2009 Dec Newsletter
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December 2009 Newsletter
DVD OFFER
Thanksgiving Proclamation
"New Eyes, Not New Glasses"
A CHRISTMAS LETTER
A DAY OF REPENTANCE AND PRAYER
HCS CALENDAR
GREAT QUOTES
(For a PDF version of the newsletter, click here)
DVD OFFER
Released in 2004, Warriors of Honor is a documentary which places the war in its historical and cultural context. It guides the viewer through the causes and the major battles of the War for Southern Independence while providing insight into the lives of two stalwart men who fought for the South. Both were masterful generals, brilliant strategists and, above all, faithful Christians — Robert E. Lee and Thomas J. “Stonewall” Jackson.
Your Headmaster has watched this film on a regular basis for the last several years. Each time, I am moved to conviction over my personal failures and am likewise convicted to pray for a nation which no longer has such men of Christian character in its leadership.
Every family should have a copy. Priced normally at $20 plus $4 shipping. BUT HCS can place a bulk order and get them for $12 each (no shipping). Get your check for the DVD to HCS by the first Monday of January and you will have a treasure to watch over and over again.
Thanksgiving Proclamation
The following Proclamation for a National Thanksgiving was sent out by e-mail to HCS families prior to the holiday, but here it is for everyone to enjoy.
WHEREAS it is the duty of all nations to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God, to obey His will, to be grateful for His benefits, and humbly to implore His protection and favour; and
WHEREAS both Houses of Congress have, by their joint committee, requested me "to recommend to the people of the United States a DAY OF PUBLICK THANSGIVING and PRAYER, to be observed by acknowledging with grateful hearts the many and signal favors of Almighty God, especially by affording them an opportunity peaceably to establish a form of government for their safety and happiness:" NOW THEREFORE, I do recommend and assign THURSDAY, the TWENTY-SIXTH DAY of NOVEMBER next, to be devoted by the people of these States to the service of that great and glorious Being who is the beneficent author of all the good that was, that is, or that will be; that we may then all unite in rendering unto Him our sincere and humble thanks for His kind care and protection of the people of this country previous to their becoming a nation; for the signal and manifold mercies and the favorable interpositions of His providence in the course and conclusion of the late war; for the great degree of tranquility, union, and plenty which we have since enjoyed;-- for the peaceable and rational manner in which we have been enable to establish Constitutions of government for our safety and happiness, and particularly the national one now lately instituted;-- for the civil and religious liberty with which we are blessed, and the means we have of acquiring and diffusing useful knowledge; and, in general, for all the great and various favours which He has been pleased to confer upon us. And also, that we may then unite in most humbly offering our prayers and supplications to the great Lord and Ruler of Nations and beseech Him to pardon our national and other transgressions;-- to enable us all, whether in publick or private stations, to perform our several and relative duties properly and punctually; to render our National Government a blessing to all the people by constantly being a Government of wife, just, and constitutional laws, discreetly and faithfully executed and obeyed; to protect and guide all sovereigns and nations (especially such as have shewn kindness unto us); and to bless them with good governments, peace, and concord; to promote the knowledge and practice of true religion and virtue, and the increase of science among them and us; and, generally to grant unto all mankind such a degree of temporal prosperity as he alone knows to be best.
GIVEN under my hand, at the city of New-York, the third day of October, in the year of our Lord, one thousand seven hundred and eighty-nine.
Go. Washington
The following article was received as a “News Feature,” October 1, 2009, from American Vision, a ministry we highly recommend. Visit their website at www.americanvision.com.
New Eyes, Not New Glasses
by Eric Rauch
One of the primary concerns of this website is to educate and enable Christians to realize the importance of worldviews. It is our contention that most Christians do not understand why worldview thinking is so critical. It is not that convincing people of the importance of a worldview is a difficult thing, I can communicate this to my children without too much difficulty. The motivation behind any particular action is far more significant than the action itself. Doing the right thing for the wrong reason or doing the wrong thing for the right reason is still wrong. Most people recognize and will readily admit that how we view the world is a key ingredient to what we will do in that world. But the task becomes far more difficult when run in reverse—getting people to admit that their actions are wrong because they stem from wrong beliefs.
