Do Schools Kill Creativity...?

One of the things I've loved about the past few summers, as I mentioned in a recent post, is the down time from classes to read books of various topics that my class schedule, not to mention work and life, don't always leave much room for.

As such, Mr. USPS just dropped off my box of goodies. There's just something about getting an Amazon box in the mail. It always makes me warm and fuzzy deep down inside. (Strange I know, but it's true).

One of the books bundled up is one that I've had in my "wishlist" for some time now eagerly waiting to purchase and read. It's Out of Our Minds: Learning to be Creative by Ken Robinson. Ken Robinson is an expert on creativity and education.

Below, is one of my favorite videos by Ken Robinson. In his presentation at TED, Sir Ken Robinson challenges the way we're educating our children. He presents ways in which our current educational systems actually "kill creativity," rather than nurture it. He champions a radical rethink of our school systems, to cultivate creativity and acknowledge multiple types of intelligence.

I think many of the principles embedded in this talk extend well beyond the range of childhood and school systems to the everyday fabrics of our lives, particularly to those who are parents and communicators, or simply human.

A Father with Imagination...

I love to play with my kids... 

...And, I do it ALOT! 

Obviously, some things are more fun than others, but I've discovered pretty much anything can become a blast, if I simply become fully-present in the moment, push pause on all the things that beg for me head-space, and release a little creative imagination...

Last week, I saw the movie Imagine That. From the moment I watched the preview, I was hooked. The movie is a great reminder of the significant influence that is present when a father is fully-present to the moments of life with his children, not to mention the power of creativity, imagination and communication. 

The following highlights a clip from the movie, along with a few father's day thoughts...

Drawn into the Story...

Two weeks ago I finished up my last class for the semester. The past nine-months of classes have been pretty reading intensive. Averaging about a book every week (sometimes two, if we're lucky), is quite a bit for me to keep up with.

As such, the past couple of years, I've come to look forward to the summer break in order to read the accumulating books on my have-not-yet-read shelf in my office. This week, as I traveled to Texas I picked up two books. One of them was from this shelf, the other was a lighter read from C.S. Lewis’s Chronicles of Narnia, The Voyage of the Dawn Treader.

On the plane, as I was reading, I was struck by one of the opening scenes. It's the scene where Eustace Scrubb and Lucy and Edmund Pevensive stare at a picture on a wall of a Narnian ship when suddenly the picture draws them into a whole new world.

Suddenly the picture on the wall comes alive and they begin to feel the breeze, smell the air, and hear sounds. The kids are magically drawn into the painting and find themselves in the waters, where they are helped into a boat with the enticing name The Dawn Treader. These kids, now in a new reality, travel to distant lands looking for the seven lost lords of Narnia. At the end of their adventures they find a lamb that turns into Aslan…

This is the sort of adventure with the bible that we are looking for, the adventure of staring at the Bible’s words on paper only to find ourselves drawn into the story itself.

The following is another favorite clip of my on this matter from the movie The Tale of Despaux.

Christ Plays in Ten-Thousand Places

Every month Christian Audio sponsors a free audio book download.

This month's feature is Christ Plays in Ten-Thousand Places by Eugene Peterson. Below is the sites write up on the book.

Christ Plays in Ten-Thousand Places reunites spirituality and theology in a cultural context where these two vital facets of Christian faith have been rent asunder. This foundational book, in a four-volume series on spiritual theology emerging from Peterson’s pen, provides the conceptual and directional help we all need to live the Christian gospel well and maturely in the conditions that prevail in the church and world today.

Children & the Voice of God...

Last week me with a few friends headed out to Westminster, Maryland. We were ministering at Faith Christian School, during their spring spiritual emphasis week.

All week, we were walking through the story of Daniel from the Old Testament. It's amazing how many parallels exist between what young Daniel experienced and the realities that young people in America are confronted with. Though the language, context and era's differ drastically, the core essence of the imposing challenges have a striking resemblance.

On Thursday, we were looking at how God spoke to Daniel, placed things inside Daniel's heart and mind, and purposed to use Daniel to influence his generation and the culture around him. We proposed the question: "What if God desires to speak to us and like Daniel? What if God's purpose is to use us to influence our generation and the culture around us? What would He say to us? What would He say to you?"

It was during this time at the morning chapel, which consisted of Kindergarten to fifth grade, that I had Ashlynn (one of our team members) come forward. Ashylnn is an eleven-year-old fifth grader. She shared that this past fall, she asked God that very question, "God, what do you want to use me to do to change the world around me?" She immediately heard God speak to her. "Ashylnn," God said, "I want you to go to a nursing home and pray for sick people."

