Back to School

Back to School…… Proverbs 4:1-7, Ephesians 6:1-4 Good morning, class! This past week, and next week, and in the weeks ahead back to school will be the thoughts of many. Are we ready to go Back to School? The sales for school supplies have been in the stores since the Fourth of July! Advertisements online, in newspapers, flyers, TV ads, commercials at exhaustion — sales practically everywhere. Parents are getting ready for their children to get back at “it,” for some, the sooner the better. I am remembering backpacks, pencils, pens, notebooks, and lunch boxes. I am dating myself for sure, as now it is cell phones or laptop or iPad or tablet. However, most of us here have already done this preparation, or at least know of someone who has been through this process, many years ago. There are some who are homeschooling their children. But for a lot of the public and myself, I chose to let the educating be done by trusted and college-trained professionals. We all have choices in this country, but today I am basing my thoughts on our public education, locally. As we move forward, we are reminded of the rules for safety, such as stopping for school buses when the bus lights are flashing. Making sure we are slowing down while the children are crossing in crosswalks. There is the increase of traffic due to buses, staff and other personnel. This is a good sign, that schools will be in person, not online. After-school activities and events for parents and grandparents to attend. Oh my, we become very busy and focused on all of these. The key focus of children going back to school should be, and is, education, teaching/learning. Learning all you can in the short 180 days. In this district the other important process is learning about community. The key for success in that process is, to me, the importance of education shared with the children from their parents, adults in their lives. These are my thoughts and through prayer, l feel they are not wrong. You might think, “Okay, so what does this have to do with back to school and what is the connection?” The connection is this: we are getting the young minds of students ready to learn. As written in Proverbs 22:6, “Start children off on the way they should go, and even when they are old they will not turn from it.” When we help prepare students for school, their education, we feel it necessary to make sure they have all the tools for success. Making sure they get to their destination safely, having proper utensils for reading, writing and arithmetic (really old school!). Having nourishment, proper clothing such as staying warm and/or dry, and staying healthy. Having a sense of acceptance, safety and peace while being there. What are we doing to make sure we have that same preparation while attending church? Are we ready with a pen or pencil to take notes while listening? Also, to write down names of people we need to send a note of encouragement, a line that was shared from a Scripture that hit a point to you. Are our spiritual needs being fed? Do we feel accepted by our church family? Are we looking down on others because of their clothes or voices or their health? Are we listening for God’s Word? Do we open our Bibles? Back to school … hmm. Also, we, as a community of Christian believers, need to always be learning more of the Word of God. While we learn, we too can teach to children and adults of our findings of the love of God. Are we ready for our back to school days ahead? I will vouch for the fact I am learning increasingly more every day. It is as easy as reading the Bible every day or following a devotion. This learning is referenced in the Book of Deuteronomy 5:1. It states, “Moses summoned all Israel and said: ‘Hear, Israel, the decrees and laws I declare in your hearing today. Learn them and be sure to follow them.’” Just as the students at school are learning, we too could be learning and going one step further, teaching/witnessing. Discipling to fellow Christians and, even more, to those who are non-believers as in Matthew 28:19, “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.” While we continue to learn, we also can practice what we learn, hear, or read. This task is easier said than done (for me, that is). I am a work-in-progress as so many times I fail at this; but with God’s grace and mercy, I can go on each day. Each morning should begin before we ever get out of bed with asking God to give us wisdom for the day. Listen to these words written in Hebrews 6:1, “Therefore let us move beyond the elementary teachings about Christ and be taken forward to maturity, not laying again the foundation of repentance from acts that lead to death and of faith in God.” Attending church services should be as exciting as when we first went to school. (I am basing this on the fact that in our early days, most of us had a positive experience in school one time or another.) This activity of attending school as a child is, or was, one of our first experiences of being part of a community. My thoughts are based on this area with Northeast Bradford being a school made up of several small towns and areas. The definition of community is: “a group of people with a common characteristic or interest living together within a larger society.” In the Bible it mentions God loves people, and He knows that people need people. If you were blessed to have a church that you and/or your family attended, this too would be considered community exposure early in your life. Usually there was a Sunday school that offered extended Bible studies for children of all ages to attend. For me this was one of my first opportunities to be with and learn how to participate in community. There was also youth group, church camp and for many years a vacation Bible school. All of these events were a part of teaching us of community and thinking beyond our own selves. Learning to work with each other, to give and take, all the while striving to do what would be pleasing to God. As a congregation of mature adults, it would be easy to say that attending church is a habit. However, we need to worship God every time with a sense of excitement and adventure! Praising God for all that He has given to us, done for us, freely. Is it not the very least we can do? As the students continue each day in their studies, there are forms of accountability such as their attendance, what has been learned, following the rules, and overall growth in their education. This is done by test and grades given upon completion. This idea is applicable in any type of class taken by children and adults. If there was to be a system for tracking our accountability, doing what is right, learning to follow the words of God always, where would we rank? What would be our grade? Students can choose to do as they are asked to do, or they can just waste their time while being at school. I am praying that we all can score well on doing the right thing, doing what is asked, by others and by God! Are we using our time wisely while worshiping, or are we concerned about who is in attendance, what is someone wearing? Is our focus to what or where you need to be next? Oh, and I need to make a grocery list … Or, better yet, are we writing down people who need our prayers? Or offering praying right then and perhaps looking up a Scripture to focus our thoughts? We need to think of coming to our church service or any church service as going to school. Are we prepared to hear the Word of God? Are we focused on what message is being shared? Also in Hebrews 5:12, “in fact, though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you the elementary truths of God’s Word all over again, you need milk not solid food.” We need to focus on learning and doing what the Word of God teaches us to do. There are thousands of promises in the Bible, lessons to be learned through parables. The Ten Commandments, not to mention the great commandment, is always a great place to begin our learning and teaching. Just as students heading back to school are focused with the task-at-hand of learning all they can, so are we to be in that same mindset. For us it can be shared through a sermon, a message, witness, a song, a selected Scripture; however it is shared, learn it with every ounce of focus we can. To be in the mindset of Back to School is where we need to be! I pray that God will show us our purpose and help us always choose to follow His will. And now … class, begin!