October 24 Home Communicator – This past weekend all of our teachers and administrators had the privilege to be a part of the Christian Educators Association Convention (CEA). This two-day conference brings together professionals in Christian schools from Michigan, Illinois, Indiana, and Wisconsin. This year’s theme was on “Cultivating Community.” Many speakers and sectionals celebrated our Christian community with the 500-year anniversary of the reformation, but also focused on how do we, as Christian schools, continue to cultivate and create a Christian community in today’s society and culture?
As I was reflecting on everything I personally learned and was challenged with, I thought back to one specific sectional presented by Dr. Bruce Hekman. Dr. Hekman challenged everyone in the room to focus on God’s Sovereignty, a term hopefully all of us have thought about many times before. However, instead of continuing down this path he challenged us that if we truly believe the fact that God is over and in all things, why do we continue to try and fill our lives with busyness? Why do we feel the need to take care of everything ourselves? Instead REST. A simple one-word answer to all of this. In the creation of the world God rested. During Jesus’ teaching He rested. Why do we not feel the need to rest?
I challenge you, just as Dr. Hekman challenged me, to find time during your busy week to rest. What I mean by rest is not necessarily sleep more (although it probably wouldn’t hurt) but instead spend time reflecting, away from it all to focus on God’s work in your life. Take time to “refill” your bucket so to speak. It will be difficult, it will challenge us, but to continue to cultivate our Christian community and grow in our personal faith it is a discipline that is needed. If you see me in the hallways or the grocery store I invite you to hold me personally accountable, ask me how I am doing in this, and I will return the favor. I am excited to see where a true belief in God’s sovereignty can take us.
In Christ,
Justin Knot, Director of Curriculum and Instruction
