon Forest, the emphasis on private is more about independence and our freedom to choose the educational experience that we deem best serves our mission. (See our mission below.)

The “why” of Shannon Forest should not be influenced by the changing culture or various political viewpoints. The governing influence of what kind of private school we are and will be is found in our choice to be a CHRIST-CENTERED school.  We have the freedom to choose the best approaches, techniques, methodology, and curriculum to fulfill our mission and prepare our students, and we can do all of that with a Christ-centered approach.

Yes, we are a private school and we are a community, although not an exclusive community. We are available to all, just as the Gospel is available to all. We will embrace the obligation this term places on us to chart the best course.  Excellence in executing our mission means that we simply cannot and will not follow the herd.

Next, we will consider the word “Christian” and what it means for our school community.

MISSION STATEMENT: Believing that God is truth and that in Him we find the source of all knowledge, the purpose of Shannon Forest Christian School is to engage students with true knowledge by providing quality education from an evangelical, Biblical perspective, thereby strengthening the Christian home and Church, and equipping students to influence culture and society for Jesus Christ.   

Guest Blog: Getting to the Heart . . .

Periodically throughout the school year, I meet with groups of parents.  Recently, during one such meeting, one of the parents shared a story that illustrates the role the school plays in the lives of students who feel they are being bullied.  I asked her to write up her story and allow me to use it on my blog.  As you read below, you will see how our school desires to reach the hearts of the children we minister to. 

"As any parent reading this knows, parenting is a constant teaching tool; a constant reminder that keeps us on our toes.  My family has been attending Shannon Forest (church, school, and/or both) for the better part of 12 years. We have children on both the East and West campuses and have been blessed beyond measure by the faculty and staff who have loved our kids and repeatedly pointed them to Christ.

As parents, we often feel strongly about our opinions and parenting perspectives. As believers, we talk about love and grace and BELIEVE it when we say it. However, when the rubber meets the road, what does that GRACE in action REALLY look like?

A few years back, our middle school-aged daughter was being harassed by a classmate. I did not become aware of it for many weeks as my daughter hoped it would just go away. One day I was on campus and found my daughter crying in the gym. Apparently that day had been an extra intense day of teasing resulting in some laughs in front of her peers. As a parent, how would you feel? As a mom, my first reaction was to march up to the student and give them a piece of my mind. I’d like to say the Spirit stopped me, but I will humbly admit it was my daughter who stopped me, fearing I’d make it worse.

As I walked away from the gym, I distinctly remember trusting that the school would “have her back.”  The question I had to ask myself was, “What does ‘having my daughter’s back’ look like here?” I made a few tearful phone calls to some of the school counselors and took some time to allow the Lord to heal my heart as I asked myself what outcome I really wanted here.

We knew the obvious outcome was that the harassing needed to stop. My child needed to feel secure during her school day. That concern was addressed by the school immediately. However, something else started to happen in my heart. I started to really begin to care and pray for the student who had been making life difficult for my child. I no longer felt angry. Instead, I felt a desire to not only restore my child to feeling happy, safe, and carefree amongst her peers, but I also wanted to restore the OTHER child to be the best they could be.

I thought a lot about myself. I thought about the gospel and this opportunity to live it out even when it was HARD. The world told me that this child deserved punishment; that this child deserved to feel as bad as my daughter had felt. After all, that’s justice and “they need to learn.”

In His sweet soft voice, Jesus reminded me that not a day goes by that I am not a recipient of His amazing UNMERITED grace. Because of the gospel, the Lord is committed to me and to restoring me even when I don’t deserve it.

Could I fight to have this child disciplined? Yes. Did this child owe my child an apology? Yes. Would these actions most likely cause a behavioral change? YES!   Didn’t I want more, though? Didn’t I want heart change?

I realized that REAL CHANGE IN THIS STUDENT COULD NOT AND WOULD NOT HAPPEN outside of the gospel.

My daughter did receive an apology. The leadership at Shannon was helpful and led the way in seeing the BIG picture. I hope that child harassing mine felt instruction and remorse. However, my desire is that remorse came as a result of the love and grace shown to this child because the result of that WILL be behavioral change. I will also be LASTING because it originates in the heart.

What a blessing it is to have our children attending an institution that values real and lasting change in the hearts of our students. I so appreciate that the leadership understands that getting to the heart is the only way to discover REAL growth and change and you can’t get there without the gospel."

Are We Equipping?

