When I used to sit in on parent interviews, I would sometimes get frustrated. Then, my admissions director would be upset with me for being frustrated with the parents. She wanted me to be more patient and understanding. She was right. However, there was really one thing I believed Christian parents should nail when they articulated the reason for coming to a classical Christian school. It wasn’t the classical philosophy of the school nor any distinctives of the liberal arts tradition. There was just one simple thing I hoped they would state with clarity and settled conviction: the Lordship of Christ.
I wanted each family to come to the school with the resolve and vision that conveyed the idea: Because Jesus is Lord, I want to raise my children in a way that aligns with this truth. It wasn’t that parents failed to necessarily understand this, but sometimes it was simply not the reason they conveyed most clearly. I wanted to make sure we were partnering toward the same end and aligned at the core of the school’s mission.
Of course, it is all too easy for all of us to drift in ways that inch us away from the clarity of our convictions, from the most certain Lordship of Christ and his glory. In classical Christian education we sometimes make it more complicated than it needs to be. Because we are passionate about what we do and want our students to experience the fullness of what we have to give, we can tend to obscure the driving force of our purpose, the foundation of it all.
This is a time of year when we think more intently about the Lordship of Christ. We think about the implications of God becoming man, of Christ coming in the flesh, and the profound implications of the incarnation. Whether we are parents, teachers, administrators, or a support organization like SCL, we do all of this for one simple reason: the glory of God in Jesus Christ. Let’s remember that while we have many things that occupy our time, attention, and resources, we should never lose sight of this singular purpose of what we do in educating young people.
To God be the Glory.
“They shall speak of the might of your awesome deeds, and I will declare your greatness.They shall pour forth the fame of your abundant goodness and shall sing aloud of your righteousness…All your works shall give thanks to you, O Lord, and all your saints shall bless you! They shall speak of the glory of your kingdom and tell of your power, to make known to the children of man your mighty deeds and the glorious splendor of your kingdom.” –Psalm 145:6-7, 10-12
