Amazing Peace

I heard the bells on Christmas day

Their old familiar carols play;

In music sweet their tones repeat,

“There’s peace on earth, good will to men.”

Then pealed the bells more loud and deep:

“God is not dead, nor does He sleep,

For Christ is here; His Spirit near

Brings peace on earth, good will to men.”

      -Henry W. Longfellow –

   

The journey to the manger in the school Christmas program can be anything but peaceful. Do soloists know their parts? Where are those props? How do you set up those risers again? Do we have enough programs? It’s not hard to end up in a spot where singing “peace on earth” feels like a living contradiction to what we feel. Perhaps that is because of the tyranny of the urgent that can consume us. Or, perhaps because we watch the “nations raging together” (Psalm 2:1) and our doubtful hearts worry that dark skies and dark hearts are winning the day.

Christmas events, like those of this week at LCES, remind us that our faith is characterized not only by the “Amazing Grace” we sing of often, but also “Amazing Peace.” Though they may be fleeting, the moments in our lives where we experienced that peace are worth pausing for. Quiet snow falling, a sleeping infant, a musical moment of awe and reflection, or the hum of the road in a darkened car returning from a family outing - these all are a foretaste of the “perfect peace” that will one day characterize every day, every place, for every one of God’s children.  We experienced one of those moments as a school family this morning with Jeremy Zeyl sharing “O Holy Night” to a gym full of students who felt that tangible peace for a moment. Perhaps, peace is something you feel more than you understand.

May God grant us moments of that “peace that transcends understanding” as we tell the most amazing story: God took on flesh and became one of us. Now that is a source of amazing peace!                                                           

SJ

Words in a hallway

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Overheard in the primary side of the school, following a nutrition break:

“What happened on the playground this recess was not very nice and wasn’t fair.” - student

“That’s not walking in the way of love, is it?” – another student, directed at the teacher

“Yeah, God says that we’re supposed to walk in love!” yet another student.




Such words from some of our youngest students tell us that our school theme “Walk in the Way of Love” from Ephesians 5:2 has made an impression on them. Praise God! For 14 weeks already this year students have been attending Monday morning chapels, heard teachers share God’s word with them, and learned to live in community as they experienced moments of harmony and conflict.

We certainly experience both of them in the pulse of daily life here at our school, although we are very grateful that moments of peace, joy, and contentment far outnumber times of conflict. Conflict does not bring us joy, yet the Christian school knows that some of the most formative and direction-setting moments can often come from handling conflict well. The manner in which we work through conflict speaks much about what matters most to our school.

Years ago, on a highway billboard in giant letters, I read “Peace is not the absence of conflict, it is the ability to handle conflict by peaceful means.”

So what characterizes conflict managed well, by peaceful means? Here are some ideas:

 There is always a best and worst time to deal with conflict. Generally, a period of pause and reflection before sweating out the resolution of conflict together is best.

 Avoiding conflict comes at its own cost.

 The ultimate goal of conflict resolution is unity, not victory.

 The pathway towards resolution begins with small groups, not big ones.

 Resolving conflict may require vulnerability and humility, but should not require embarrassment or eroding the value of another person.

 True conflict resolution ends not with tolerance, but forgiveness.

 While God delights in unity which brings Him glory, his opponent delights in anything that can frustrate and hinder the process.

May God bless our efforts to live in faithfulness together. SJ

What’s new about Christmas?

A Christmas tree has been carefully setup in the hallway, songs from our Christmas program are on our children’s lips, and the twinkle of festive lights warms the atmosphere in the The Learning Spot.  The first moments of advent are exciting at a Christian school – but is that because it is familiar and comfortable like a warm cozy blanket, or is it a rush of hope and help like a strong beam of a lighthouse cutting through the fog of a fallen and often dark world? How do we approach advent each year as something that is new and meaningful? A writer I follow, Chris Schoon, shared this over the weekend and I thought it too good to hold on to myself. Allow me to share:

 “….faces and hands pressed against the frosty window, our kids keep watch for that first glimpse of red brake lights lighting up, while Grandma’s burgundy Honda slows, making the turn into our driveway. Any moment they will abandon their post in a flurry of singular delight: “Grandma is here! Grandma is here!” The ensuing mad scamper of children dashing through living room and dining room, then kitchen and back hall will leave couch cushions crumpled, once neatly folded blankets askew, and our pets in a confused scurry, unsure of whether they should hide under the table, join the joyful delight, or courageously defend our door. 