Below is an email I received from Katie Rollings, one of our parents and current School Board member:

Bob-

I attended a luncheon in Columbia on Tuesday, and I found myself sitting next to an individual who is a CPA by training, but works in Student Affairs at one of our state universities.  We talked about many things, but I took the opportunity to get her opinion on student preparedness for college in those areas that employers are most in need of finding:  innovation, problem solving, thinking outside the box, collaboration, etc.  I won’t go into her full answer via email, but suffice it to say that she had several comments of interest:

·         The incoming freshmen are woefully lacking in these skill sets (I don’t think that should be a surprise to you)

·         25% of incoming students are on medication…and not ADHD medication, etc.  but medication for anxiety and depression.  I was both stunned and saddened by that percentage and it prompted me to solicit her opinion on the role of parents in this trend (because I personally believe that parents bear much guilt for transferring responsibility for their happiness onto their children…quite inappropriately obviously). 

·         Parents are a significant problem for Offices of Student Affairs in higher education across the country.  She sees it first-hand every day.  Again, not surprising, but I found it so interesting to sit and actually talk to someone living it versus reading surveys and studies that speak to the same reality. 

It got me thinking about Shannon’s distinctives and about what our “sell” is.  I think it goes back in large measure to two terms we’ve already discussed:   private and Christian.  We have the flexibility to address real educational needs in our world unhampered by the directives of the State.   We also, as a Christian school, offer the hope of Christ to a generation of students who are stressed out, anxious, burdened and utterly NOT free in Christ…even if they are Christians.   School, by its very design, encourages competition and stress which, although not all bad, does rob education of its purer side:  the pursuit of Truth and excellence motivated by OUR very design (i.e. what we were made to do).  I identify with this tension namely because it was the blue print for my own salvation…a freeing of me from my own enslavement to performance and perfection.  Obviously, I still struggle (often in not so subtle ways) with the old demons, but the FREEDOM in Christ I realized at salvation was transformative and still is.

So, I found this conversation with this individual over lunch interesting to say the least.  To my knowledge she is not a believer, and we certainly did not talk about any of her observations in a Christian context.  It was on the drive home that I began to think about the unique role SFCS does and can play in some of these problems endemic to higher ed. 

Katie

Freedom to Fail

In spending time with Barbara DuGuid a couple of weeks ago, I keep coming back to the question of, “Do we give our kids the freedom to fail?” It’s a great question to ask, but the idea seems a bit counterintuitive. However, the more I have reflected on this idea the more it seems to resonate with me. When one considers the two possible outcomes we could want for our children – good judgment and a healthy walk with the Lord – and we spend some time thinking about how these traits are developed, we can arrive at the idea that they NEED freedom to fail. 

Let me develop these one at a time. Good judgment comes from experience. Specifically, it comes from exercising bad judgment, suffering the consequences, and subsequently learning from the experience. It is a three-step process, and we, as a Shannon Forest community, need to be a place that allows this to happen.

More than a decade ago, I was tasked with helping integrate a recently purchased company. This required me to manage people in two different locations for the first time. At the same time I began to report to a new boss. My new boss allowed me to make some bad decisions. They were neither catastrophic, nor were they good. I will never forget his counsel to me. He said, "Bob, you learn to make good decisions by making some bad decisions and learning from them." The remainder of that conversation focused on what I could learn.

Barbara reminded me how freedom to fail can help strengthen one’s walk with the Lord. My spiritual failure need not drive me to despair, but to the cross instead. There is no condemnation, no guilt, no shame, and no wrath for those in Christ. But there is still sin. Without a strong understanding of God's grace when we sin, and we WILL sin, we will repeat the cycle: condemnation, guilt, shame, and wrath. 

Romans 8 talks about how there is NO condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. Jesus has set us free! God has done what none of us could do – He condemned sin in the flesh. Without the freedom to fail, we teach our children (and our students at Shannon Forest) to project self-righteousness and then hide behind it.  Freedom to fail allows us to teach repentance, forgiveness, and GRACE! It reminds us all how great a Savior we have in Jesus.

Consumers or Contributors?

The trillion dollar marketing industry tells us to be consumers.  Consumption is our way of life, be it shopping, eating, or relationships.  In fact I would state that it is seldom that we make a decision not based on being a consumer.  How do I know?  The fundamental question we all seem to ask is how will this benefit me? If there is no perceived personal utility, then we don't want it.  I would not much care if this was limited to stuff, although there is plenty to consider in this realm.  No, what concerns me is that this mindset permeates our relationships.  Our marriages, friendships, communities, church membership, even family; they all are seriously undermined by consumers.

