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Dates of Special Days:
2/15 Transfiguration Sunday
2/18 Ash Wednesdayt
2/22 First Sunday in Lent

I came across this newsletter from the religion teacher and wanted to share his thoughts; He begins by descibing an almost perfect classroom... but see if you can identify what's missing; A class full of students sits still in their desks listening attentively to their teacher. They take notes and raise their hand to ask questions. They are fully focused on the work at their desk. During class discussions, everyone participates. On test day, the kids all perform beautifully showing full mastery of the material. Would this be the perfect religious education experience? Would it be effective teaching? Is something very important missing?

Let me describe another kind of perfect experience in education; A class full of students listens attentively to their teacher, stays on task, shows focus during desk work, and engages in lively class discussions. The teacher then gives them time to pause and reflect on what they have learned. The students make connections between the way they live and the lessons they are learning in class. The teacher leads them in pryer that is deeply moving to many of the kids in class. The lesson doesn't feel rushed. The teacher even gives them some silent time to spend with God without any agenda. If you were to see these kids outside of the class, you would see them acting a little differently than beore. They apply what they have learned to the way they live their lives. Can you see the difference?

The first verson of the class sounds amazing, doesn't it? But theat experience is not our vocation. We are called to somethting different. We are called to teach hearts not just heads. We are called to engage in formation not just information. 

He wrote a series of emails on classroom engagement. He had a lot of realy useful ideas, but it just didn't sit well. Something didn't feel righjt..... The more he thought about it, the more he realized the students, and all of us need something so much more than effective classroom management or engagement strategies.....

We need God. Period.

We need to focus on our hearts not just our heads. Noperfect score on a theology exam is going to get any of us into heaven. But religious education is different.It has a different goal. The main hypothesis of religious education is this. 

A relationship with God transforms the human life. Instead of learning how to know ABOUT Jesus, we need to learn to KNOW Jesus. 

Through personal meditation and prayer experience to encounter Christ right here and now. We don't have to wait to meet Jesus someday. We have the chance to encounter him right here and right now. 

Take time during you day to pause, take a breath, reflect on your life, and turn to Jesus for help or to give him rhanks and praise. 

No one but you. Time in prayer and reflection is not wasted time. It is the only time we may have today or this week to think about how God is working in our lives. Our focus should be on reflection (meditation) and pryaer. May your actions bring you closer to  Jesus.