Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. (Dt 6:4-5, NIV)
Deuteronomy 6:4-5, often called the Shema, has played a significant role in the life of God’s people for millenium. It is likely well-familiar to most churchgoers, as Jesus identifies the Shema as the greatest commandment (Mk 12:29-30). In these verses we recognize that the LORD alone is our God and we are to love him with our entire being.
Interestingly, almost as soon as Moses writes these words, he urges parents to teach them to their children. Verse 7 instructs parents to recite these commands with their children and talk about them throughout the day. Verses 20-25 provide a case study of how to respond when an inquiring child inevitably asks, “What does this mean?”. In short, parents were to instruct their children as to the ways of the Lord. As commentator Christopher Wright puts it, “the law was to be the topic of ordinary conversation in ordinary homes in ordinary life, from breakfast to bedtime”.
Following this biblical model, we believe that parents are the primary disciplers of their children. However, the mission of FRCS is to come alongside parents — and the church — in this sacred task of training the next generation. This is one of the most unique and valuable aspects of Christian education: the opportunity for a child’s schooling to cooperate with his or her parents and the church in distinctly Christ-centered instruction.
As Director of Discipleship, it is my privilege to help organize the spiritual training of our Junior and Senior High students. I do not take this responsibility lightly, and as the school year rapidly approaches I am prayerfully eager to begin our partnership. Together, let us instruct FRCS students about the importance of loving God with all that they are and — even more importantly — continually remind them of the love that God richly lavishes on them.
Sources:
Wright, Christopher J. H. Deuteronomy. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2012. Quote from p. 100.
Family in the Bible: Exploring Customs, Culture, and Context. Edited by Richard S. Hess and M. Daniel Carroll R. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2003.
