Half a Dozen in a Parsonage: October 2010

Monday, October 25, 2010

He Builds

This quote from Dietrich Bonhoeffer is a timely comment for the modern church that so often looks to the world for ideas on how to grow the church, rather than looking to Christ, who promised to build His church.

It is not we who build. [Christ] builds the church. No man builds the church but Christ alone. Whoever is minded to build the church is surely well on the way to destroying it; for he will build a temple to idols without wishing or knowing it. We must confess-he builds. We must proclaim-he builds. We must pray to him-that he may build.
We do not know his plan. We cannot see whether he is building or pulling down. It may be that the times which by human standards are times of collapse are for him the great times of construction. It may be that the times which from a human point of view are great times for the church are times when it is pulled down.
It is a great comfort which Christ gives to his church: you confess, preach, bear witness to me and I alone will build where it pleases me. Do not meddle in what is my province. Do what is given to you to do well and you have done enough. But do it well. Pay no heed to views and opinions. Don’t ask for judgments. Don’t always be calculating what will happen. Don’t always be on the lookout for another refuge! Church, stay a church! But church, confess, confess, confess! Christ alone is your Lord; from his grace alone can you live as you are. Christ builds.

Why I Enjoy Being Homeschooled

It's hard to believe that I have been homeschooled for ten years. The years have flown by and I can't believe that I will be starting college in three years. Since I have been homeschooled all my life, I have found plenty of reasons that explain why I like being homeschooled so much.

1. I am with my family a lot more than I would if I went to school. I have learned lots of things about my family because I have spent so much time with them.

2. I don't have very much peer pressure about acting a certain way, dressing a certain way, having certain things, etc. to be accepted in the “in-crowd.” I’m not saying that I never feel this way, but I am saying that I don’t think I worry as much about these things as others might.

3. Because I am with people of different ages so much, I feel comfortable being around them and being able to talk with them in the same way I would to someone my own age. I always get the urge to laugh if I hear about people complaining that homeschoolers are unsocialized because they obviously haven’t been around any.

4. I love getting together with other homeschoolers. I find events like this very enjoyable. Yes, we homeschoolers actually do have social lives.

5. I get great opportunities to read really wonderful literature!