It’s almost launch time!
This final post, a series on the stages of maturity in the Bible and with our children finishes off with this letter and I especially appeal to you to read this series if you haven’t. Here is a conceptual model for growth in the Bible and in our lives, parts 2 and 3 below:
Grammar — Knowledge — Priest stage
Logic — Understanding — King stage
Rhetoric — Wisdom — Prophet stage
The next stage from what we’ve covered is this logic/understanding/king stage. Middle schoolers want to understand the things they’re taught. They are taking truth and applying it. Israel’s kings in the “king stage” of redemptive history were required to write out their own personal copy of the Torah. They had to know the basics of the “grammar/priest” stage of the Mosaic law and the intention of Torah so they could apply it to situations where there were no explicit directives from Torah.
The classic case here is Solomon with the dispute over the prostitutes and the child; there’s nothing in Leviticus about that! Solomon knew the law and he knew the intention of it – this is more advanced maturity and it’s what our young adults need. They need to know the Bible and know the intention from the heart. The last stage in this progression of redemptive and personal maturity is the rhetoric/wisdom/prophet stage. When our 18 year olds leave home they should have very little rules. They should have wisdom. They must have internalized the gracious and good law of God. In later Israelite history, post David and post Solomon, the prophets not only knew Torah and knew wisdom, they conferred with God in council and deep prayer. They “reasoned” with God and man. They knew how to teach the nations and like the sons of Isaachar, they knew the times, and they knew what Israel should do…
Do we have this kind of maturity? Do we know the times and know what we should do? Does modern Christianity today have the wisdom to teach the nations how their government should work? Not just how to organize a Bible study but how to give counsel on complicated ethical and societal challenges?
That’s the aim of St. Abraham’s. Graduating students who are on the pathway to become “Renaissance Men and Women.” Well rounded; all knowledge unified and harmonious in Jesus Christ. They should have a coherent, rich and complete worldview and know how to apply all of Christ, for all of life, for all the world. The prophet Micah predicted a time when the nations would hunger after the people of God that they may learn from them how to live (4:2).
Graduates of our school should not only know how to live holy, joyful, and mature lives but know how to lead others younger than them in it as well. Many dread the teenage years like a root canal. They believe there’s nothing you can do … it will be horrible. Does that always have to be the case? Is that true?
Young adults are still very young. They will learn much from their own mistakes and failures, as we have. And if you were not able to seize the early years of parenting – then peace be still. Cling to repentance. Ask forgiveness. Model integrity. Addressing the challenges of latter years/messy teenage parenting is a post for another time. Nevertheless, many parents underestimate the maturity that their young man or woman can have by 18-20. All of this must begin at 6 mos old. If young parents have a very clear picture of a robust 18 year old in their mind’s eye – then that will help in aiming for it year by year.
Dads – lead your wife in these things. Ask your wife how things are going with the children every day. Take responsibility. Initiate. Change the diapers. Do the hard stuff. Like a good volleyball game say, “I got this!”
Dads – say, “Don’t worry Babe. I’m all over this.” And then with winsome joy lead the whole family to love Jesus and treat each other well … especially in respecting their mother.
I have a “call-out” for the students this year. A “call out” is a line that I say to the children and then they finish the statement by responding. I will say, “I will treat my mother … (students complete it by saying) “as a queen!” In a subsequent email I will send the entire list of call-outs to you so that you can enjoy them at home. We will be using them much here at the school.
Remember, parenting should never be merely reactive. Mature parents are proactive and deeply studied in how to do it. Fathers – be involved with the decisions and the challenges in regards to your child’s education. It will pay dividends I assure you.
You and me … let’s study how to be a parent after our Heavenly Father. It is our central mission as adults with children. If I could only be successful in life in two areas – I would want it to be in my marriage and in my loving fatherly ways with the children God has given me. We partner with you in this great task and we need you.
God bless you!
Mr. Alexander