devotions for administrators of lutheran schools and early ... · failure to overtly identify...

Devotions for Administrators of Lutheran Schools

and Early Childhood Programs

Written by Edward Grube

One dozen dedicated devotional messages revised and re-issued by LEA LEADnet on the occasion Thanksgiving 2013.

© 2009 Lutheran Education Association, 7400 Augusta Street, River Forest, Illinois 60305

LEA LEADnet Devotions for Lutheran School and Early Childhood Center Administrators Page 1

1

You Need Help

Philippians 4:6 (MSG)

“Don't fret or worry. Instead of worrying, pray. Let petitions and praises shape your worries into

prayers, letting God know your concerns.”

“Don’t worry.”

Telling that to a school administrator is like telling a lion tamer “It’s just a big kitty.” Of course, to-

day’s iteration of don’t worry comes from God Himself, speaking through the Apostle Paul. So maybe

there’s something to it.

You need help. If you don’t think you need help, you are wrong. Your position in the ministry of your

school or association requires acceptance of help from a higher level than that of colleagues, continu-

ing education, journals, blogs, administrative certification, and workshops. (Even good ones like the

LEA National Administrators Conference!)

Let God know your concerns. Sooner rather than later. Haven’t you experienced the running-out-of-

help sindrome [sic]? That’s when you think of everything within your intellect and skills that you pos-

sibly can do to create alternative solutions to a problem. And you’ve consulted close colleagues and

posted distress signals to the LEADnet listserv. The results aren’t satisfying despite everything you

have done. So where’s the problem?

The problem is you. You need help. You know it. You just went in the wrong direction first. Make no

mistake. You need everything you have to offer, and you need the collective wisdom of colleagues.

But the first source of help is God. Please don’t be offended hearing something you already know. I

write from experience. I easily forgot my primary source of help in the heat of problem solving. I

went to God only after I exhausted all other resources. Good thing God doesn’t get exhausted!

Sin surely gets in the way of godly progress. Whatever we do in the name of Jesus for His people,

we’re certain to draw Satan’s attention. And if it’s not Satan directly, it’s antagonists that sometimes

find their way into our board, staff, or congregation. There is only one way to address this problem.

Paul told it to the Philippians, and it remains valid and potent today. So...pray. Pray first thing when

you arrive. If you get caught up in pedagogical, administrative, or interpersonal whirlwinds later,

you’ll have already started in the best possible way.

And don’t forget to say thank-you! God blesses you. Jesus suffered, died, and rose for you. The Holy

Spirit is with you now as you live and labor among all your families.

Blessing

Now may the Father who answers prayer, the Son who took away your sins, and the Holy Spirit who equips you for your ministry bless and keep you through this day’s challenges and turmoil. Amen.

Scripture quotations identified as MSG are taken from The Message. Copyright 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000,

2001, 2002. Used by permission of NavPress Publishing Group.


2

God Answers Prayer...You’re Appointed!

John 15:16 (ESV)

“You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you.” You know the power of prayer. When financial crises confront your school, one quick prayer and anonymous deposits flow into your bank account. When you need students, God will provide. Tell Him about it and wait for the phone to ring. You have a teacher who hasn’t yet learned how to teach

after 22 years of experience; close your eyes, ask God to transform him, and poof—Golden Apple Award Winner!

Okay, so sarcasm might be unwelcome. But you get the picture. Prayers are indeed powerful, but you have to watch for answers. Sometimes that includes looking in the mirror.

You need help. That was a title for the first devotion. You know where to go for it. Be ready, because God may use you to answer your own prayer. Your role requires need assessment, an action plan, allocation of resources, trust, more prayer, and flexibility. (If you want to see all this in an historic leader, check out Nehemiah.) Your congregation or association called or appointed you to an administrative position. Their appoint-ment and your acceptance did not happen by accident. Even if it did, God will direct you the way He

wants you to go. But you have to do the going. (If you want to see all this in an historic leader, check out Jonah or Moses.) As a former administrator, I remember many days when I entered my office with trepidation, unsure of decisions I needed to finalize that day and anxiously curious about new situations that might in-trude. In self-pity, I thought Jesus’ garden prayer, asking the Father to remove the cup of suffering

(Matthew 26:39) might be in order. (But no, I didn’t travel that path.)

