Healing Christian Education

If the cross of Christ put an end to our need to perform, then addressing the needs of "poor performing" students is not even the right question to begin our work. We do not need to make "poor performing" students (or schools) "high performing" students (or schools); the death and resurrection of Jesus accomplished the highest performance for us all. So we have a few choices: 1. Live with our broken and sinful hearts and use them as a reason for our struggling performance; label our brokenness and our sin - and then live from the false identities they give us. 2. Live with our broken and sinful hearts, but try real hard. This usually looks like self-effort, pride, behavior modification, motivation systems, occasionally making excuses, and sometimes even shaming and blaming. 3. Believe that Jesus died to give us a new heart and trade our broken ones for His; learn to live from our new hearts - the one He died to give us and is waiting for us to receive by faith; He can't wait until we try our new hearts out in a life of faith. Die to self and let Christ live in us.

Student reflections on the first two weeks of school at RSA

When asked to consider "what I have learned and what I am learning": * I have learned my 9s in Math. * I have learned not to dread Math. * I am learning about the Kingdom of the World and the Kingdom of God and what belongs in each. * I have gotten better at handwriting. * I learned in History that when God created the world the sky had water above it and below it, and there was never rain until Noah and the flood. * I have learned there are life-gving affections (good) and life-taking affections (bad). * I am learning that struggle is a good thing because it helps me grow; if I never struggled, I would never grow. * I am learning in Grammar about simple and compound subjects and predicates. * I am learning in Science that you need good nutrition for you brain. * I am learning to get better at embroidery. * In chores, I'm learning to be a better worker. * In Bible, we're reading in John. He wrote his gospel to convince people that Jesus is the Messiah. * In picture study, I'm learning to do art like other artists.

Let us no longer be deceived...

"If you're looking for compliance, you can get that without God. Just wield enough power and people will do what you want them to. At least as long as you're around. But when you're out of sight, eventually—inevitably—they'll revert to what they've been denied. The real trick is to allow the desires of the new heart to come out and have a run of the joint. We're hardwired for heartfelt obedience. We have to be religiously badgered into compliance, which leads to eventual disobedience. Only bad theology can do that. Sin and failure is all we think we have until new life is wooed forth. We need others to show us God beautifully, without condemnation, disgust, and unsatisfied demands. We long to obey Him. It makes our souls sing. We've just been goaded so long, we've learned to shield ourselves from religion. We'll fight that kind of authority just for the fight. It's what the Law does in any form.9 It makes rebels of people who want to love and be loved.” Excerpt From: John Lynch, Bruce McNicol & Bill Thrall. “The Cure.” iBooks. This material may be protected by copyright. Check out this book on the iBooks Store: https://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewBook?id=483608141

Not just a "new school" - a "new" school!

Right relationships, maturity, and True affections must be redeemed as the aims of education. "It is not good for man to be alone" is the heart of the Gospel. We are created to be cared for and to care for others. Right relationships speak the language of the New Covenant; grace instead of earning, love without conditions, acceptance and commitment without measurement or manipulation. "Education is the science of relations." (C. Mason) We were created to mature, not to perform. Maturity is a different target than performance. When we aim at performance, maturity rarely happens. When we aim at maturity, performance is a natural outcome. Maturity can begin at any starting line; it will happen both slowly and quickly, not at a predetermined speed. When we abide in healthy relationships, maturity will result and fruit is our Biblical promise. We are created to care - not just know. What we care about, we think about; what we think about, we chase. Affections are caught, not taught. The atmosphere children breathe in will determine what they love. Children will be better learners when they are better lovers. Right relationships, maturity, and True affections must be redeemed as the aims of education.

Is ADD a problem that should grab the heart of the Church?

Rick Warren's devotion on Feb. 19, 2014 was titled, "Anger is a choice."  (http://purposedriven.com/blogs/dailyhope/anger-is-a-choice/)  Challenging, but true.  His true ideas give birth to other challenging - and true - ideas.  "Giving attention" is a choice.  Just like anger, each choice begins with proper submission and obedience.
Let's think about this example:  A child is struggling to stay on task and give attention to his Math homework. After spending 30 or more minutes and not getting much done, the child (and perhaps the parent) walks away from the Math and the child begins to play basketball or maybe a video game.  An hour later, he is still focused on the game.
The child does not have a problem giving focused attention; the child is still weak in the habit of giving focused attention to a task that is difficult or that does not yet interest them.  Very likely, the child is also weak in the skill of receiving strength from someone trying to help them learn to give this kind of attention.  Instead of submitting and receiving help from a parent, older sibling, or teacher - the child fights the help.  This is indeed a problem needing resolution, but it is not an attention deficit problem.
Why is this a problem that should grab the heart of the Church?  Because this is the same weakness that will harden a heart; this is the same woundedness that prevents us from receiving the gift that is grace.  Instead of submitting and receiving the gift of the blood of Jesus - we fight the help.  We are afraid to need it, afraid to trust it, worry that it might not be enough for us today much less tomorrow.  We are determined to do it ourselves, our own way - or not at all.
Science has created a pill that "lends strength" to persons struggling to give focused attention to a task that is difficult or not interesting to them.  For some persons, this pill may be an important first step in learning what it means to "receive strength."  This pill, however, does not teach the habit of submission and the posture of humility.  If the pill teaches that performance is what matters, because the pill equips the child to complete the agenda and maybe even get a good grade - the pill has led us even farther away from the Gospel.  If performance is what matters, the cross is a waste.
Brene Brown writes in The Gifts of Imperfection, "Until we can receive with an open heart, we are never really giving with an open heart.  When we attach judgment to receiving help, we knowingly or unknowingly attach judgment to giving help."  Why should this, too, grab the heart of the Church?  Because this is the root of the lie that bears the fruit of big buildings next to overpasses that hide the bedrooms of the homeless.  This is the root of the lie that bears the fruit of mission trips instead of missional living.  This is the root of the lie that makes salt in a fallen world a great deal less salty.