The Bible tells us to be contributors. Re-read Genesis 12.  Salt and light.  Servant.  Not what do I get, but what do I give.  How can I serve? Think for a moment how thinking like a contributor would transform your key relationships.

What’s Your Why?

While recently attending the annual ISM conference in Stowe, VT, I was blessed to work with headmasters, asst. headmasters and executive directors, from across the country. The purpose of our workshop was to define the many-faceted roles of the asst. headmaster and the importance of the position in supporting the mission of the school. This was a wonderful opportunity for us to share with each other the challenges, responsibilities, and realities of leading a community of learners. Our conversations covered a broad range of topics that went far beyond those dealing with operations and advancement and included building effective relationships, cultivating a strong school culture, and redesigning the traditional school model to better meet the needs of today’s students.

During this time, we also examined Simon Sinek’s concept of “The Golden Circle.” In his book, Start with Why, Sinek argues that great organizations seem to create their foundation by first addressing Why they exist, then How they go about their mission, and then finally, What they do. This idea, he purports, can be applied to both organizations (such as schools) and individuals. People don’t buy What you do or How you do it as much as they buy Why you do it. There are myriad companies that sell the same product, just as there are myriad schools that teach the same things in the same way. Those that stand apart, and are the most effective, are those who are able to convey to their constituents the value of their mission; they clearly articulate Why it is significant.

While I agree with Sinek’s argument that it is vital to understand your Why, I believe we must begin with understanding Who it is we’re serving and what needs they have that must be met. In order to do this, we must know them on a very personal level, and the best way to do that is to enter into a relationship with them. Therefore, the foundation of any successful organization, be it a business, a school, or even a classroom, must begin with forming strong relationships.

So, who are you serving? Why are you doing so? How are you doing it? What are you doing to meet their needs? 

At the end of the day, people don’t want to know what you do or how you do it, they really want to know why you exist.

- Guest Blogger, Thomas Riddle, VP & US Administrator

Teachers Have Summer Reading, Too?

It should come as no surprise that Shannon Forest does not shut down completely in the summer.  Not only are the staff and administration working to prepare for the following school year, but everyone - faculty and staff - has summer reading just like the students.  Each summer we read two books that focus on a different theme.  Since we are a school, one of the books is usually about cognitive development and its implications for learning.  This year we are reading Brain Rules: 12 Principles for Surviving and Thriving at Work, Home, and School by John Medina.  Hopefully the practical advice and knowledge contained in this fascinating book will help maximize the educational experience and learning here at SFCS.

Our second book focuses on the component of our mission that states that we will equip students to influence society and culture for Christ.  Last summer we discussed how we can be a "faithful presence" as faculty and staff - how we can be salt and light in our school community.  This summer we are reading Extravagant Grace: God's Glory Displayed in our Weakness by Barbara Duguid.  This book is a powerful and challenging read and presents an understanding of God's grace that is truly liberating.

As a team, we have had several meaningful conversations about this book already, so we decided to contact the author.  I was able to connect with Barbara this week and we chatted on the phone for 15 minutes.  Our conversation was so good that I invited her to visit us here in Greenville and share more with our community about how she came to a greater understanding of grace.  Amazingly she said YES!

So mark your calendars for Thursday, September 4, 2014, at 7:00 pm in the Multi-Purpose Room.  We will be hosting an open forum with Q&A with Barbara Duguid for the entire SFCS community.  Please join us in reading Extravagant Grace and come to this exciting event!

Launch Celebration Service

On Sunday night the families of Shannon Forest Christian School and Shannon Forest Presbyterian Church gathered together to celebrate the official launch of the school as an independent organization.  The Celebration Service was a special time of worship, prayer, and thanksgiving for the Lord's faithfulness to his people. SFPC Pastor Mark Auffarth challenged those gathered to cling to the Gospel of grace and to remember that "good behavior" or "the right friends" or "hiding our mess" will not save us.   It is only through the finished work of Jesus that we can boldly view our weaknesses and rejoice in the faithfulness of God.

I've included the transcript of Mark's sermon below.
_________________________________________________________________________________

[The label on the bottle said:] "Blueberry Pomegranate, 100 percent juice, all natural."  [There was also a picture of] a ripe pomegranate [spilling] its exotic, glistening seeds onto mounds of fat, perfect blueberries. …

And then I read the ingredients list: "Filtered water, pear juice concentrate, apple juice concentrate, grape juice concentrate." Where was the blueberry? Where was the pomegranate? Finally I found them, fifth and seventh on a list of nine ingredients, after mysteriously unspecified "natural flavors."