The better course was to simply pray, “Bless my work today. Use me to do Your will. Amen.” Those few seconds were good for the whole day. Even the next day, if distraction drove me from prayer. We both know that sometimes we don’t do God’s will. Sin—our own and that of others—often gets in the way. Our plea for forgiveness isn’t a prayer we’re appointed to answer. That’s a good thing. At

least we can have total confidence in God’s response to our repentance! John, Nehemiah, Moses, and Jonah offer situations to help you in your ministry. Their success and failures have counterparts in your ministry. So... Blessing Go in peace. Pray freely and fully. Expect answers. Look for opportunities to be one. Amen.

Scripture quotations identified as ESV are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version, copyright © 2001 by

Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.


3

A Message from the Prophet Chicken Little

Read Amos 5:18–24

Get yourself ready. This is a dark devotion. Before you start, be sure to read Amos 5:18-24. You’ll probably like the part about meetings, conferences, conventions, fundraising, and all the stuff that’s part of your nightlife. But the reading really isn’t about any of the above. It’s about end results—our school’s, our students’, and ours. If you don’t do it right, the sky will fall. On you.

Daily challenges and obstacles pose a threat. You can get so caught up (no, this isn’t about rapture) in operations, visioning, planning, fundraising, management, maintenance, and pleasing the public that your focus becomes foggy. You always op-

erate with the threat of becoming preoccupied with your profession to the detriment of ministry. But it gets worse.

You live in danger of operating in the name of. No, I didn’t omit a word. I omitted God. You live in danger of compromising your ministry, especially in efforts to raise funding, enrollment, or friends. These things are inherently necessary to operate a sustainable ministry, but you can’t let them drive the ministry. And it gets worse.

You live in danger of not doing your best. And when you educate in the name of Jesus, it’s an insult to His (and your) Father, who art in heaven but close enough to see what you’re doing. In Amos’s day, Chicken Little captured the consequence of losing focus and excellence. Lest you say that you don’t live on that edge, let’s examine sin’s potential in your school and congre-gation.

Failure to overtly identify ourselves with Jesus Christ—on our bulletin boards, walls, signage,

and other public areas.

Teachers who don’t give a 100% effort every class, every day, every lesson plan.

Congregations that punish teachers (and you) for working for them, e.g., paying the lowest

possible salaries, skimping on health coverage, establishing intractable personnel policies, and the like. (All the while blaming the economy rather than poor long-range planning and inadequate stewardship.)

Principals who don’t protect their teachers from defamation and other manifestations of hos-

tile, selfish, deluded parents.

Schools that don’t fill empty seats at reduced tuition from those who can’t afford to pay the

max.

Promoting the school at the expense of the Word.

If none of the above applies to you and your school, you can feast contentedly on a little chicken and

not worry about Chicken Little! But...

God’s anger, expressed by Amos, wasn’t aimed at programs and planning. He aimed it at people who

refused to keep, as they say, the main thing the main thing. Are you not guilty of the same thing in

some degree at some time?

http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Amos%205:18-24&version=MSGC:/Users/leagrubeec/Documents/Bluetooth%20Exchange%20Folder


What to do? Certainly, do not shout, “The sky is falling! The sky is falling!” at your next board or vot-

ers’ meeting, though that might earn you a long rest on Concordia Health Plan’s dime. But you can

repent. Regularly.

You are not a willful sinner, but you do get sidetracked, as does your board, your staff, your stu-

dents, and those you serve. So repent. The results are predictable. God forgives for Jesus’ sake. And

you continue to lead your school—in the name of Jesus. With God’s help you’ll give justice to your

claim.

Blessing May God the Father empower you to educate in the excellent name of Jesus the Savior. And may the Holy Spirit equip you to give justice to the Savior’s name as your practice justice with staff and stu-dents. Amen.




