In the Beginning...God Created

Last Sunday, our simple church group met at our house. The person facilitating our discussion and study was my 9 year-old daughter. She created a PowerPoint about creation. She asked us to read Scripture, showed pictures that she felt were good images to correspond with Genesis, and asked what questions we had. Her presentation led into much further conversation.

Sometimes, we mistakenly think that things in the church need to be so complicated that children can't understand them for them to be right. I think it must make us feel more "spiritual" or something. (I confess that we had that moment on Sunday as the adults immediately got into a discussion about creation versus evolution, as adults usually do. It wasn't until I realized that my daughter had left the room that it dawned on me that we had gotten off track. She wanted to remember and celebrate the awesomeness of God, but we wanted to debate "academic matters." More on that in another post??)

The truth found in Scripture, though, paints a vividly different picture. It is the children that hold the wisdom of God. It is the children who give praise to the Father even from infancy. On occasion, we are blessed when we simply let children lead the way to our Savior. After all, His kingdom belongs to them.

Developmentally, there are age-appropriate considerations to factor in when serving aside children in God's church. Spiritually, they might be light years ahead of us, but humanly speaking, they do have limitations in understanding and ability to communicate. However, even while taking this fact into account, it is still worth asking what the children can do to impact the world now. I have a hard time believing Jesus would have ever used the phrase, "church of tomorrow."

Keep in mind that the measure for us in the simple church is reproducibility. We know something is simple if it is easily reproducible. It is an essential part of spreading the gospel. A way to determine if a practice is reproducible is by asking, "Who else could do this?" If our answer leaves out children every time, then we might need to re-think our theology and mission. It could be a sign that we have missed it on both counts. If our kingdom only delegates the "cute" or "juvenile" things to young people, then maybe it is a substitute kingdom made by our intellect rather than God's power.

Three Reformations

As I was contemplating how to organize and better utilize this blog into something worth sharing with lots of people while staying true to myself, I think I have figured out a way to capture my mission in a simple concept. So, in a nutshell, I realize that I want to carry out three reformations with my life in an attempt to shape a better world for the next generation. Below is how this blog can serve as one vehicle toward that end. This format will start in February.


Reform Education with a focus on lifelong learning.
On Mondays, I will post on topics somehow related to teaching, learning, public schools, and more.


Reform the Church with a focus on disciple making.
On Wednesdays, I will center my attention on issues related to church reformation, Christianity, following God, spirituality, discipleship, beliefs and practices.


Reform Me with a focus on being more like Jesus.
The weekends will bring posts that deal with the most difficult component of reformation: reforming myself. Through a combination of personal and miscellaneous servings of what's on my mind and heart, I will write about a variety of possibilities. Prayer. Politics. Sports. Humor. Family. Motivation. Food. Health. Media. Motivation. History. Math. Science. Writing/Publishing. Parenting. Community. Human rights. 


Let the Reformation begin!  

Even a Wrong Ron Paul is Right for America (part 2)

·     Big government is necessary when we are afraid of ourselves.

Here is another lesson from "Professor" Paul.

I guess one could make a case that "big" anything (big church, business, government, etc.) is only necessary when we are afraid of ourselves. At one point in church history, even placing the Bible in the hands and language of ordinary people was an outrage to those with the power in the religious hierarchy. When institutional authority is granted (or taken by other means) to individuals or groups, they almost always find a way to abuse it. The establishment in Washington, DC is no different, except maybe somewhat worse. The irony is that the Founders suspected that human leadership could easily be corrupted or assume too much power. Their fear was directed toward the government (why they wanted it so limited). Now, it has been flipped. The federal government fears leaving anything up to normal citizens. Promoters of government interference are, as Paul writes, "convinced that average people can't and won't do what's in their best interest" (page 162, LD). Fortunately, despite the reliance on government programs by so many in our nation, I still see a growing number of people rising up to say, "Enough is enough!"

I see why this subject is so important in my own experience as a public school teacher. In education, the full effect of this mindset becomes clear. Eventually, people begin to only look for solutions that can be provided by the organization. They see everything through an institutional lens without even knowing its effect on their vision. Ultimately, we get more of the same. We notice a problem or challenge so we create a program or policy to fix it. The result - more paperwork completed, more time lost, and more money spent, with virtually no benefits to show for it. In fact, sometimes the problem is worse.

