Writing a blog might seem a bit dated, and at first blush it may seem that Joe Torgerson is trying to finally achieve his dreams that were dashed on the rocks of xanga.com in 2006.
But posting regularly to our website’s new page, Reflections from the Head of School, which will also be shared to your inbox, is a great way for me to communicate where we are going as a school and why we are going there.
Naturally, the first few reflections here are dedicated to this coming year’s school theme: Whatever You Do. School themes afford us the opportunity to truly meditate on God’s word, and this year’s theme is rooted in Colossians 3:17:
And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.
This concept is not unique in scripture, and this passage has several other sister passages:
So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God. (1 Cor 10:31)
Whoever speaks, as one who speaks oracles of God; whoever serves, as one who serves by the strength that God supplies—in order that in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ. ( 1 Peter 4:11)
A foundational part of what Paul and Peter are getting at is this: following Jesus is not a part-time endeavor; it requires all of us. What Paul doesn’t write in Colossians 3 is for us to “do things in the name of Jesus, giving thanks to God.” No. He writes, “whatever you do.” There are not halfway measures when it comes to what God desires—he desires whatever we do.
I don’t know about you, but I’ve been having quite a few conversations about the CHA dress code this summer as our family has been purchasing clothes for the school year. Why do our shorts need to be a certain length at CHA? What about frayed edges and holes? What’s the deal with that? Why can I wear thin straps at the pool but not at school? These are all valid questions. But at the crux of it, I believe, is that what we wear—for whatever reason—says something significant about who we are.
It’s no coincidence that in Colossians 3:12, when Paul describes what it looks like to follow Jesus in whatever we do, he tells us to put on, like clothes, the attributes of Jesus. The idea is that everyone should see Jesus on us. Essentially, we should be wearing him.
Consider: is this true for your kids? Is their walk with the Lord evident in whatever they do? Can others see it on them, like clothes? Or is there a separation in their lives between how they act at church or at school from how they act on the weekend or at home? Is their walk with God more like a handkerchief in the pocket than a parka?
More subtly, have your kids separated their faith from the other activities in their lives that might be good but not necessarily done in the name of Jesus? When they do their homework, for example, is it a task on a to-do list, or an exploration of God’s world? When they play sports, is it purely for the love of competition or inspired by a delight in the athletic gifts God has given them?
What does your family do each morning or each evening to focus their minds and hearts on doing the tasks ahead for Him? What conversations do you want to have before the year begins about seeing school life as worship?
Here is the challenge for us as we partner together this year: let’s discuss with our kids this idea of doing our everything—our whatever—in the name of Jesus. Let’s challenge our kids to do all that they do as an act of worship.
—JT