4

Learning from Leviticus and Lamentations: Mildew, education, and every-

thing else

Leviticus 13:47-59 (GW) “Now about clothing—if there is a green or red area on a piece of clothing that is woven or knitted from linen or wool or on any leather article, it is mildew. It must be shown to the priest. The priest

will examine the mildew and will put the clothing in a separate place for seven days. On the seventh day he will examine the area again. If the spot is spreading, it is unclean. He must burn the piece of clothing or the leather article because the mildew is growing. But if the priest sees that the area has not spread, he must order the area to be washed and put the clothing in a separate place for seven more days. The priest will examine the area again after it is washed. If it doesn't look any different and the mildew has not spread, it is still unclean. It must be burned, whether the area is on the out-

side or the inside. If the priest sees that the area is pale after washing, he will tear it out of the cloth-ing or the leather. However, if it shows up again, you must burn the clothing or the leather article. But if the area disappears from the woven or knitted clothing or any leather article when it is washed, wash it again, and it will be clean. These are the instructions for deciding whether mildew in clothing that is woven or knitted from linen or wool or in any leather article is clean or unclean.”

Does Leviticus deal with teaching? Leviticus deals with almost everything that can go haywire; therefore, one could insist that Leviticus does indeed deal with teaching even if it’s applied only to locker inspection. Teaching reaches for perfection – both for learner and teacher. Kind of like God—and all the rules—meant for His people’s good—in Old Testament Days. (And how many rules does your school have?)

Knowing that perfection was not attainable, due either to personal weakness or sin-saturated envi-ronment, God established a system to protect His “unclean” people and to restore their cleanliness. And, one could make a case for “learning how to get along”—bringing His people back into close rela-

tionship with Him so they could serve Him efficiently. Can you relate? Like teacher manuals, policies, and procedures, Leviticus was like God’s guide to identify and solve

problems that regularly infected souls and bodies and minds. Again, can you relate? Is there any Gospel in Leviticus? No. At least not directly. The sacrifices and rituals of Leviticus foreshadow what God would do for His sinful people through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. You want Gospel? You have to go to a book like Lamentations, where you hear Jeremiah rightfully speak of God, which in context sounds much like a veteran Lutheran school administrator or grateful

student remembering earlier days: “I remember it all—oh, how well I remember—the feeling of hitting the bottom. But there’s one other thing I remember, and remembering, I keep a grip on hope: God’s loyal love couldn’t have run out, his merciful love couldn’t have dried up. they’re created new every morning. How great your faithful-ness! I’m sticking with God (I say it over and over). He’s all I’ve got left. God proves to be good to

the man who passionately waits, to the woman who diligently seeks. It’s a good thing to quietly

hope, quietly hope for help from God. It’s a good thing when you’re young to stick it out through the hard times. When life is heavy and hard to take, go off by yourself. Enter the silence. Bow in prayer. Don’t ask questions: Wait for hope to appear. Don’t run from trouble. Take it full-face. The ‘worst’ is never the worst. Why? Because the Master won’t ever walk out and fail to return.” (Lamentations 3:20-31 MSG).


So what is the point? Education has potential to contribute to spiritual growth. Indeed, all educa-

tion—formal and lessons from life—are connected to God. Like God’s laws in Leviticus, God’s power

and love cover every subject. Education cannot save students from death and the devil, but situa-

tions in which they find themselves prompt us to think about our fallen condition before God. You

and your students always need help. You aren’t good enough. Nor do you need to be. Jesus was per-

fect for you.

Blessing May God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit alert us to God’s law and love as it reveals itself in classes

and in life. Amen.



(GW) is GOD'S WORD, a copyrighted work of God's Word to the Nations. Copyright 1995 by God's Word to the

Nations. All rights reserved. Used by permission.


