Lutheran Schools and God's Church

You would think the two would go 'hand in hand.' But I'm not always sure the process is equipped correctly. There is a part of me that knows that Lutheran schools are proclaiming the good news of Jesus Christ and helping families raise sound children for the Kingdom. But another part of me asks questions that make some uncomfortable, mainly because the questions challenge the process, and that can be painful [but rewarding!]. What if God's people worked together without politics driving the show? What if God's grace and truth led the way in all things proclaimed from our pulpits/classrooms? What would happen if a generation was taught not only about God, but His heart in all things? Would they stand up in the face of evil?

It is my hope and prayer that as I [and hopefully a few others] work through thinking about God's work to equip His church [His people] for ministry, that we would be active in making disciples in our work in Lutheran schools in all capacities of the needs of God's Church. I pray these documents help refine our thinking so that the next generations to be raised in Lutheran schools will be saved collaborators discerning their world and knowing what the will of God is, by the power of His Holy Spirit. To God be the glory.

Outline of the work:

Gifts of the Spirit

True community only happens when the individual can ‘rise’ in Christ, and be the individual that God has made you to be! Not above or greater than the one next to you, then we are about preparing ‘God’s people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature.'
-Rev. Brian West

From I Corinthians 12: [gifts not given to each and every person]

1. Message of Wisdom [v.8]
2. Message of Knowledge [v.8]
3. Faith [v.9] mountain moving faith, 1 Cor. 13 [different from saving faith – Peter walks on water, 11 don’t]
4. Gifts of Healing [v.9]
5. Miraculous Powers [v.10]
6. Prophecy [v.10]
7. Distinguishing between spirits [v.10]
8. Speaking in different kinds of tongues [v.10, also ch. 14]
9. Interpretation of tongues
10. Apostles [v.28] [#1 in church]
11. Prophets [v.28] [#2 in church]
12. Teachers [v.28] [#3 in church…then…also…]
13. Workers of Miracles [v.28]
14. Those having gifts of healing [v.28]
15. Those able to help others [v.28]
16. Those with gifts of administration [v.28]
17. Those speaking in different kinds of tongues [v.28]

** “…eagerly desire the greater gifts.” [v.31] Teach the greater gifts?

From Romans 12:

18. Prophesying [v.6] “use it in proportion to his faith” [some should not speak on certain things?] For example, a teacher asked me to deal with the problem of God and evil. “Can you speak to my class, because I struggle with this one, so I am not the one to answer it.”
19. Serving [v.7]
20. Teaching [v.7]
21. Encouraging [v.8]
22. Contributing to the needs of others [v.8] [give generously]
23. Leadership [v.8] [govern diligently]
24. Showing mercy [v.8] [do it cheerfully]

From Ephesians 4:

25. Apostles [v.11]
26. Prophets [v.11]
27. Evangelists [v.11] [“bringer of good news” from euvaggelista,j]
28. Pastors [v.11] [Shepherd, pastor, minister, “one who takes care of the sheep”]
29. Teachers

** “…to prepare God’s people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.”
“grace given as Christ sees fit.” Eph. 4.4 - 4.7

From I Peter 4:

30. Use gifts to serve others [v.10]
31. Faithfully administering God’s grace in its various forms [“many colored,” manifold, various kinds, all kinds of] [v.10]
32. “If anyone speaks, he should do it as one speaking the very words of God” [v.11]
33. “If anyone serves, he should do it with the strength God provides” [v.11]

** “…so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. To him be the glory and the power for ever and ever. Amen.”

Questions for pastors: “Can we work and empower within these giftings?” “How do we recognize who has what gift?” “Is that gift ‘for good’ or is there a temporal possibility?” “How do we teach within the constraints of Scripture, ‘so that the body of Christ may be built up 13 until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.’” “How do we lead and shepherd, yet empower and raise up?” “Does mentoring offer enough ‘oversight’ or is there another ‘apostolic’ way to disciple people who then disciple?” [2 Tim. 2.2] “Are we helping or are we in the way?”

Questions for teachers: “Are we teaching according to these gifts, or simply what the world would lift up as ‘gifts’ for society?” “Can we focus on both?” “Could a focus on the Spirit’s gifts lead us into our ‘gifting’ amidst society?” “How could we determine who has what gift of the Spirit?” “How early could these gifts be determined and/or taught?” [see Isaiah 2:2-5 below] “Are there any gifts we should assume for all children?” “How do we teach to and through these gifts?” “Should a student be aligned with a teacher based upon their reciprocal or complimentary giftedness [when possible, forming a mentoring or teamwork situation]?” “How and where do we gain a way of understanding Scripture and allowing it to lead us in all ways?” “Do we have resources available, easy to access, that can point us in the right direction?”

ESV Isaiah 2:2 It shall come to pass in the latter days that the mountain of the house of the LORD shall be established as the highest of the mountains, and shall be lifted up above the hills; and all the nations shall flow to it, 3 and many peoples shall come, and say: "Come, let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the house of the God of Jacob, that he may teach us his ways and that we may walk in his paths." For out of Zion shall go the law, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem. 4 He shall judge between the nations, and shall decide disputes for many peoples; and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war anymore. 5 O house of Jacob, come, let us walk in the light of the LORD.

In the ‘old days,’ Christian thinking brought into existence things like science and other helpful jobs. Western society is based upon good Christian thinking. But today, that thinking has been taken over by a ‘secular’ version, and I want to get back to basing our thinking in Scripture to lead into our daily lives rather than learning things secularly and trying to redeem the concepts later on.

Something to "chew on." God bless.