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September 2, 2010
May God bless our teachers!
We owe a great deal of thanks to those who teach. They really do touch the next generation, and always have. Pray for your children’s teachers – that they may be clear in their presentations, fair in their discipline, warm in their relationships with your children and you.
Teachers really do form the next generation, especially in society’s ethics and way of life. The schoolhouse of today forms the statehouse of tomorrow. There can be no doubt that the blessed educational system of this country – the compulsory, tax supported educational system – has formed the backbone of democracy. Your children’s teachers are important to tomorrow’s freedoms.
Every American Christian should work for excellent public schools. Christians who teach will recognize that this is not their job, it is their calling. My advice to any teacher who only has a job is to quit, and quit now! If this is not your calling, you will not serve children, families and society well enough. You will never be paid adequately for your great calling, nor should teachers expect that they can ever be paid in keeping with their important position. But teachers form the next generation. So parents, help your teachers; pray for them; encourage them. Teachers, keep in mind your sacred trust in your secular duty.
As members of Lord of Love Lutheran, and as members of the WELS, we also join in a large confederation of parents and teachers who benefit greatly from the Lutheran schools. I did not get to attend one in my elementary school years, but my children did and I have taught in the Lutheran high school. Besides the secular good of education, the Lutheran school is able to focus on the whole child – body, soul and spirit.
Lutheran schools take their marching orders from St. Paul in 1 Corinthians 10: 4 The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. 5 We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.
Lutheran schools offer not just education, but ministry. To lead young minds into the place where every thought is obedient to Christ. Our Lutheran schools will never get there completely, but they must never stand down from this sacred charge. Whether the topic is math or literature, science or civics, the Word of God or this history of nations, at our Lutheran schools we seek to bring every part of our being into obedience to Christ. This is not brain-washing, this is discipleship.
We are blessed to have as our assistants Eastside and Peace Lutheran Elementary schools and Luther Preparatory School in Watertown and Lakeside Lutheran High School in Lake Mills. We pray God's blessings upon each of these schools, their students, faculties and families. May God enrich them with shaping leaders, not just for society, but for the Church!
It's a new school year. As the students pour back into their classrooms, let us pour our prayers our at God's feet.
See you in church,
Pr. Ewings
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