5

Routine Forgetfulness Read Numbers 11:18-34

Did you read the Scripture selection? At first glance, you may be confused over its connection to the title or anything administrative. As in all Scripture, context is important to understanding the message. In this case, Moses was deal-ing with a bunch of whiners whose miraculous escape from Egypt was overshadowed by dietary dis-satisfaction and dreams. God’s people craved “cuisine” and a larger menu. They wearied of their rou-

tine. They forgot the dramatic mercy and power of God. Administrators and those they serve still live with routine forgetfulness.

Many administrators would confess to loving routine, to hoping it could occupy more of their time. Routine involves good cash flows, calm voices, short meetings, well-behaved children, parents who see the big picture, and staff who understand and comply with policies and procedures.

Yes, many administrators prefer routine instead of excitement or its unruly cousin, chaos. Routine means things are going well. Or at least it seems that way. Delight with routine has potential for trouble. Satisfaction with status quo can lead to ruts instead of ongoing improvement, which eventually will erode excellence. While this has pedagogical and enroll-

ment implications, it’s even worse to consider educating children in the name of Jesus and not doing a good job at it! Routine also has risks more closely associated with the account from Numbers. You risk not seeing God’s hand in your work, in your school, in all of your life. When nothing dramatic, traumatic, or cli-mactic occurs, you are tempted to miss God’s action on your behalf. Not that that is completely bad:

Do you really want to observe the warfare going on beyond your perception—Satan’s battle to win

you and destroy your ministry? Routine is okay when it means your program is operating well, AND you know that neither you nor the fates (there is NO SUCH THING) are solely responsible. Aside from dramatic developments in organizational ministry, you, each staff member, and each student in every class are striking testi-mony to extraordinary routines! Each body pulses with life, miraculous tissues working in harmony, synapses firing in complex programs to produce teaching and learning. It’s not the kind of routine

you want interrupted for a little excitement, but it is the kind of routine for which you want to praise God! Even the wondrous routines that operate just beyond your constant perception pale in contrast to God’s greatest blessing ever! Though taken for granted even by “religious” people, Jesus’ sacrificial life, torturous death, and victorious resurrection remain something that you may never consider rou-

tine. His work made forgiveness routine. And you can’t forget to recognize it every day.

So get on with your routines. But if you see a bunch of quail gather on campus... Blessing May the Holy Spirit keep you ever mindful of God’s power and the Savior’s redemption! Amen.

http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Num%2011:18-34&version=MSGC:/Users/leagrubeec/Documents/Bluetooth%20Exchange%20Folder


6

Planning for Lean Years Read Genesis 41:46–57

As you read this, the world economy gets healthier but still skitters and skids on the far edge of re-cession. Lutheran schools are in trouble. Too many have lived in lean years before the rest of the world caught up. Lean for Lutheran schools has become emaciation. Some will die. Sin is happy. It has been trying to close our schools for years. Sometimes we played along; some-times we fought. Sin’s allies have taken many forms and formats. You’ve seen it: dysfunctional

boards, inept leadership, hostile leadership, famine of funds, and more. What will happen to Lutheran schools? We’ve made it into the 21st century. Shall we aim for or give

up on the 22nd century? Planning for lean years is nothing new. Joseph did it centuries ago, saving believers and unbelievers alike. (Why haven’t we named a Lutheran school after him?) His God-given foresight saved a line of

Jews who were ancestors of Jesus. With His work... Yes, His. The power of planning comes from God. It’s time to be His Joseph in the 21st century, contributing to a future of schools who proclaim the Gospel to young believers and unbelievers alike. But how?

Joseph must have felt small as he faced a frighteningly monumental task. You must feel inadequate for the task too. You weren’t trained for this. God will help you, but what must you do? Learn. Learn what it takes to create financial sustainability for your school. Devotions shouldn’t be commercials, so let’s consider the following a luthermercial. Ask God to help you grow through arti-

cles and guides to business planning, webinars, and whatever whatevers.

