Der Blaue Hund

I was inspired by the Christian Principal's Conference presentations of David Smith of Calvin College and Kuyers Institute. Seldom have I heard someone speak who is able to work the worldview stuff deep into curriculum and pedagogy with such integrity. It left me wondering what sort of action we could take as leaders in Christian Education. Smith referred several times to the curriculum study groups that he was part of as a language teacher in the UK. I was wondering if we could start up something similar on a regional basis. We could begin by studying David's book The Bible and the Task of Teaching by David I. Smith and John Shortt (Nottingham, UK: Stapleford Centre, 2002)over the course of next year in small groups around the province. These could be groups of teachers from one school or teachers in one subject area from several area schools or whoever would like to get together. I suggest that we call these reading groups Der Blaue Hund and that you meet off campus. I'm thinking that we could gather a Lower Mainland BC group to meet at Dublin Crossing every third Friday after school say and we might ask David to pose some questions for us to consider. Let me know what you think.

A Visit to TED

A colleague passed on this TED clip to me the other day, Sir Ken Robinson on the topic, "Do Schools Kill Creativity?" I feel suitably chastised. When I consider the fact that we are created in the image of God, the image of a God who is still in the playful business of making all things new, then I believe that we as Christian school leaders have some serious and playful work to do ourselves. We have created our schools in the image of public schools. We teach our students the way everyone else does. We build our schools the way everyone else does. Why are we surprised when our students look like everyone else does?
So much for the rant. But don't you think we should be on the leading edge of this? We are the ones who know this Creator. We should recognize the urgent need for creativity when it comes to the Kingdom of God making its way in the world. We should be the ones who are dancing, painting ,discovering, designing what that kingdom looks like. Creators are risk takers. Look at the risk the Creator takes with the likes of us. J. Oswald Sanders said, " A great deal more failure is the result of an excess of caution than of bold experimentation with new ideas. The frontiers of the kingdom of God were never advanced by men and women of caution." Check out the link to TED: http://www.ted.com/index.php/talks/view/id/66

Annyeong Haseyo

I had the priviledge of spending a week in Korea with our international student coordinator and our development director, visiting our Korean families, seeing some of the sights and getting a feel for the culture out of which many of our students come to us. Ten percent of our students are international and of those, most are from Korea. For me it was a lesson in revising many of my preconceptions. Culture is complex and its no simpler to draw conclusions about 45 international students than it is 45 Canadian students. Korea has a rich and long history, a rapidly changing society, and big challenges in the emerging global economy. There are many reasons that these students are coming to Canada that we need to understand. I know that many of our schools have international students. We say its not about the money. If we place a high value on the relationship we have with parents, and we want to serve them well than it is worth investing something to get to know them. You will be blessed by the experience.

Trust the Abundance

We spent some time at our last Admin. Team meeting talking about community. How do you know when it's strong? Why does it feel like a fragile thing at times? This in response to a hasty decision made, questioned by others and the followup discussions. And then this wonderful quote from Parker Palmer of course to remind me to trust the abundance. “When a leader is willing to trust the abundance that people have and can generate together, willing to take the risk of inviting people to share from that abundance, then and only then may true community emerge.” In fact when I don't trust it is when I make poor decisions, it is then that I fall into micromanaging situations and when I break down the community we try to build together.

Live the Questions

There are two books that are taking up considerable mind-space for me right now: Bob Goudswaard et. al.'s Hope in Troubled Times and Brian McLaren's Everything Must Change. McLaren has high praise for Hope In ... calling it a must read. Apparently someone in Calgary had the brilliant insight to get the two of them together in one room a few weeks ago for an inspiring evening, according to my sister-in-law. Both books are prophetic in what they call us to. They are showing us the cracks in the empire and as much as that may frighten us it should also encourage us who live with hope. It does raise lots of questions, like Francis Schaeffer's How then should we live? Trust a great poet to shed some light, Ranier Maria Rilke from his Letters to a Young Poet: "I would like to beg you, dear Sir, as well as I can, to have patience with everything unresolved in your heart and to try to love the questions themselves as if they were locked rooms or books written in a very foreign language. Don't search for the answers, which could not be given to you now, because you would not be able to live them. And the point is, to live everything. Live the questions now. Perhaps then, someday far in the future, you will gradually, without even noticing it, live your way into the answer." Isn't that the way it is in life. We have these big questions and over time they lead to a new, and hopefully more faithful, way of living.

Faith Has Better Teeth

This little gift on doubt from a

sister to a sister to me.

Gerhard Frost, the brother that

Robert never had.

Faith Gnaws Too

"Yes, doubt does keep gnawing
at one's faith."
I said it to a friend,
my friend in deep distress.
I said it to encourage,
but quickly he replied,
without a moment's hesitation,
"But faith keeps gnawing at our doubts, too!"

It was a great response.
I am strengthened by it.
Intending to comfort,
I was comforted.
Today I walk more boldly
as I say:
Yes, Doubt does gnaw at my faith,
but faith gnaws, too,
and faith has better teeth!


Gerhard Frost

St. Philaret of Moscow

Thanks for those great comments Matt and Dave. I'm wondering if what this discussion really requires is a look at what it means to be an educational leader today in the kinds of schools we give leadership in. Can we stay focussed on the educational vision we are called to? Another challenge is to stay focussed on "the main thing" and not get sidetracked. I think it is possible that school boards are looking for something they feel we as educational leaders cannot deliver and so they look for those who can, not always realizing the consequences of the decisions.

Anyway in the middle of a busy week this gift to me from a friend passed on to you: a prayer from St. Philaret of Moscow

"O Lord, grant me to greet the coming day in peace, help me in all things to rely upon Your holy will. In every hour of the day reveal Your will to me. Bless my dealings with all who surround me. Teach me to treat all that comes to me throughout the day with peace of soul and with firm conviction that Your will governs all. In all my deeds and words, guide my thoughts and feelings. In unforeseen events, let me not forget that all are sent by You. Teach me to act firmly and wisely, without embittering or embarrassing others. Give me strength to bear the fatigue of the coming day with all that it shall bring. Direct my will, teach me to pray. And, You Yourself, pray in me. Amen."