By law, food ingredients are listed in descending order of weight. That means a product contains the greatest proportion of the first ingredient on the list and successively less of those farther down. So according to this list, the jug in my hand held mostly water and other juices, with just enough blueberry and pomegranate for flavor and color.

In the bottom corner of the front label, in small, easy-to-miss type, were the tell-tale words: "Flavored juice blend with other natural ingredients." The enticing pictures and clever labeling were decoys to sell a diluted, blueberry-pomegranate flavored product, convincingly disguised to look like something it wasn't. I put the juice back on the shelf.

I left the store empty-handed and wondering, What if I had an ingredients list printed on me? Would Jesus be the main ingredient? If not, how far down the list would he be? Would my "label" accurately represent my contents? Or would I falsely project a misleading outward appearance that cleverly masked diluted ingredients? My packaging may be convincing. I may look and sound like the real thing. But what if someone came to me looking for Jesus beneath my "Christian" label and found something else? Something Jesus-flavored, but not Jesus-filled?[1]

- The challenge I want to set before the school as we launch you to go independent is the same challenge I want to set before the church

- What’s beneath the label?

- Paul talks about this in the book of Galatians

(Gal 3:1-5 NIVO) You foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you? Before your very eyes Jesus Christ was clearly portrayed as crucified. ² I would like to learn just one thing from you: Did you receive the Spirit by observing the law, or by believing what you heard? ³ Are you so foolish? After beginning with the Spirit, are you now trying to attain your goal by human effort? ⁴ Have you suffered so much for nothing--if it really was for nothing? ⁵ Does God give you his Spirit and work miracles among you because you observe the law, or because you believe what you heard?

- What is Paul telling us here?

- It’s not really about how you look at all

- The truth is, we are obsessed about our behavior

- That’s why Paul is so angry – because after understanding the gospel of grace, they have decided to go back to rule keeping as the way to earn God’s favor

- I’ll say it again: we are obsessed with behavior

- In fact, we're neurotic about it

- It's certainly one of the reasons we put our kids in a Christian school; we want them to be around kids that behave well. 

            - Good behavior is something that is drilled into us from the earliest age.

- Now, good behavior is not wrong but it’s so easy to advertise one thing with our behavior, but when one gets a look under the hood, they see something far different

- It is so easy to be a school or a church that has all the bells and whistles, that has great programs, that has good looking people, that has a professional and well educated staff, that does all the right things but be absolutely dead underneath

- Paul asks the Galatians how they received the Spirit

- Was it by observing the law?

                            - In other words, was it because they behaved well and did the right things?

                            - Is that what Jesus wants?

                            - Does he want an organization that is strong; that seeks excellence; that shows the world how                               wonderful it is?

- Well, I don’t think some of these things are bad but they’re not the essence at all – they are a result of the essence

- Paul says:

(Gal 3:5 NIVO) ⁵ Does God give you his Spirit and work miracles among you because you observe the law, or because you believe what you heard?

- It’s because of what they heard

- What did they hear?

- They heard the gospel

- What is the gospel?

(1Co 1:26-29 NIVO) ²⁶ Brothers, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth. ²⁷ But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. ²⁸ He chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things--and the things that are not--to nullify the things that are, ²⁹ so that no one may boast before him.

- It is always the weak that believe the gospel because they know that they need a Savior

- It is always the weak that call out and say “Save me”

- And this is the opposite from what our surrounding culture offers us – only the strong survive there

- But in the upside down world of the kingdom of God, it is the weak that dare to believe that someone else will be strong for them

- Paul says this in the same passage:

(1Co 1:22-23 NIVO)  ²² Jews demand miraculous signs and Greeks look for wisdom, ²³ but we preach Christ crucified: a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles,

- This is an upside down world

- What does it mean then for our respective organizations?

o   It means that God is not necessarily impressed with higher, faster louder

o   It’s not what we do, it’s always WHY we do it that matters

o   If we are not organizations that glory in our weaknesses, because through them he is made strong, then we haven’t understood the gospel

Let me tell you that we should not be where we are right now.  It has been an absolute testament to God’s power that we are even having this service of worship and celebration.  We have tasted weakness from every side and God has proven to be faithful.

