Our Free Christian Education
We moved to this little town three years ago, and that fall we began faithfully attending the PTA meetings at the elementary school across the street. This seemed to be a wise thing to do, considering that we had two students there. The first meeting began, the PTA president said a few things, and then she called a parent up to the front to give a devotional.
DH and I shot quizzical looks at one another. Having come from Atlanta, the only place we ever heard the word “devotional” was in a church setting. Never in a public school. We ducked our heads and glanced around, waiting for someone to stand up and protest. Our glances were met with smiles and nods of approval.
We sat up a little straighter and listened as the parent read Scripture, spoke, and then closed in prayer. I’m not kidding. Then the meeting continued.
The next meeting, we attended again, and once again someone–a teacher this time–was called upon to present the devotional. DH and I, once again, sheepishly glanced around wondering who was going to storm out of the room. Nothing but smiles of approval once again. We were floored.
The third month, about a week before the PTA meeting, DH got a phone call. “Would you please give the devotional at the next PTA meeting?” the person asked. DH agreed, and this time he stood up at the front, and again nobody protested, nobody stomped out, nobody ranted about separation of church and state. And so, while DH and I miss the cultural diversity we enjoyed in Atlanta, we continue, three years later, to be amazed that our school can “get away” with this, and thankful for our kids’ free Christian education.
And then, DS15 attended a camp last week for people with special needs. This camp is the best thing going. We paid $10 total, and he got to go for 5 hours a day for 5 days. He went bowling, to a movie, to a water park, played putt-putt, and was fed five good meals, among other things. This camp is a service of the Parks and Rec department in our city, and the camp is funded, I suppose, by the city. And on Thursday when I picked him up, he informed me, “I got to pray tonight.” Oh, really? “I prayed, and so did S and so did J.”
“Does somebody pray every night before your dinner?” I asked. He answered that yes, someone does. And then he said, “I prayed that everybody that I love would believe in Jesus.” Pretty good prayer, if you ask me, even if it was prayed at a “public” event!!
June 21st, 2006 at 7:16 pm
That’s so cool.
While at this point I can not imagine my boys in public school, knowing about situations like this and trusting that the Lord gives wisdom to parents for their own child is what keeps me from condemning all public schools as horror houses. *grin*
June 24th, 2006 at 10:24 am
It’s so funny. I feel like we’ve switched lives or something. I grew up in a small AL town which was very much like the one you describe. Only one set of schools (elementary, middle, and high) and prayer was welcomed and encouraged. Even up until my high school years, public prayers were said over the loudspeaker before football games. No one ever complained, but the school stopped them my senior year because other counties were enforcing their ordinances. Thankfully, we were at a city-run school, but the leaders were still cautious. Even then, though, I think every one of my graduating class attended the Baccalaureate at a local Baptist church.
Despite all of this, and the close relationships my parents had with all my teachers, on of my friend’s families still chose to homeschool her and her brothers and sister starting when she was in 6th grade. I never understood it until I moved to Atlanta. Even though I work in a public school here in ATL, I don’t think I’ll ever send my kids to one. But, if we lived in a small town like you describe, it’s still a possibility. It’s so encouraging to hear that things like that still go on in small towns– in Alabama, at least!
March 25th, 2007 at 9:10 pm
I mean no disrepect, but I have to wonder how you would feel if it was a devotional from another religion. What if people were reading from the Torah? Would you still be happy that the school could “get away with this”?
March 26th, 2007 at 6:08 am
Hi Kerry,
Honestly? I think it would be pretty cool to hear from people of all faiths, if we’re allowing our own. I have actually often lamented that our town is not more diverse. However, since it is not, I do appreciate that my children are being educated in an environment where people share my same faith. We once paid for this kind of environment!