Of course, you may not have one of Joseph’s advantages. You’re not planning for lean years from a time of adequacy or even prosperity—unless someone serving before you had that insight and wis-dom. But God will let nothing stand in the way of proclaiming His Gospel. If only this writer could leave you with money, it would be a way out. If only Synod gathered a grant to keep struggling Lutheran schools open, it would be a way out. If only LEA could figure a formula

that guaranteed long-term sustainability, it would be a way out. That won’t happen. But you are left with encouragement and trust. God will do whatever He wants; ask Him to make you part of His plan. Grow in administrative and fiscal skills for those are gifts of God to accomplish His purpose. Be flexible, for your hopes may not be in His plans, but He has even better plans for you.

Blessing

Now may God send His Holy Spirit to give you wisdom and the courage never to give up. May Jesus walk the halls of Lutheran schools throughout the centuries. May the Father be the source and strength of your plans—now and in the future for which we pray. Amen.

http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Gen%2041:46-57&version=ESVC:/Users/leagrubeec/Documents/Bluetooth%20Exchange%20Folder


7

Why Are You Here? Solving for w and y Read 1 Corinthians 12:12–31

If you haven’t thought about it yet, you will. Most likely you’ll wonder WHY you are here after an in-furiating phone call (never during school hours!) or the annual budget meeting. Maybe it will hit you when a teacher calls, shakily whispering, “I think we have a problem.” Maybe it happens when you peek at your paycheck—and it doesn’t take more than a peek to see all the numbers. None of the above? Fill in the blank _____________.

Never rue the reason why you are here. Paul speaks to you in verse 28, when he says, “God chose some people to be apostles and prophets and teachers for the church.” That’s why you are here.

God, of course, had lots of choices. Where He put you (has put you, will put you) matters less than

WHY He put you here—or anywhere else. God chose you to do His work. He chose you because you are magnificent, kind, creative, obedient, and brilliant.

Wait a minute. If you believe that, I have some lakefront property in the Sahara for sale. The truth, of course, is that your sinfulness disqualifies you for daily—or even irregular—service to God through your Lutheran school. Wait! Before you rush out the door for a long weekend, Christ turned things around. His obedience, death, and resurrection qualified you. And taking the matter a step further, the Holy Spirit has brought you into daily service as an administrator of a Lutheran school.

Wow! That should impress your friends and acquaintances. Well, it SHOULD. That it might not isn’t important. You are here to proclaim the Gospel, not put extra fat on your head.

Making a case for proclaiming the Gospel while you’re evaluating teachers, drafting a policy, execut-

ing a policy, and trying to stop a toilet valve’s tantrum may seem remote—or fanciful—or deluded. But proclaiming the Gospel sometimes happens in ways others might ignore or consider trivial.

God has His reasons for making you what He made you and placing you where He placed you. And if, for some reason, you think you are what you are by reason of some means less than godly, you may be right. Which makes you wrong. But God turns around and makes you right for the WHY. God lets nothing get in the way of the Gospel. You and your administrator colleagues share a privilege. You have a reason for being here. You must

focus on our excellent God who created and maintains everything. You must focus on our excellent Savior, whose excellence took away our sins. And you must focus on the excellent Holy Spirit, whose guidance and power equips you for nothing less than excellence in Lutheran education. Need other reasons to solve the WHY of your being here? You aren’t alone. You are part of a team—the part charged with leadership. But the entire school staff complements your leadership. And, if

you’re even more abundantly blessed, the church staff.

Is it okay ever to question WHY you are here? Certainly, as long as you arrive at the right answer! Blessing Now may the God of creation create in you and your school the desire and ability to proclaim the saving power of Jesus Christ. And may the Holy Spirit always give you the right answer as to why

you are here. Amen.

http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1%20Cor%2012:12-31&version=ESVC:/Users/leagrubeec/Documents/Bluetooth%20Exchange%20Folder


8

How Are Your Numbers? Scripture: See below.

