Among Moses’ last words to the people of Israel were Deuteronomy 32: 47. He urged the people to learn God’s Word so that they could teach their children the things of God, emphasizing that “they are not just idle words for you – they are your life.”
When I read these words last week, thinking about this Bible course, I was startled. It is most definitely worth the effort to carefully think about how to teach our young people! As a different Bible version says, “It is no trifle for you, but it is your life…” I needed this encouragement, because I find it overwhelmingly difficult to plan an upper level Bible course. I’d rather not even begin to try but throughout the Bible I am repeatedly commanded to teach my children about God’s will. Of course, all believing parents have this command, whether they home school or not, but we home schoolers have more opportunity. This is a blessing as well as a tremendous responsibility.
The next big question is, “How?” Without a well-defined goal, there is no way to decide what to do. And how does one determine a goal? When I went back to Moses, I found him urging the people (Deut 30: 19 b and 20) “now choose life, so that you and your children may live, and that you may love the LORD your God, listen to his voice, and hold fast to him. For the LORD is your life…”
It’s all about the LORD, Who is our life, and about encouraging and equipping our children to love Him with their whole heart, soul, mind, and strength, and to love their neighbour as themselves. That is the goal of the Bible and Religious Studies course I’m trying to plan — as well as of all the schooling and everything else we do.
Then, suddenly aware of the enormity of it all, realizing that there were only two more years of formal home schooling for my eldest child, I panicked. Grabbing my pen, I began to write rapidly. In no time flat, my paper was scribbled full of things to learn in those two short years, enough to keep anyone busy, full-time every day, with book after book, project after project, activity after activity, exhausting day after exhausting day…. In horror at this impossible plan, I gave up.
At about that time, I noticed a message pinned to my kitchen bulletin board, “Remember the 80/20 rule.” You may know this rule which states that in almost all endeavours, 80% of the results come from 20% of the resources, effort, and time. That little reminder to myself brought me back to my senses. Of course I was being foolish, planning such a ridiculous course! My children’s eternal future depends neither on my efforts, nor on theirs! Our Lord Jesus has saved them and we can joyfully concentrate on the effective 20% of my plans learn more about Him and His work and about how to serve Him in this world. With prayer and peacefulness I hope to make wiser plans later.
There are several things I need to do:
-go through all our books and our church library’s books to see what is readily available
-study my favourite home school catalogues
-ask many different people questions about resources and ideas
-discuss all the possibilities with my husband
…and then write it all up to share with you ladies. Did you know that every time I write up a blog post I learn so much more, just by trying to communicate it to you? Here are some interesting tidbits I learned while trying to prepare for this blog.
-the lovely multi-year Bible course, Covenantal Catechism, has teacher’s guides,
-there is a free online study guide for the Belgic Confession and also one for the Canons of Dordt,
– there are online course calendars for Guido de Bres high school in Ontario, and Credo Christian high school in BC. I had never before thought of looking for course outlines online!
I do hope that sharing my failed attempt at setting up an upper level Bible course has been of some benefit of you. Please, if you have any great ideas and suggestions, leave a comment so we can all learn from each other.
There are no plans for next Thursday’s home high school post (don’t know how far I can get on this project by then!), so it will be a surprise to all of us. If it rains this afternoon, I may find time to do another post today. In any case, see you on Tuesday for Tea Time with Annie Kate. May you all have a blessed weekend.
For younger kids, we used "keys for kids." It was a free publication, but they do accept donations. Very good stories in them to illustrate the point of the scripture.