Letter From God: A Children’s Christmas at Our Christian School

One of the focal points in SK recently has been mail and the activities of a post office. Letter and parcel mail has been moving around the building, including several staff members who have special SK mailboxes which get regularly filled with proud notes and letters sharing their developing printing and writing skills.

Ms.  Stortz  has  given  me  the  happy  responsibility  of  delivering  some  pieces  of  group  “mail”  to  arrive  during lessons. Today,  I  played  the  role  of delivery  person  with  a  baking  recipe for this morning’s  class  in  a  large envelope. One of the students saw me with the large letter in hand and said “Maybe it’s a letter from God!”

A letter from God. What a wonderful way to think about the focus of this unique week of school! Jesus is the Word  made  flesh  (John  1:14).  Immanuel  –  God  with  us. How  precious  is  that Word  enabling  us  to  receive God’s gift of grace. That Bethlehem baby became a living letter to us of God’s unfathomable love and paved the way for us back to a perfect relationship with him.

Between a Christmas program, pasta lunch, carol sing, and school skating we will have many times to gather as a community this week. May we do so with the same awe and wonderment of the shepherds who, bursting with  joy  cried  "Let's  go  to  Bethlehem  and  see  this  thing  that  has  happened,  which  the  Lord  has  told  us about." (Luke 2:15)

The  LCES  board,  staff,  and  students  wishes  you  all  a  faith-filled,  safe,  and  memorable Christmas.  Merry Christmas!

SJ

"Christmas Ready" at Our Christian School

This, this is Christ the King,

Whom shepherds guard and Angels sing
Haste, haste, to bring Him laud,
The Babe, the Son of Mary.

Amid the ‘festive’ merriment of a retail world doing its best to be hope-filled and pretending to be full of Christmas joy, an employee asked me on Saturday “Are you ready for Christmas?”  Sadly, the question was more motivated by the chance to reach deeper in my wallet, not deeper in to my heart.

I know of those with true Christmas joy , who like the wise men of old have smiles on their faces and gratitude in their hearts. Equally present are those with bruised hearts and shaky confidence in believing things are as joyful as the tinsel and tunes tell us they are. News of cancer returning, a job lost, and the despair of struggles with parenting are looming large for several in our community.  

A public prayer I heard once at this time of year comes to mind. It was a petition that this be the “last advent ever.” It sticks with me because I’m not sure I’d ever heard an advent pray like that.  “Come quickly, Lord Jesus” was the intent of the worship leader, longing for the second coming of Christ to complete the renewing of God’s creation back to the perfection of what it was before sin. That’s the true joy of Christmas!

May our celebrations be deeper than the annual return of comfort food, pleasant music, and the opportunity to extend gifts and cards. I’m thankful for Christian education which can remind our students in very real ways that they are part of that story and will share in its joyful ending. Come quickly, Lord Jesus!

SJ

A Candle in Darkness: Hope in our Christian School

At the first sight of snow a few weeks ago, two students approached me and asked about the chance that school would be cancelled the next day. A “snow day” was their hope, at least for the moment. It didn’t come to pass, and quickly passed out of their focus since it was only a short, momentary hope.

Contrast that with the hope of advent:

Come, Thou long expected Jesus
Born to set Thy people free;
From our fears and sins release us,
Let us find our rest in Thee.
Israel’s Strength and Consolation,
Hope of all the earth Thou art;
Dear Desire of every nation,
Joy of every longing heart.

I remember advent in church as a child. The first candle of this annual tradition was the one that was most dramatic. I lived in northern BC, where late November and December where characterized by long nights and short, gloomy days. We craved light. My dad installed grow lights to keep house plants thriving. The burst of a lit match followed by the steady glow of a flame piercing the darkness was mesmerizing to me.

Advent begins with hope. Students, teachers, and parents all crave hope. We cling to the notion that our heart’s desires will be realized. We console ourselves with the hope that some situations will not last forever. We cope with some situations simply because others have given us hope even though we don’t see it or feel it yet ourselves.

We frame our understanding of the world and our place in it with the hope that comes from a long- expected Jesus. What a joy it is to know our students are being led in such deliberate, hope-filled paths on the road of faith as we prepare to celebrate Christ’s birth. Praise the Lord for Christian education!

SJ