“Left to themselves, the students will establish their own informal dress code. This is another inescapable concept. It is not whether there will be cultural enforcement of dress standards, but which standards will be applied and by whom” (The Case for Classical Christian Education, p. 188).
Sartorial Teleology
“But the next issue is also important for a school to recognize. Some clothes are more suitable than others. Clothes are tailored for the occasion. There is no reason for a man to rent a tux in order to change the oil in his car. A tux is a better garment than a mechanic’s overalls, …
If the Bible Described a Red Wagon, This Means the Idea of Red Is Meaningful
“When the Bible says that Abigail was a beautiful and intelligent woman (1 Sam. 25:3), this means that there is such a thing as feminine loveliness. When the Bible calls us to sing a new song to God and to play skillfully with a shout of joy (Ps. 33:1), this means that there is such …
Every Collar Obedient
“The Enlightenment tradition insists on the primacy of ‘timeless truths’ and says that as long as a student gets the answer right, nailing down that timeless truth, it does not matter if the answer came out of a disheveled, greasy head. It does not matter if the student mumbling the timeless truth is slouching around …
What Do You Mean, “Others”?
“What might be called the ‘casual imperative’ has established itself in the American mind as the ultimate desideratum. Whatever else you do in the morning when you dress, make sure you make yourself comfortable. Of course, we should dress for comfort, but the biblical view is that we should also dress for the comfort of …
A School With AIDS
“Lack of discipline will kill your school — a school without discipline has no way to fight off ‘infections.’ If a school is unwilling or unable to fire administrators or teachers, expel or suspend students, the school will take on the mission desire by those the school refuses to let go. The troublemakers can determine, …
Adrenaline Covers A Multitude of Sins
“More often that not, Christian schools are run by school boards. Not surprisingly, if the board is wise, the school is blessed. If the board is foolish, the school suffers. Sometimes the school is lucky. The period of luck is usually the early years. The founders are dedicated and would crawl over broken glass to …
Have You Tried Scrambling Them Instead?
“But it is impossible to make a good omelet with rotten eggs. If staff members of a Christian school are not walking in fellowship with God, then they cannot be in fellowship with one another. If we walk in the light, John says, we have fellowship with one another (1 John 1:7). If the people …
Confession is not Manipulation
“One of the first principles to remember is that confession is not meritorious — to confess sins as a way of placing God in one’s debt is not dealing with sin; it is commiting another sin. The context of all confession must be a thorough grasp of the fdree grace of justification. Put another way, …
The Importance of Picking Up
“Confession of sin, keeping short accounts, is therefore essential to the spiritual health of a school community. After all, for an average-size school, three hundred sinners spend five days a week together there, for eight hours a day for nine months. If such a school had no janitor, just imagine what the bathrooms would look …