Monday, August 19, 2013

Christian-based Education

My wife and I are beginning our 11th year of formal education of our children (nearly 16 years of total education...but that's another discussion).  If you know me personally, you know we have elected to home educate our children.   So, that I am finding time to publish a blog post means that a) my wife totes the lion’s share of this responsibility and b) I am highly motivated to produce something at least quasi-intelligent of my own. If not intelligent, then at least nostalgic.

Writing on education is always delicate because I have family and many friends who have chosen a secular course and I always fear I’ll be misunderstood and perceived as being haughty, self-righteous, insensitive and/or unloving.   But as I continue to meditate on a sermon I preached last night (Proverbs 3:5-6) I have become even more convinced that secular education is disobedient to God.
I would advise no one to send his child where the Holy Scriptures are not supreme. Every institution that does not unceasingly pursue the study of God's word becomes corrupt….I greatly fear that the universities, unless they teach the Holy Scriptures diligently and impress them on the young students, are wide gates to hell.                      
Martin Luther, 1520
The reference that suddenly became clear this morning from last night’s sermon was "in all thy ways acknowledge Him." I didn’t even realize one of its applications. I am usually much more focused on ways I am NOT applying Scripture rather than on areas where I am seeing victory. But an educational choice is a decision where God will either be acknowledged or not. There is only one model where He is supreme and honored. Secular based education ignores God at best or ridicules Him at worst. In either case, neither myself nor my family will have any association with a system that does not acknowledge God.

God and His Word are the focus of our children’s education. We talk of Him when we rise up, when we walk along the way and when we lie down. In math, science, history, grammar and every other subject, we strive to find ways of bringing God and His Word into my sons lives. Luther also said:
Christendom must have people who can beat down their adversaries and opponents and tear off the devil’s equipment and armor that he may be brought into disgrace. But for this work, powerful warriors are needed, who are thoroughly familiar with the Scriptures and can contradict all false interpretations and take the sword from false teachers—that is, those very verses which false teachers use and turn them round upon them so that they fall back defeated
I am hopeful my sons will become such warriors.