Education and Church

Education and Church.  I am going to try to do this.  I truly do not know how this will turn out as this one is straight stream of consciousness.  Thanks to all those English teachers that made me write in my journal and even to that professor in college that stole my journal.  I still believe she took some of my thoughts to include in a book.  These are two entities I just don't quite understand how we made it where we stand today.  There are always exceptions to the rule, but I strictly refer to overall.  If I step on toes, uh oh, maybe you are talking to yourself more than I am.  Technology is far better today than yesterday.  Generally, as we grow, we learn and get smarter, so what is happening in education?  I just don't get it.  It seems, we as people, just don't want to go further.  Where is the struggle, the perseverance?  It seems if we don't get it right the first time, we quit or just want the answer.  I can imagine educators drooled profusely when the computer was introduced.  All the possibilities and how now a student could go to a box to get so much information at the push of a button rather than having to wait for the library to open.  Who would have imagined that most young people use it more often than not for other things, let's just say less educational.  That brings me back to what has happened.  School is the same today as it once was yesterday, so why does it feel that less time is had.  Honestly, if you can't keep up, it may not be the system's fault but a form of weeding out.  Remedial courses within college are at an all-time high, and many believe that is the reason students are dropping out because they have to pay for classes that do not earn credit.  I am a firm beliver in the Ten Thousand Hour Rule, but that scares many away.  Greatness, Smart, Prodigy, ect is hard.  It is not easy.  Why has easy become an expectation?  With no rhyme or reason, that brings me to something my father-in-law mentioned to me once that I never forgot and often think about: what does it mean when older churches still owe a mortgage?  I don't know if I want to share too much into this as my PR person has warned me.  I will try to keep it top-surface.  The Church should model.  It should model whatever behavior is acceptable.  It does not matter the religion.  I am sure examples have popped into your head without going into them.  If certain things are continuously arising, there is an obvious problem.  And as we have seen in the history of church, things will be done in an effort to correct those things.  I am sure by now, I have touched some nerves, maybe even teetering on judging.  I challenge that I have called no one wrong or condemned anyone.  I simply pondered a question.  That brings me back to education.  Should something be done?  Will education get better?  Is education modeling the church, or is the church modeling education?  Is there even a problem?  I will say this, a lot of people in both entities are making a lot of money, usually top level.  Do you have something new or a new revolutionary program or test that will change the entire system?  If you do, know the right person, and you could get paid.  Now, there is accountability, hence the ending of programs, but what about the spent money.  Or even more important, those that were supposed to benefit, who maybe did not.  This analogy seems to fit well.  Bentleys are really nice cars and very expensive, but to hand the keys to a toddler and expect them to take care of this valued item would be very irresponsible and downright looney.  It is shown, a better method is to let that toddler grow, start with an old car, and gradually teach.  That system is pretty proven, so why reinvent the wheel?  Maybe education should get back to what was working rather than paying for the next new system.  Back to my churches, after 30 years, it is time to start the fire and get an eagle to fly high above.  If it is not close, it may be ok to ask why.  If it is really far away, you may need to jump in the passenger's seat with that toddler to scare yourself straight.  These two items are important to me as I believe they can answer a lot of other questions.  If this is the first time you have read my blog, I thank you, but more importantly, I challenge you to challenge you.  If you feel you may never read another of my blogs, I still thank you because we are now connected.  At least vent in a comment as I welcome all commentary.