“Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it” (Proverbs 22:6, ESV).
Those are the words engraved on the back of the sign outside Immanuel Lutheran School, and nothing could better describe what our pastors, teachers, staff and parents seek to do each and every day as we care for the children God has given us. This week is National Lutheran Schools Week, so in this article, I would like to explain a little more about what Lutheran education is and why it is so wonderful.
First, Lutheran education is Christ-centered. Yes, we believe in creating smart, productive members of society. We want our kids to have good test scores and get good grades. We want them to excel in reading, math and everything in between. Lutheran education is top-notch. But none of that is our chief focus. Jesus said, “For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his soul?” (Mark 8:36, ESV)
Lutheran education puts Christ first in everything. We teach that it is more important to go to heaven than to get a good job someday. We teach that salvation is more necessary than a scholarship. We teach that eternal life is more essential than sports. We have prayers and devotions every single morning. We have religion class four days a week. We have chapel on Wednesdays. We memorize the Bible and the catechism. We hire teachers who confess the name of Jesus and unashamedly live their faith. We center everything on Christ, because Christ matters most.
Second, Lutheran education is biblical. As our synod president so often puts it, we teach that the Bible is the inspired, inerrant Word of God. That means every page of it is true, and that every word was given by God for our good. We teach that God made Adam and Eve, that we are not the product of evolution and random chance, but fashioned after God’s own image and likeness. We teach that life begins at conception and that all life is sacred and holy. We teach that there are two genders, male and female, and that marriage is the lifelong union of one man and one woman.
We teach that there is right and wrong, that God gave us the Ten Commandments to tell us how to live and to show us our need for a Savior. We teach that all people have fallen short of the glory of God and are justified freely by His grace as a gift. We teach that Christ died for all people, and that whoever believes in Him will have eternal life. We teach what the Bible says, no matter what the world says around us, because the Bible is God’s Word.
Last, Lutheran education is Lutheran. We are not ashamed of our confession and believe that it is faithful and true to the Scriptures. We teach that baptism is not just a symbol of our commitment to God, but that it is His means of washing us clean and giving us salvation. We teach that the Lord’s Supper is not just a memorial meal, but that in it we receive the true body and blood of Jesus. We teach our kids to remember their baptism daily and to prepare to take communion rightly.
We teach our kids to love the liturgy and embrace the wonderful hymnody that has been preserved for us by our forefathers. We teach them to worship like our ancestors did because we share in their same beliefs and appreciate what they have given us. We train up children in the way they should go so that, by the grace of God, they will not depart from it.
Lutheran education is Christ-centered. Lutheran education is biblical. And Lutheran education is Lutheran. The saints at Immanuel Lutheran Church love our school. We love Lutheran education. I pray that this article helps show you why.