While the concept of worldview is certainly familiar to most readers, it never hurts to remind ourselves of what we're up against when we discuss the topic. W. Andrew Hoffecker ably summarizes it this way:
Widespread use of worldview in other academic fields [outside of Philosophy departments] testifies to its significance in the abstract world of ideas, and to its implications for every form of human activity. One's worldview, or world-and-life view, consists of one's most basic beliefs and framework of understanding. Basic beliefs can be expressed by several terms—ideas, assumptions, convictions, presuppositions, and premises. Directly or indirectly, basic beliefs influence every dimension of human life: they guide thought, stimulate imagination, influence intuition, direct moral choices, and determine the value and priority given to each of these faculties. Collectively, basic beliefs function as the grid or matrix by which we comprehend reality and attempt to live consistently within that framework. [1]
A worldview has often been compared to a pair of eyeglasses. Using this analogy, a worldview—like a set of corrective lenses—affects how we see everything. In other words, a proper worldview should correct how we normally "see" the world, putting everything back into proper perspective and clarity. But this analogy is deficient because it seems to indicate that a "worldview" is only necessary when our normal way of "seeing" becomes fuzzy. We don't just need corrective lenses, we need new eyes. Our normal way of seeing is one that seems right, but ends in death (Proverbs 14:12, 16:25). Most worldview teaching and training focuses so heavily on correcting bad eyesight, that it never thinks to question why the eyesight was so bad in the first place. It's like building an elaborate system of buckets and hoses, rather than simply fixing the hole in the roof.
J. Mark Bertrand illustrates the problem with the worldview-as-glasses analogy (although he's not trying to do this) with a story from his own life:
Growing up, I was the kid who preferred reading to recess and chose the library over the playground whenever possible. My parents always warned me about reading in poor light, but let's face it: low lighting sets the mood. I'm not sure when my vision began to deteriorate, but at some point, perhaps as early as junior high, I became nearsighted.
This isn't a problem when you read—to this day, I can read without the aid of glasses—but it can definitely cause trouble when you're trying to catch a football. Fortunately, bookworms don't do much of that, so it wasn't until I learned to drive that my vision became a problem.
One afternoon I was riding home from high school with my cousin Jeff. He had recently gotten glasses and as he drove, he read off the signs that we passed. I was amazed at how far he could see. Up until that moment, I had never suspected that my own vision was faulty, and to be honest, I didn't even wonder then. Instead, I remember thinking that Jeff's glasses must have given him better than 20/20 vision, since he could see even farther than I could. I just assumed that whatever I could see was the objective standard...
It is amazing to think that a young man with what I later discovered was 20/80 vision was capable of performing normally in every area of life (aside from catching footballs), never suspecting the deficiency of vision. [2]
Bertrand goes on to describe his own obliviousness to his poor eyesight until he was driving one night on unfamiliar roads. His vision failed him when he needed it most. Ready to swear off driving altogether, his father recommended an eye-exam instead. The resulting eyeglass prescription was a revelation of just how bad his vision really was. But he never would have known this unless he had compared his own eyes against a "standard" of good vision. It took many years for Bertrand to realize that there was anything amiss with his eyes. He figured that this was the way everyone saw the world.
But as helpful and necessary as his eyeglasses are for driving, Bertrand tells us that he really doesn't need his glasses to read. This is where I think the analogy for worldview breaks down. We typically think of glasses as something we need to help us do a particular task. Bertrand needs his glasses to drive and catch footballs, but not to read. But this is exactly the opposite of a worldview. A worldview is something that we are never without. There is no activity or moment in the day when our worldview doesn't filter "reality." The idea of glasses puts us back in control, deciding when and where to put on our "worldview corrective lenses." This completely misses the point that there are a multitude of times each day when we think we are seeing clearly, but in reality, we aren't. Like Bertrand, we assume that how we see the world is the objective standard, that we only need to get out our "worldview specs" when things begin to get fuzzy. The truth of the matter is that it was fuzzy the entire time before we began to realize it. We don't need glasses; we need new eyes. Sadly, most worldview thinking doesn't seem to get this most basic point.
