Seeing the Wonder in God’s World
Isn’t fall beautiful? A leisurely stroll around McKennan Park in October with the colorful leaves, the earthy smells, and crisp evening air offers sensory overload with the intricacy of God’s detailed care in creating that which is good, true, and beautiful in His world. Colossians 1:16 – 17 speaks to the intricate, layered design by which God displays His glory: “For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together.”
While as humans we will never comprehend or even be able to appreciate the full splendor of God and the ways in which His World reflects His glory, we are striving at the Academy to use education to invite students to wonder about it and to look for that which is good, true, and beautiful within it.
We believe that our Classical Christian approach is uniquely suited to invite wonder about God’s intricate world and the way it displays who He is. Classical Christian education is an educational method that layers in order to meet students where their brains are developmentally. In a classical approach, the Trivium layers first knowledge, then questions, then articulation of beliefs, arguments, and ideas. Academy students are provided with the unique opportunity to learn and memorize foundational knowledge (Grammar School, grades K through five), order, understand, and question this knowledge (School of Logic, grades six through eight), and develop and communicate independent thoughts in a respectful and engaging manner (School of Rhetoric, grades nine through twelve), all while focusing on Christian virtues and godly wisdom.
The Christian “component” in our classical Christian approach is not a separate component at all but is layered across curriculum, classroom, and circumstance. Our approach to teaching biblical worldview is not simply adding a Bible class to a robust course of study but rather to integrate biblical worldview in each class, in every hiring decision, and in the way we shape and interact within our community. Even behavior is approached through relational discipline and discipleship, with the desire to layer in biblical truths such that what is known in one’s head becomes embedded in one’s heart.
Our outstanding teachers, support staff, and pastors serving Abiding Savior Academy endeavor to model Christ’s character as another layer of support for parents committed to raising children who know and love Jesus Christ. These individuals seek not only to teach biblical knowledge, but to emphasize that all true wisdom is sourced in God and found in His Word and His world. This truth encompasses all learning, from math to music, literature to logic. A student in first grade may be proficient in reciting Genesis 1:1, but our teachers strive to catch the teachable moment through sharing and reflecting on the majesty and wonder of an awesome and powerful God. A science lesson about mitosis and meiosis provides the unique opportunity to ponder the knitting together of a precious soul in a mother’s womb from Psalm 139:13. Students from the School of Rhetoric may seek to compare and contrast a Marxist idea with a Christian worldview and practice how to clearly articulate the truth of the Bible to those within their circle of influence.
This process of inviting wonder, of learning to be inquisitive about the world around us, and of expressing one’s self eloquently and accurately is a layered and long-term process. In fact, it happens over a lifetime. But we are learning from God, who has provided innumerable teachable moments within this beautiful world of His, as He invites us to set our eyes and hearts toward them, and ultimately, toward Him.