See, an unspoken, yet palpable, notion begins to take hold in the minds of those of us "inside" the system. We (the school) must show them (parents, students, community members) the right way of doing things. After all, (and here comes the total contradiction in full) we have the resources to make it happen and see it through. Very rarely does anyone point out that the "resources" we have are individual persons and their time, talents, and money. It is not the government doing something for them. It is the government telling them what to do with themselves. Whether it is education, welfare, business, energy use, etc., it is repeatedly shown to be inefficient and ineffective. I believe Dr. Paul would add immoral to the list. It stands in contrast to his recommendation of "the path of winning hearts and minds through education, first of the individual, and then of others through every way possible" (page 323, emphasis added). Instead, it is a recipe for "hope and change" through regulation and control, and it is driven by fear.

Fear of us!

(to be continued...)

Even a Wrong Ron Paul is Right for America (part 1)

Never have I followed a political process more closely than the current Republican primary race. And never have I been more thankful for a politician than I am for Ron Paul. After watching all of the debates and forums up to this point, viewing countless “news” programs and biased political talk shows, listening to friends in casual conversations, visiting some candidates’ websites, and reading his book Liberty Defined, I realize that I owe a debt of gratitude to Ron Paul for his endurance in this campaign for the following reasons.

·     He is relentlessly consistent.

If one follows Ron Paul’s candidacy, it doesn’t take long to believe he or she possesses a psychic gift with the ability to predict Paul’s answer to almost any question when it is asked. His message is simple: individual liberties trump just about everything else. His positions are the same every time! One can sense a hint of reluctant awe from even his opponents and critics (conservatives and liberals alike) when it comes to his remarkably consistent record. Unlike any other popular political figure in recent years, he does not change a thing regardless of the date, location, audience, etc., even to his own detriment at times. No matter where he is, when it is, or whom he is with, everyone can expect – and get – the same Ron Paul. Without exception! (Just ask Jay Leno.)

The only way this degree of consistency is possible by being completely principle-driven, and it makes following him easy. Paul’s core convictions really do drive everything he says and does – his speeches, debates, and most importantly, votes. I am grateful for his principle-centered leadership for the obvious, refreshing reason that it is nice to see character instead of merely hearing people claim it and talk about it with superficial slogans. Furthermore, Paul uses his principles to teach. As an ordinary citizen, I am learning the following lessons (some for the second or third time, but it is good to be reminded).

·    Governments produce nothing. Solutions and goods come from people.

Sometimes I get so caught up in the debate over whether government supply is superior or inferior to private production that I lose sight of the fact tthat his is a false (not to mention misleading and dangerous) dichotomy in the first place. In reality, as Paul reiterates, “Anytime government provides a benefit, it must first steal it from someone else who is producing it” (page 70, LD). The government, or “public sector,” is an agent of re-organization and redistribution of the goods and services, including health care and education, which are actually supplied by ordinary people. Despite how anyone spins it, hard-working individuals, innovative businesses, and generous charities make up the backbone of this country. It is worth remembering that every dollar that goes to, or through, Washington, DC is someone else’s dollar, namely yours or mine. This reality does not change when a new party is in the White House or in control of Congress.

(to be continued…)

I Can't Believe I Just Said That to My Kid

Have you ever had that moment as a parent where something comes out of your mouth that you swore you would never say to your own children? You know, those things you heard from your own parents or teachers growing up, and thought to yourself, That's stupid. Why would any adult even say that?!

Mine is, "Because I said so." I committed to never say that to my own daughters because I always thought it was a cop out for a grown-up who didn't have a real reason to back up a nonsensical request. But now, sure enough, there I am in the middle of an exchange with one of my kids, and suddenly those dreaded words sneak past my lips and into that public domain where they can never be retrieved. I feel like I hear them after they come out of my mouth before I think to say them in the first place. I know that's impossible, but it is this denial that I live in until I discover another deep-rooted psychological explanation to answer why I would do that. In fact, after I catch myself exclaiming that rather immature comment that should be relegated to the same category as "I'm rubber, you're glue..." or "I know you are, but what am I?", I am momentarily paralyzed as I fear revocation of my parenting license. Not even so much because of the fear, but the awareness that I would deserve such a fate, my world moves in slow motion for a few seconds.

Then, suddenly, I regain my wits just in time to hear my daughter question again, "But, dad, why?" To which, I instantaneously search my brain for a reason - not even a good or fair one - anything that hints at rationality. When I come up empty a second time, the despicable phrase slides off my tongue again, this time with more volume and authority behind it. "Because I SAID SO!" After all, this time, I mean it!

Do you have a saying that your parent(s) used to say to you that you now catch yourself saying to your own children? Share it as a comment.

If you need some ideas, then watch this.