But there is a glimmer of hope. In a review of James Smith's new book, Desiring the Kingdom, Eric Miller writes this:
For Smith, worldview-centered education reflects a continued understanding of human beings as primarily rational creatures, moved and animated mainly by ideas. From this assumption has come a particular form of education—very much in line with the secular academy—that elevates the classroom and privileges fact, argument, and belief. To those who espouse this view, Smith poses one fundamental question in the form of a thought experiment: "What if education wasn't first and foremost about what we know, but about what we love?" [3]
It is a shame that this question has been so long in coming. If Miller is correctly summarizing Smith, we can congratulate Smith for finally coming to understand what homeschooling families have been saying for years. A true education is not just about information, but a relationship. Education is moral first, ethical second. Trust must be established before training can begin. Worldview education is not primarily about being a corrective lens, it is about transplant surgery. The cold, hard facts of most worldview education leaves out the key component of the entire process: the heart. It's not as though we fail to see things God's way due to a lack of facts, we fail to see God's way due to misplaced affections. We don't love God with all of our heart, soul, and strength, so we can't possibly love Him with all of our mind. Spending a bunch of time training our minds in a biblical worldview is pointless if our hearts are far from Him.
Endnotes:
[1] W. Andrew Hoffecker, "Preface," Revolutions in Worldview: Understanding the Flow of Western Thought (Phillipsburg, NJ: Presbyterian and Reformed, 2007), xi.
[2] J. Mark Bertrand, Rethinking Worldview (Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2007, 27.
Eric Miller, "Putting Worldview in its Place," Christianity Today, August 2009, 55.
A CHRISTMAS LETTER
Dear Parents & Friends,
Merry Christmas, everyone. The holiday season marks the half-way point of the academic year. Soon, seniors will begin to plan for graduation.
This is my twenty-fourth year as headmaster of Heritage Covenant Schools and home education continues to be my passion as well as my calling. I hope God will allow me to continue helping you and your friends for many years to come.
HCS provides a level of quality service which costs more than other church-related schools. As we are able, we loan textbooks and materials to families which are facing unusually hard times. HCS also provides discounts and waives fees for those with special needs. With the down-turn in the economy, even more families are facing rough times. Administrative fees just do not cover our costs of operation.
At this Christmas season, could you make a donation to Heritage Covenant? As each family gives according to its ability, God will bless us all. Your donation of $10, $20, $100 or more will really make a difference.
The donation will be tax deductable donation, just mail it to the HCS address.
Christ’s servant,
David O. Jones
A Day of Repentance and Prayer
The Columbian Empire (the government operating out of the District of Columbia) has already rejected Christ and the Truth of His Word. The Courts, the President, and the Congress have rejected the Author of Liberty.
When I was given the opportunity give the opening prayer for the U.S. House of Representatives on 9 September 2004, I was told that I should not use the name of Jesus Christ. I did anyway. The leadership in Washington, DC is worthless – either having rejected the Gospel or having become lukewarm to it.
Fortunately for us Southerners, the Southern National Congress (SNC) during its second session issued a Proclamation for a “Day of Repentance and Prayer for the Southern Nation.” No waffling there. The men and women of the SNC were unanimous in their support for such an event.
Read the Proclamation (click here), copy it, share it with your friends, and join together in prayer on the first Sunday of 2010, the 3rd of January. Perhaps God will show mercy upon Tennessee and our Southern sister States. Perhaps He will return to us our independence, peace, and prosperity.
HCS CALENDAR
23 December—End Second Quarter
25 December—Christmas
3 January — Prayer
4 January—Third Quarter Begins
15 January—Second Quarter Reports Due
18 January—Lee/Jackson Day
15 February—Presidents’ Day
GREAT QUOTES
If a people expect to be ignorant and free in a state of civilization, it expects what never was, and never will be. — Thomas Jefferson
Any intelligent fool can make things bigger and more complex. It takes a touch of genius - and a lot of courage to move in the opposite direction. — Albert Einstein
When a man ceases to believe in God, he does not believe in nothing. He believes in anything. —G.K. Chesterton