God created perfect people to live happily ever after in a perfect place. His perfect people had a dif-ferent idea of perfection. They deliberately sinned. They ruined perfection. It would be easy to be disappointed. Abraham and Sarah feared they had an empty promise. Children as numerous as stars in the sky or sands on the shore? Yeah, right, especially at this unripe old age. It would be easy to be disap-

pointed God pulled all the right plagues. Now Egypt’s mighty Pharaoh wanted the Israelites out of town. At

least for one fleeting moment; then he chased them through the sea bed. And God waved good-bye to them. Free at last. Free at last. Thank God almighty...but where was the food and water and cool respite from the wilderness heat? And then there was that infernal cloud of light before and behind. Where were they going and when would they get there? Over 40 years, it would be easy to be disap-

pointed. Jesus healed liberally. 10 lepers. 1 thankful. It would be easy to be disappointed. We marvel at the teaching and feeding of the 5,000. Had Jesus hoped for 6,000, 8,000, 10,000? The event was free. The food plentiful—and free. The message inspiring and free. It would be easy to be

disappointed. Where were they? The Palm Sunday multitude on Good Friday? A few disciples, Jesus’ mother, a knot of derisive, disrespectful soldiers. No Hosannas. Just tears and sneers and jeers. It would be easy to be disappointed.

So when we send spies down the time line to the Promised Land, what report do they return? Is the

future friendly? What people will we serve? How many will we serve? What people will we get to serve? Do our schools and congregations have a future surrounded by milk and honey or will it be vinegar and gum? Will we build walls to keep people safe or to keep them away? Do we move for-ward with timidity or confidence, trusting God to lead and revise and fix our plans for 10, 20, 30, or more years from now? We didn’t follow our excerpt from Numbers to the end, but you know the story. God was angry at the

wishy-washy--those who didn’t trust Him to confront the hostile giants who seemed insurmountable obstacles to a prosperous future blessed by Him. They never saw the Promised Land, but their chil-dren did. God’s people made history! Good history. Are we too humble (or too diffident?) to see ourselves as part of the history of Lutheran education, as it may be reported 10, 20, 50 years from now?

It’s not bragging to say that each of us is making history right now right here. LEA is many things,

but most of all it’s a God thing. And now...despite the dedication and expertise devoted to this blessed group, known as Lutheran Education Association, we may be history someday. It would be easy to be disappointed, knowing our efforts carry no guarantee. Yet...

Consider 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 (NLT): “Always be joyful. Keep on praying. No matter what happens, always be thankful, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.”


And… Proverbs 28:26 (CEV): “Only fools would trust what they alone think, but if you live by wisdom, you will do all right.”

And…

Proverbs 3:5-6 (NLT): “Trust in the LORD with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek his will in all you do, and he will direct your paths.”

Blessing Now regardless of the numbers, the blessing remains:

“I pray that the Lord will bless and protect you, and that he will show you mercy and kindness. May

the Lord be good to you and give you peace” (Numbers 6:24-26 CEV). Scriptures marked as "CEV" are taken from the Contemporary English Version, copyright © 1995 by American Bible Society. Used by permission. Scripture quotations identified as NLT are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright 1996, 2004. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights reserved.


9

Cartwheels for Administrators Read Habakkuk 3:17-19

Do this when nobody is looking: Go into the hall. Pretend (ONLY pretend) that you’re so happy that you turn cartwheels the full length of the hallway. (Do not even try this in a short pretend hallway!) Look out for the trophy cabinet! Beware the gym stuff on the floor! Oh...that wasn’t a preschooler that you just wheeled over, was it? Okay...just the pastor—he’s short; you’re good to go. What would kids think if they caught you flipping around? Parents? School board? Unless you’re in

the habit of rollicking and frolicking in delight (or falling down stairs), they might wonder if you flipped your lid!

Okay. So maybe you should stick to more common intellectual somersaults like jumping to conclu-sions, dancing around issues, or walking the plank. Administrators often plunge into pity pools. Your tendency toward immersion in myriad problems

makes it hard to jump for joy when the burden of leadership weighs heavily on your shoulders. Your work is more complex than anyone not in the position can understand. Solutions to problems are elusive—especially how to make the next payroll or satisfy the insatiably self-centered parent or han-dle the hygiene problem in seventh grade. Cartwheels indeed! Your place in ministry and history has a long tradition—Habakkuk (Seward, 600 B.C.) and even be-

fore. What befell most of the prophets puts some distance between your challenges and theirs, but current culture offers different manifestations of hostility and potentially destructive circumstances. Habakkuk doing cartwheels? Isaiah? John the Baptist? You? Indeed! You cannot escape the perils, anxieties, disappointments, and discomforts of your work. You can fo-cus on those moments in ministry when you thank God for the privilege of serving as you do. But the

true source of lasting contentment and joy come only in trusting God with all that you do.