- And so now I challenge all of us as we go forward

                   - Behaviorism – which is a focus on outward appearance and behavior – will be the fastest 

                        path to Biblical apostasy

                   - If we’re worried about organizational drift – then we've got to worry about what’s under the                                     hood – we need to be Jesus filled, not Jesus flavored

- Behaviorism is exactly where the Pharisees were and they ended up crucifying Jesus

- But real gospel belief is messy – it’s not just unbelievers that are messy, Christians are incredibly messy

- Believing the gospel means getting messy with non Christians and Christians alike

- Don’t think for a moment that just because you’re in a Christian church or that your children are in a Christian school that they are free from messiness

- You may shield your children from a messy world but who is going to shield them from you?

- They learn far more sin patterns from us than from anyone else

I see sinful patterns in my own children that are like looking in the mirror.  They have learned these from me and it grieves me.  They need a Savior just like I do.

- So the antidote is to believe the gospel

- But that’s the beauty

- Jesus cried from the cross, “It is finished!!”

- That means that our messiness is covered – it’s paid for – it’s been dealt with from beginning to end

- Our children need to soak in this!

- And God loves this and will pour out his Spirit liberally to those that will walk in weakness before him and believe what he says

o   To be Jesus filled is to admit our messiness and to run to him on a regular basis

o   To be Jesus filled is not to run from messy situations or people but to engage with them – whether they are Christians or non-Christians – knowing that the same gospel that we need daily is the same gospel that they need

o   To be Jesus filled is to be a walking billboard that says, “I’m messy and I need a Savior daily to come and change me from being an anonymous mix of harmful chemicals and ingredients to genuine pomegranate and blueberry juice.

       This is the gospel and it changes everything!!

---

[1] Erin Bunting, "Jesus Flavored, or Jesus Filled?" Kyria.com (10-7-09)

  

Good, Clear Thinking . . .

As some of you may know, I run most mornings with my friend Caleb.  We have great conversations on a gamut of topics.  Recently he and his wife decided to be part of a church plant in Boston and we have been talking through this decision and its implications.  One morning we talked about what it is like to move somewhere and realize that many of the things you believe and practice are not universal.  This experience is fine when it deals with things like sweet or unsweet tea, grits, or the social pleasantries of sir and ma'am.  Recognizing that this applies to your faith is a difficult adjustment.  Asking "Is this a cultural preference or scriptural norm?" is something we all need to do.

After our morning jog and conversation I asked Caleb to write about this for my blog.  Here it is.

Bob Collins

President

I was born and raised in Greer, SC.  I was baptized as a small child in a Southern Baptist church. My family was there at most every opportunity. I was educated in the Greenville County School system, and the only years I was not a Greenville County resident were my few at Clemson University. There I met and later married a Tennessee girl, and we settled in Greenville. My friends and family have largely similar stories. I tell you this not so that you know who I am, but so that you know how I think.  

My wife and I are moving with our two year-old daughter to Boston to support a church plant. We were both surprised to feel called into this ministry.  We expected to live out our days in the sultry summers and mild winters of the South.  We have not spent years, barely months actually, preparing and planning to go.   But now, we will live, at least for a time, in Boston.  

When unexpected life change happens, the realizations of your new life come fast.  Here's my newest: I'm lazy.  I don't mean that I'm opposed to hard work, but that I'm susceptible to lazy thinking.  You see, when you have a story similar to mine (and if you're reading this I bet you do), then almost everyone you know agrees with you.  The things we don't say, but leave unspoken, are a part of our cultural foundation.  Since most in the South bring these same assumptions to any conversation, there is no need to be able to defend your position; we all already largely agree.  These common understandings range from the purpose of government, the source of truth, the chief end of man, and list keeps going. We are moving to a place where the foundation is different.  

I'm being forced to retrace my thinking. This effort should drive me to Scripture, because it is sufficient to frame and inform my thinking.  It does not clearly answer all of our questions, but it does give us major principles that act as our guide.  We ought to filter all of our understanding first through the Bible.  

As I begin, I'm afraid that I'm finding that those foundational truths of our culture aren't quite as Biblically-based as our "Bible Belt" moniker might suggest. Let's make sure that our national or regional identity, our political affiliations, and our educational background have less influence on the way we think than does the Bible. 

As you begin, you may find yourself agreeing with someone you would not have before or it may simply deepen your pre-existing convictions.  Both are progress.

A word of caution: Bob reminded me that a perfectly articulated Biblical worldview does not save souls, nor is it particularly attractive to a non-believer. That work of making dead things alive is reserved for God.  Good, clear thinking has its limits.   

Caleb Rogers