"That afternoon," Ashylnn shared, "I called my grand-father and asked him if he would come and pick me up and take me to a nursing home." He came. They went. And, Ashlynn began praying for sick people. (Did I mention it was in a nursing home?) Ashlynn, then began to share of some things God spoke to her after she did that and the outcomes.

After she finished, I simply turned to the room full of K-5th graders and asked, "Anybody have any questions for Ashlynn?" Immediately, hands went up all over the room. And for the next twenty-five minutes these children asked question after question about hearing God, how to know if it's really God. I've been in settings with adults and not heard some of the questions I heard from these little ones.

Ashlynn answered question after question... She shared how God speaks to her. The learning process she's journeyed to understand what's her thoughts and that which is God's, and how to listen. She broke out into a mini-workshop on the various ways God speaks to us today. From thoughts in our minds, to mental pictures, to visions, to dreams, and so forth. Did I mention she's eleven?

Every little eye was peering forward, bottoms had moved to the edge of the seats, bodies leaning forward, as ears were tuned into what was being said. At the same time, there was a sacred sense beginning to fill the room. These children actually began to believe that God could speak to them, through them, in such a way to actually use them to change the world around them. I'm not sure which was a cooler sight, the look on these kid's faces as they heard this, or the expression on the teacher's faces as they were realizing she was simply sharing from personal knowledge, study and experience without any clue sheet, cue card or guided prompting from an adult.

When we finished with this time, we handed out paper plates and markers. We had the students spread out around the room and simply ask God the question that was earlier proposed. The question that simply gives God space to speak into our lives, into our circumstances, how He longs for us to be the change. We started with simply saying, "God, what do you want me to do this summer?" Within a few minutes, many of the students had stuff written on their plates.

We wrapped up by having children pray with one another about what God had spoken to them. Several of them shared with the whole group what they were to do... Amazing, absolutely amazing, not to mention inspiring. God is so creative!

Women in Ministry: A Look at What Scripture Says

Over the past several months at Southgate, we've been wrestling through what Scripture says about women in leadership. Our current bylaws don't state that a woman can't serve in a position of leadership, but it has seemed to be our understanding of them, as well as our praxis has demonstrated something other. Therefore, we sensed the need to wrestle through Scripture and Tradition. 

This past sunday night at our annual business meeting our congregation voted on two females who will serve on our deacon board. While woman have been leading in various capacities, this public recognition does seem to be significant for the ongoing movement of our community. 

Below is a teaching that we presented to our congregation in regards to what Scripture says about women and how we've come to understand their place in the Body of Christ.

The Story of Scripture: Understanding & Interpreting the Bible From 30,000 Feet

Have you ever showed up late for a move? It's a sick, sick feeling, isn't it? It's not uncommon to see people briskly walking, even running with  popcorn and drink in hand, as the look for the number corresponding to their movie ticket. They run, because they understand something very fundamental to all movies and novels. For, it is in the first few opening scenes (or pages) that the story begins to take shape and characters development. Missing the nuances surrounding the plot or character can leave one lost, sometimes for the entire movie.  Very few people will simply wander into a movie that's already started, even if it started only minutes ago. Rather, they'll wait until a later showing.

Likewise, who buys a novel and turns to page 55 and begins reading? No one! For we acutely understand that every sub plot is only fully understood within the context of the larger plot these sub-plots find themselves in. 

As oddly as this sounds, many violate these very principles every day with the greatest Story ever penned - Scripture. We often read it, and live off the life of the sub-narratives, without a clear understanding of the overarching plot of Scripture. For example, many love the story of Daniel in the lions den. In fact, for many adults, that's all they know about Daniel. Understanding this element of Daniel's life may make for a great lesson, sermon or flannel graph. However, if that's all I know, I've missed the whole point of Daniel's life, mission and purpose. I fail to see how Daniel fits in to the unfolding narrative of Scripture. This is true with all of our favorite Bible characters. We need more than their story, we need to understand how they fit in to the larger story. Without such insight, we can never accurately understand and interpret Scripture. Further, our hopes of becoming "biblical Christians" living out the message of Scripture in the day and age that we live in will be virtually impossible.

Starting this Wednesday at Southgate, we'll be taking a five-week tour of Scripture. We'll be looking not only at the Story of Scripture, we'll look at the different ways it has been read and interpreted. Our ultimate goal is, how can I apply and live the essence of Scripture in the time and place that I find my existence.