Will you worry? Yes. Will you want to quit? Yes. Will you give up? Sometimes. Sin and the devil would like nothing more than for you to cartwheel right off the edge of faith. Satan knows much of what you do not know—like how many souls really are nourished through the work of your school. Satan does not want you to succeed. He works to keep you from trying. Like Habakkuk, you have every resource to find joy in ministry. You know that appearances are de-

ceiving; Jesus accompanies you through highs and lows and those dreadfully boring and dangerous in-betweens. So put on your gym shoes... ...so you don’t get heel marks on your desk. Or make a soft landing on the pastor.

Blessing May the joy that passes even cartwheels be with you always. And I do mean always! Amen.

http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Hab%203:17-19&version=ESVC:/Users/leagrubeec/Documents/Bluetooth%20Exchange%20Folder


10

Shades of Shakespeare?

2 Timothy 2:11-13 (NRSV) “The saying is sure: If we have died with him, we will also live with him; if we endure, we will also reign with him; if we deny him, he will also deny us; if we are faithless, he remains faithful—for he cannot deny himself.” To change or not to change...what is the question?

To change... The future may be frightening.

Remember Toffler’s Future Shock? Good! I don’t. I read it, but I forgot what it said. What I do re-member is how I felt—a mixture of excitement, fright, shock, and a bit of disbelief.

Lutheran school leaders must prepare both schools and students for the future. And they must do it now, even though they don’t know what the future will bring. But that’s all part of change...preparing students to think creatively and analytically and flexibly. The body of knowledge will be collected and accessed easily...as it is now already past pioneer stage, with which most students are more com-fortable than you are.

You may be unsure of the facts of the future, so you must develop a mindset that supports intelligent change and research that drives and inspires your leadership into the next decade and... Besides that, you haven’t even begun to discover all that God already knows! Change is good when it discovers more and more for which to give God glory and praise! You just can’t settle for what you know now; God has provided currently unimaginable knowledge and discovery. You’ll never discover

it all this side of heaven, but you must strive to fully appreciate God’s wisdom and creation.

Lutheran schools need to change—without the jokes that characterize Lutherans and change. What is done within LEADnet needs to aim toward the future of excellence in Lutheran schools—and all the changes necessary to take us there. Beginning now. What does God say about this? He said it long ago: “Commit your work to the Lord, and your plans will be established” (Proverbs 16:3 NRSV).

Or not to change... As you become comfortable with change and the rate of change, you must guard against change be-coming an enemy of Lutheran schools—not the lack of change but the scope of change.

You all know what must not—cannot—change. The Gospel message must never change. You must

never compromise Scripture as the inspired word of God. You might find new ways to proclaim the Gospel, but the message must not be molested, misappropriated, or massaged. God says, “The Lord’s plan stands firm forever. His thoughts stand firm in every generation” (Psalms 33:11 GW).


What is the question? To change or not to change really points to a foregone conclusion:

“I know what I’m doing. I have it all planned out—plans to take care of you, not abandon you, plans to give you the future you hope for” (Jeremiah 29:11 MSG). Blessing May the Triune God help you learn from the past, do His will in the present, and bless your ministry in the future.

The New Revised Standard Version (Anglicized Edition), copyright 1989, 1995 by the Division of Christian Educa-tion of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved. GOD'S WORD is a copyrighted work of God's Word to the Nations. Copyright 1995 by God's Word to the Na-tions. All rights reserved. Used by permission.