In a way, our kids’ anticipation, rooted in the memory of Grandma’s previous visits, fills the Advent season as we both remember Jesus Christ’s birth and anticipate his second coming. These rhythms of remembering and anticipating provide the primary cadence for this season. Advent is neither a nostalgic longing for a past that has been lost nor a naïve fixation on a utopia that remains always out of reach. Rather, by looking back at what God has already done and looking ahead at what God has promised yet to do, Advent roots us deeper in the assurance that God is with us – even here, even now.”  (http://muddiedprayers.com)

Our participation in all things Christmas at LCES is so much more than lights, carols, and chocolate. We celebrate the gift of a first-born son, given to redeem this world that our students study. We praise God for the gift of a Saviour whose grace allows them find their place on earth to use their gifts and talents. As part of advent we delight in the promise that he will come again and that he makes "all things new."(Revelation 21:5)  Now that is something new worth celebrating!  (SJ)

What does a well have to do with learning?

A new source of water is nearing completion in Uganda that has a connection to LCES. Students last year at our school organized means to raise funds to give a gift of gratitude and service to others in the world. A new way of living will become reality for this village in Uganda with the addition of a 100 foot well giving safe, life-giving water in ways unaffected by drought. In a country where 1 in 3 do not have access to good drinking water, this new addition will increase health and build up a community as God intended it to be enjoyed by His children.

Why does a Christian school give?

First, helping students to give in a manner like this is one of the ways we teach our children to have a spirit of thankfulness for all God has given them.  Indeed, “…out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks.” (Luke 6:45) A mindset of gratitude that can’t help but turn into giving is a vital lesson to be learned. Giving is an act of letting heart shape action.

Second, we wish to have students give to these annual student service projects to help our young learners realize the highest directive in learning – to love one another. Our school year theme from Ephesians 5 implores us to “Live a Life of Love” and we help students ground that into practice when they realize that learning is for serving.

Finally, we give to connect our students with a world that is full of people who do not share an existence that is our everyday reality. LCES students are experiencing the life that many children in the world dream of. The vast majority of same-age children in the world do not live as LCES students do and we would be remiss if we did not find tangible ways for our students to be drawn into the Christ’s command to “Feed my sheep.” (John 21:17) God’s kingdom is advanced when even our youngest learners have their eyes opened to seek out the means to think of others before self.   SJ

(For well details, see www.thewaterproject.org/track  and enter well # 40391)

What's the true story? A parent's perspective.

Today’s piece comes from a current parent. I trust you will be blessed by the reflective portrayal of the importance of what we do at LCES.  SJ

Standing at a check-out at the supermarket, one can't help but read the headlines of recent magazine publications: “Dress for Success”, “8 Money-Saving Tips” and more. It makes one wonder: “What is success?” and “Why is saving money the cover line of a magazine with contents enticing you to spend, spend, spend?”

We are bombarded by mass media telling us how to dress, how to look, and how to spend our money. The media, with all its avenues of influence, invites us into a story - complete with pictures- of what the good life looks like. Christian parents must be diligent and deliberate in their work to oppose a fallen world’s messages about what the story is really all about. We must help our children understand that they do not have to surrender to the premise that success is defined by the size of their house, body, and paycheque. Christians are part of a different and continuing story.

I am thankful that LCES is a space that has been created and sustained by three generations of faithful supporters to tell this story: the story of a good and loving God who created the world, loves His world, died to save it, and is restraining sin's destruction through the work of His followers. LCES continues to be a space where children are nurtured not only to hear God's story, but also to see themselves as participants in the story – identifying what has gone wrong in God's good world, seeking to restore it to God's original intent and telling others about Jesus, the world's redeemer, who makes all things possible.

