Confessions of HS Curriculum

Effective teaching in the realm of Christian faith comes from the ever-obvious attitude of a fellow Jesus-follower. It flows from the true estate of the teacher as a fellow saint and sinner. As one on the journey. As one who has by no means arrived and could tumble into grievous sin before sundown. As one who indeed has gotten much of it wrong and hopes to help others learn from his or her mistakes. As one who has believed wrongly or interpreted the Bible wrongly in this way or that and hopes to be of aid to others. Effective teaching comes from what a teacher is learning, not what he or she has mastered. The teacher mentally counts her/himself among the students, only perhaps steps ahead in knowledge in this or that area and in experience. The approach is far more “we” and “us” rather than “you.” Not “you need to analyze your motives,” “watch your mouth,” “repent of your idolatries” … But “WE need to …” When preaching or teaching comes from a superior mindset rather than an ever-learning student a few grades ahead, the teacher or preacher who—make no mistake—is also weak in her/his natural self and needs the Holy Spirit in the worst way, will inevitably splinter into more and more duplicity and the student who believed the teacher’s/preacher’s press into more and more idolatry. Then, when the teacher or preacher proves human after all, the student’s foundation cracks because the student’s foundation was the leader rather than Christ himself. There is an almost imperceptible line that can get crossed from being a teacher who is used by God to point people to Christ and being a teacher who uses Christ to point to him or herself. The only real way to perceive that line being crossed early is to have courage enough to test the quality of our own intimacy with God and dependency on the Holy Spirit. How is our prayer life? In what ways are we reading scripture for our own enrichment and correction and direction rather than simply to prepare lessons? Being brave enough to ask the hard questions not of our classes. But of ourselves. Then, as God leads, perhaps also our classes. The teacher who has stopped learning and stopped growing in Christ is no longer a teacher but a talker. The preacher, no longer a preacher but a balloon loudly leaking hot stale air. We don’t have to tell the graphic details of our weaknesses or our past lives. But we do indeed teach and preach as those inconceivably graced by God through the cross of Christ Jesus. We teach and preach as those for whom God’s grace has not been in vain. Much of what I’ve learned in these 40 years of teaching and speaking I’ve learned the hard way. I know what it is like to think you would never do this or that only to hear the rooster crow. So this grossly long essay comes with love and much life experience and self-confrontation to younger teachers. I cannot help but wince when I hear an air of superiority in spoken or written words or see the relentless finger pointing at the audience. The scolding and scaring. And most of all I wince when I hear it in my own voice. Jesus, help me. I wince not because I’ve won this battle. I haven’t. I wince not because the teacher is without gift or wrong in point of fact. But because I’ve lived long enough and experienced enough and observed enough to know that the higher the leader sets him/herself, the further he/she has to fall. The question is not whether God will humble us when we think too highly of ourselves and teach and preach and speak as those better than our hearers. It is when. And we will want to hope it is soon because the longer it waits, the further the crash. And in it, God is always good for what brings humility is never wasted. A better teacher will emerge if we will submit to God’s process. Consider this not a word from the wise but a word from the scarred. Let this mind be in us that was also in Christ Jesus.