Christian Educating

SAT., MAY 23, 1992, 7:00 AM
FARM, STUDY

Education is one of the continuing missions of the Christian community. The educating is done in several ways, all of which are important, at certain times. You are an educator, coming toward the end of a long career, so a good deal of what I say this morning will be reinforcement rather than new information and ideas.

Importantly, Christian education must communicate a heritage. Yours is not solely an experiential religion. Rather, the experiences of the Jewish people, different from you in culture and in time, are part of your heritage. This means about 2,000 years of My relationship with this people, as Yahweh or Almighty God, is a part of Christian history. Then, for a brief time early 2,000 years ago I came as Jesus, the Son, Who became the Christ. I gave My life, on earth, for you all, even those of today, and this is the real essence of heritage. This is historical education.

Yet a very vital aspect of Christian educating is the application of these historical Scriptures to life in quite a different culture and time. You have to know the Scriptures in order to apply them, but the applications are not often simple and obvious. Different Christian traditions interpret Scriptures variously, and even individuals in the same tradition do not agree.

Take for example… one of My favorites…Thou shalt not kill. That tends to be an absolute prohibition in direct personal contact, but it does little to deter Christians from supporting what they feel is a “just war.” There are also extenuating circumstances, as in the film last evening, when it becomes almost noble to kill a person, in order to save a loved one from harm or even death.

The acceptance or rejection of abortion hinges on whether the developing embryo or fetus is a “person”, with an immortal soul. The Scriptures don’t help with this dilemma, and Christian educating must recognize and accept this. And, as I have repeatedly told you, human deaths must increase if the whole web of life is to be maintained. “Time makes ancient good uncouth” is a non-Scriptural truth.

Christian educating should focus on stories. As Jesus, I used parables to emphasize truths. Stories invite the learner to want to know a truth… to discern what the story means and whether that meaning still applies. The New Testament is, first, the varying stories of Me, as Jesus, which also challenge you to imagine and consider what the untold parts were… and to predict what I would say and do if I were going about in your more modern culture.

Christian educating should be active. The “marketplace idea” is excellent, with many activities that let children feel a part of the general time in which I lived, as Jesus, and in which the Church was formed and developed. Most circumstance can’t be as participative, but I still stress some active role for the learner. To learn from Me you must write down what you hear and then must organize what you have written, for further use. All are not as fortunate as you in having such tangible and understandable Teachings. I liked the style you developed in your Sunday class, which urged the participants to be active in the discussion.