By Doug Reynolds, Head of School, and Brandon Levering, Chaplain
What is service? How is a life of service cultivated? These questions and their answers are the topics of our current eleven week Spring 2011 chapel series.
Why is a life of service important?
First, God’s Word calls us to serve. Clapham’s theme verses are Jeremiah 17:7-8 which say “Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, whose trust is the Lord. He is like a tree planted by water….it does not cease to bear fruit.” Ephesians 2:10 echoes this message as well, “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.” These vivid images point out that not only are we to bear the fruit of service God has called us to, but He Himself is the source of our service. He nourishes the tree; He prepared in advance the acts of service for us to “walk in” (note the ESV does not say “do”). They are from Him and for His glory.
Second, the pursuit of truth, goodness and beauty at a Christian classical school demands that we consider how to interpret our culture, respond to it, and engage with it from a Christian worldview. At Clapham, our motto is “Veritas pro Vita” (Truth for Life). As students thoughtfully consider how God’s truth leads to life, one potent way to demonstrate this to an unbelieving world is by service to the broader community.
Third, service is the essential antidote to “idolizing the mind.” The admissions requirements and academic standards are very high at Clapham. This can easily translate to pride of achievement or status in the hearts of students and parents. But if we want to be a God honoring school that together with parents helps train students who glorify Christ in their lives, then we must submit to a life of humble service to Him and others.
The name Clapham is inspired by the Clapham Saints, a group of late 18th and early 19th century English Christians who prayerfully considered how to use their gifts, wealth and talents to make a difference in Britain and around the world. They led the cause to abolish slavery, reform prisons, educate women, and establish some of the first foreign missionary societies, to name a few. This is our hope and prayer for the students at Clapham School: that they would develop a sincere love for God’s truth and His Word; that they would be articulate in the way in which they engage others with truth; and that they would develop a heart for service that will allow them to represent Christ to the world, and follow Him humbly wherever and to whatever He calls.
Like the Clapham Saints, our Chapel series will seek to provide the context for service and its broader implications for Christian life. The catechism (questions and answers) the students will respond to and memorize during the eleven weeks are:
Week 1:
Question: What is the vision of Clapham School?
Answer: To propel students for a life of service to Christ. (Jeremiah 17:7-8)
Week 2:
Question: Whom are we called to serve?
Answer: God our King, who created us in his image to know and serve him. (Genesis 1:26-28)
Week 3:
Question: Where are we called to serve?
Answer: Everywhere. God’s whole world was created good and will be restored in a new creation. (Genesis 1)
Week 4:
Question: Why are we called to serve?
Answer: To fill God’s world with his glory and fame. (Genesis 1:28; John 15:8)
Week 5:
Question: Why is it so hard to serve God?
Answer: God’s good world is fallen in sin. That sin is in our hearts, so that we serve something else as god, and want others to serve us. (Romans 5:12; 6:16; Isaiah 42:8)
Week 6:
Question: How does God turn sinners into servants?
Answer: By grace through faith. God rescues us through the cross and resurrection of Jesus, and gives us the Holy Spirit to serve him. (Ephesians 2:8-10; 1 Peter 3:18)
Week 7:
Question: What does God ask of his servants?
Answer: To trust him fully and obey him joyfully. (Jeremiah 17:7-8; John 15:5, 10-11)
Week 8:
Question: In what ways can we serve God?
Answer: By telling others about Jesus, loving our neighbors, and cultivating what is true, good, and beautiful in God’s world. (Colossians 1:6)
Week 9:
Question: What helps us serve God?
Answer: The strength of his Spirit, the light of his Word, and the partnership of his people. (Galatians 5:22-23)
Week 10:
Question: Who is our model for serving God?
Answer: Jesus Christ, who made himself nothing for our sake. (Philippians 2:5-11)
Week 11:
Question: How long shall we serve God?
Answer: Forever. We serve God today in part; we will serve him fully and forever when Jesus returns with his new creation. (Matthew 25)