Providing elementary age children a theologically rich education is complicated. But then again life is complicated. How do you teach a growing body and mind to value the significance of committing to the practice of growing their body and mind, while also giving them a deep longing to be soulful? How do you help 4 and 5-year old children long for eternity, but grapple with the tension of all the ways we now exist in the not yet? Praise God for the range of the Psalms.

This year, the differences were obvious. For leaders, teachers, and parents alike the stress was often tangible but there was always the hope. We’re almost there. We showed up and there were lines, cohorts, and temperature scans. There were social distance markers and our traditional school wide assembly was held virtually so students could attend from both their classrooms and kitchen tables. But still, in a sense that was incredibly significant, we were together.

The first day of school we all looked at Psalm 122:1: 1

“I rejoiced with those who said to me, “Let us go to the house of the Lord.”

You see, we believe in teachable moments and we were not going to let this one pass. As complicated as theology is, our children are also existing in complicated times. We believe that God’s word offers a framework to help us all understand what and how to feel. So, what did we see?

1. Rejoicing comes from tasting the hurts and disappointments of this world. From whatever screen they were watching, every child in the TRS community had gone through a lot to get back to this moment. Separation from their friends. Family financial hardships. Medical emergencies. Non-were unscathed. Part of our rejoicing was the relief from hardship. One commentary I read on Psalm 122 noted that by “remembering” David was helping the reader to not separate the current worship experience from all we’ve gone through to get here.

2. I wanted our students to sit in the significance of our joy. Emotional intelligence/ awareness is important, it is biblical. David models for us the discipline of proclaiming our joy and delighting in the goodness that the Lord has given us in whatever means He has poured it out to us at a particular moment.

3. We learn to see glimpses of glory. August 24th was a very clunky day. Though there were many smiles, there was still much to long for. But this doesn’t necessarily make us sad. The closer we get to coming together with one another in Christian fellowship, the more we recognize the blessing that is to come when we get to meet God face to face in perfect fellowship. Anytime we get even a taste of that, we rejoice.

Theology is complicated, but so was our school start for the 2020-2021 school year. This year at TRS we are thankful for the Psalms and how they help grown-up and child alike grieve the many ways the world showed us that it’s not what it is supposed to be, but that the Lord gives His people such sweet gifts and moments in many forms.