At our school, the simple and repetitive practice of opening each day in devotions in a way that affirms that our World belongs to God: He is where we start our day, and everything and everyone is important enough to lift before God in prayer.  A Christian school also knows that every piece of the curriculum is only a part of a bigger picture of God's complete world. The skills learned in mathematics is not only essential because numbers matter if we are to function in society and get a good job, but because it is a good gift from God given to equip us to enjoy, respond and continue to create goodness in the world. Our theme this year is “Walk in the Way of Love” which is brightly displayed in the school's front entrance. What a wonderful counter-cultural message to be greeted with! Have you ever seen this headline on a magazine at a check-out stand? 

Anita Plat-Kuiken

The pain in remembering...

The cold November winds and rain that can become the backdrop for Remembrance Day proceedings are a fitting setting. Gratitude for service and the high price paid for freedom for all are certainly foremost in our minds as we wear our poppies and bow our heads tomorrow. However, the tears, the barren tree branches, and a brisk wind remind us of the raw reality of what we are also recalling; wars and fighting remain, guns have not been silenced, and we lament that conflict abounds nearby and far away from our home and native land. We fell the groaning of creation awaiting the fullness of Christ's return as stand vigil in silence. 

“Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace.” Colossians 3:15


That peace seems very elusive as we move through these acts of Remembrance. The list of military sacrifice grows each year with more names added, human suffering continues in the hands of tyrants, and so many wait for the kind of justice and peace that Christ commanded. Is there hope?

“Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom…”  Colossians 3:16


Yes! That peace of Christ comes to us as we pattern our lives after his teaching and model for faithful living. I’m so thankful that the “message of Christ” is part of our student’s everyday life here at LCES in the devotional and learning parts of every day.  The coming  kingdom of God with justice and peace for all is what we work for every day in each lesson and conversation, each challenge and success. May our students grow in wisdom that propagates peace and returns our world back to way God originally created it – beautiful, perfect, and filled with peace. SJ

P.S. Grades 6-8 will be attending the downtown proceedings at the cenotaph tomorrow. Grades 1 -5 will led by our grade three class at a special Remembrance day assembly running from 10:45-11:15am. Parents and friends of the school are most welcome to join us.

Thank-you for our problems...

The start to our day at LCES this morning was less than ideal. News of someone’s choice to leave their graffiti “tag” on our playground, building, and bus was the first thing to respond to. No heat in parts of the building was the second. Trying to remember how to change all the clocks after the time change was next. And so the list continued, with items that one might respond to with “Really? I’d sooner be doing something else.”

It doesn’t take much to become centered only on ourselves and our own problems. Sometimes our own situation becomes “re-framed” when we place it next to plight of another person, organization, or group.  The content of Monday morning chapel was that helpful interrupter for me this morning.

Staff and students heard that this is a month set aside to recognize the reality of those Christians who are persecuted for their faith throughout the globe.  Significantly restricted opportunities, families broken apart, physical harm, imprisonment, and in some cases death is the result of expressing Christian belief in much of the globe.

Our heat will get fixed and we can take care of the graffiti. Our clocks will show the right time.

For a school that is entirely committed to expressing its Christian faith in devotional practice, academic study, and faithful living we certainly experience an abundance of freedom from many of the roadblocks and harm that others experience.  We are grateful that God gives us the freedom to operate a school such as ours and in so doing we can boldly give expression to our faith as live and learn each day.

But that response to the persecuted church is incomplete. We are called to pray for the persecuted church, remember their plight (Hebrews 13:3), and work for justice everywhere. I read this weekend that  “every local practice of justice plants the seeds for justice to flow wider and higher in the entire world.” 

May our students “grow in grace and knowledge of Jesus Christ “ (2 Peter 3:18) each day at LCES so that they can plant such kingdom seeds throughout their lives.  SJ