Back to School

As a parent, this time of year is always fraught with the thoughts of “Back to School.” With the start of a new school year, our world of daily routines suddenly comes crashing to a halt, while a whole new schedule and timetable emerges. I know we ought to prepare for it, but sadly, in our house, it just kind of arrives in ‘shock and awe.’

In my devotional time this week, I was reading and meditating on a few of the Psalms. Psalm 78 caught my attention and I reflected upon it for awhile (with 72 verses, there is a lot to reflect upon!). The author of this psalm is known as a “teacher,” and he or she is taking Israel “back to school.” This psalm is known as one of the “historical psalms” in scholarly circles. These psalms recount in narrative form deeds of God in the history of the people. The people are to hear the story or “parable” (v. 2) and then contemplate the lessons that should apply to their lives today. As Biblical scholar, James Mays, comments, “Each recital of these psalms is composed to elicit a lesson from the tradition… they are not simply concerned with the past, but concerned with the lessons of the past and their bearing upon the present and future.”

The psalm retells the stories of Israel’s journey from Egypt through the wilderness and into the promised land. God did mighty deeds and nurtured and protected the people. The problem, however, was that the people relished the blessings and basked in their benefits, but then began to forget the “Author of the blessings.” God blessed the people so that they might be a blessing to others, and become ambassadors or teachers themselves, so that others would come to know and lean on the Lord. Instead, the people “leaned on the blessings of God” thank you very much, and began to live as though they had earned them or deserved them.

Hear these words: “The Lord commanded our ancestors to teach to their children; that the next generation might know… the children yet unborn, and rise up and tell them to their children, so that they should set their hope in God, and not forget the works of God, but keep his commandments; and that they should not be like their ancestors, a stubborn and rebellious generation… whose heart was not steadfast, whose spirit was not faithful to the Lord” (vv. 5-8). Scholars say that this psalm continues to underscore the call of the people of God to “remember and tell… remember and tell… remember and tell…” Instead, Israel had chosen to “receive and keep.”

In some ways, this psalm reminds us that we are all called to continually go “back to school,” to learn and equip ourselves with a great story, God’s Story, to remember and tell to others. Jesus said something similar on the Mount of Olives after the resurrection when he gave the Great Commission to his disciples (that word meaning literally “students” or “apprentices”). They were to go and make other “disciples / students / apprentices” by “teaching them everything that I have taught you” (Matthew 28:19-20).

Therefore, I hope you will go “back to school” or “stay in school” with us in worship and study this fall. That way we can all be great “apprentice-teachers” to a world full of prospective students!