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Absentee List Matthew 28:19-20 (CEV)

“Go to the people of all nations and make them my disciples. Baptize them in the name of the Fa-ther, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, and teach them to do everything I have told you. I will be with you always, even until the end of the world.” Check who is absent today.

You know who should be present but isn’t. But do you know everyone who is absent? (This is a trick question.)

When everyone is present, how many desks remain unoccupied? Some child should be in each of

those seats. You would like that too, right? Why aren’t those seats filled? Blame sin if you’re looking for a culprit! Satan does not want any ears—much less young, impressionable ears—hearing the Gos-pel—or any truths about God’s kingdom. Satan uses various tools to accomplish the vacancy—mostly money. To quote a few:

Those who can’t afford tuition will need to find an education elsewhere. Lots of good public

schools around here.

We can’t subsidize our own congregations’ kids much less outsiders and much, much less

those who don’t care about “religion!”

There aren’t enough kids in school? Close it!

I don’t believe in marketing a ministry.

How would we decide who gets tuition breaks and who doesn’t?

Yes, many obstacles block your way to full enrollment. Overcoming them may strain your current skill set or it may be beyond your attitudes. Recognizing the things you can address and those be-yond your influence is a giant step toward solutions.

You have a commission—a great one—to fulfill. Participation in practical conferences and workshops will boost your performance—and maybe even your enthusiasm for a difficult challenge. Prayer helps too. God doesn’t really need it; He already knows about you and your school. But you need to talk to someone, er...Someone! Then get yourself into God’s Word; you’re likely to find help there, as long as you don’t prescribe to God what His help should be!

Empty seats hinder outreach and mission. If students are not present to hear your teachers proclaim the love of God through Jesus Christ, they miss much more than learning the wonders of God’s world. They miss the instruction and witness about how Jesus came to save them—to enable them to

live with Him forever. That is a costly omission.

Of course, there is an additional blessing to filling those desks. Look at it as one of many blessings

that accompany mission work. This blessing involves money. A child in that desk, at whatever tui-tion, brings more income than you have now. That little “incidental” contributes to your school’s fu-ture.

Most important in this meditation is realization of why you and your school do what you do. God has sent you students; you, or somebody trained in admissions, need to go out and get the others.


Blessing May every desk in your school be occupied with opportunities.

Scriptures marked as "CEV" are taken from the Contemporary English Version, copyright © 1995 by American Bible Society. Used by permission.


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Today’s To-Do List

Work on board agenda

Complete Title MXLCCI forms

Check absentees

Walk around

Handle discipline problem with sixth-grade girl-bullies

Wash hate-graffiti from girls’ washroom stalls

Get chapel speaker to fill in for pastor

Interview prospective student and family

Teach health class

Renew LEA membership

Professional reading: ASCD Journal (Fall 1957)

Check budget against actual expenditures (before the treasurer does)

Prepare press release for fart air

Make note to proofread press releases before releasing them

Lunch with Rotary

Call Mrs. Plotz about Peter’s behavior

Prepare faculty meeting agenda

Fantasize about the Call you didn’t take

Read to preschoolers

Call Mrs. Plotz re: complaint against coach

Call fire department to report fire drill

Call fire department to tell them not to come (if you forget to call them the first time)

Prioritize your procrastination list (this has low priority)

Read and respond to LEADnet listserv postings

Prepare report for congregation meeting

Meet with fundraising moms

Meet with Peter Plotz about coach’s boxers flying from flagpole

Go out for recess—in case they need a substitute or something

Personal devotion time: 2 Kings 22:8,11 MSG: The high priest Hilkiah reported to Shaphan

the royal secretary, "I've just found the Book of GOD's Revelation, instructing us in GOD's

ways. I found it in The Temple!" Shaphan proceeded to read it to the king. When the king heard what was written in the book, God's Revelation, he ripped his robes in dismay.”

Blessing May the Holy Spirit keep forever before you the reason for Christian education, so it never gets lost in the big to-do of to-dos. Amen. Scripture quotations identified as MSG are taken from The Message. Copyright 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002. Used

by permission of NavPress Publishing Group.