Glorious Remembering

"Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things" (Philippians 4:8).

Summer allows for glorious forgetfulness—forgetting the frustration of being trapped behind a yellow bus and anticipating the white slip of tardiness; misplacing "wilberwear" (Where is that elusive belt?); ignoring forms, packets, and snacks that have, since June, morphed in the navy backpacks. As we have prepared for and launched the new school year, the Wilberforce faculty has been systematically remembering—remembering our mission, our culture, our classroom routines, our materials, our curriculum maps, and our essential questions.

September is also a great time to remember our school verse, quoted above. Coming near the conclusion of a prison letter about bold and joyful faith, Philippians 4:8 exegetes Paul's contention that "to live is Christ" (1:21). Christ is Truth; He embodies sinless purity. He is commendable in person and work, honorable in His choices and His meditations, completely excellent, uniquely worthy of praise, altogether lovely.

According to the Apostle, believers need to think about Christlikeness—truth and honor, justice and purity, loveliness and excellence, the commendable and the praise-worthy. Paul applies "our school verse" with this conclusion: "What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me—practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you" (4:9). God's Spirit enables us to practice God's standard and to experience God's peace.

Unfortunately, minds and hearts easily wander and move toward self-service, personal amusement, the trivial, and the trite. Every school year has its surprises and its challenges, and this 2016-2017 school year promises the same. Pray with us that, in everything, Christ's joy would be ours, that we would recognize temporal trophies as "rubbish" (Phil. 3:8), look to "others' interests" over our own (Phil. 2:3-4), and press "toward the goal of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus" (Phil. 3:14).

The Wilberforce founders wisely chose a school verse capturing God's values and priorities: honorable, just, pure, lovely, commendable, excellent, and praiseworthy thoughts and actions. Our teachers train minds and hearts to recognize truth, practice goodness, create beauty, and participate in building God's kingdom. By Christ's grace, these aspirations will become realities.