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THE LION'S ROAR
OCTOBER 2021
The 12 Neighbors film series asks, "What does it really mean to love your neighbor?" It features amazing people sharing their life experiences and unique insights into poverty and marginalization. Through powerful storytelling and original music, these films will both educate and inspire you to think differently about what it means to love others and to help affect real change. Learn the 5 practical keys to really loving your neighbor, and deepen your own experience of the full life. Watch, discuss, and take action together as a group.
While I was away on sabbatical for the month of July, I had an opportunity to consider God's plan for my life, my role in God's assignments to me, and how well I was reponding to the charge given to all Christians. I heard a recurring theme throughout my prayer times, in the books I was reading, and in the devotional conversations I was having with my "study buddies."
God was reminding me that my most signifiant job is not to run a school or to try to figure out how to keep school open and in-person during a pandemic. Instead, I was reminded that these tasks are merely the vehicles God wants to use in my life to strengthen me as a disciple of Jesus and to invite others to also become His disciples.
I then began to wonder what does a disciple look like and do? Is the term still relavent today? As I considered these questions, I was impressed once again by the significance of the earliest disciples being drawn into a relationship with Jesus. Traditionally, a rabbi (a religious teacher of the Jewish faith) would invite the most promising Jewish students to become their disciples. When a student accepted this invitation, he would seek to be just like the rabbi...to think like him...to act like him...to study his every move...to follow the Word of God just like the rabbi.
Interestingly, Jesus did most things pretty unconventionally. He invited (and still invites) absolutely everyone to follow Him, regardless of their qualifications. In fact, He invites those whom the traditional rabbis gave no thought to turning down as the most unlikely candidates for becoming their disciples. In fact, Jesus called people just like me (those who are not necessarily qualified) to follow Him and become His disciples.
We are invited to study everything about Jesus. A disciple of Christ seeks to be just like Jesus...to think just like Him...to act like He acts...to study His every move...to obey the Father just like Jesus.
But Jesus doesn't stop there. He actually instructs us to invite others to join us in this pursuit of being His disciples. THAT is my real calling! Within the context of being a principal (or head of school), my greatest calling, actually, is to invite others to become serious followers of Jesus. Are you ready? I'm ready!
Tonya Snyder Head of School
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