Lent 2014
March 17, 2014

 Read Scripture: Psalm 128 

Happy is everyone who fears the Lord,
   who walks in his ways.
You shall eat the fruit of the labor of your hands;
   you shall be happy, and it shall go well with you.—Psalm 128:1-2 

While Mike and Matt were a year apart in school, they shared the same PE Class. School for Mike had always been a challenge. He was intelligent but he just didn’t seem to get the lessons right. Spending the summer before with a tutor had helped and when he began the year, he actually scored several months ahead of the starting point for his grade on the standardized test. As time went by, his grades went south. He was failing, again. Matt, on the other hand, had never had a problem with school and actually excelled in most classes. They were tight as brothers. When Mike’s classroom teacher came storming into the gym in front of the other kids plus the coach, grabbed Mike’s arm and yelled at him about failing an important test, Matt wanted with all his heart to come to his brother’s aid. He shared with his father a deep sense of shame for not defending Mike. Mike too felt shame and embarrassment, neither of which helped him succeed in school. 

Our scripture today seems a little out of place in preparation for Lent. Lent is a dark and soul searching time, right? The story above also seems inappropriate for the scripture. The scripture presupposes that the labor had resulted in fruit. Standing in awe of God and walking in God’s way does result in fruit and knowing that gives us hope as we move ever closer to the crucifixion during Lent.  

Among humans who are not perfect, producing fruit may not always be the result of our labors. Certainly, for some it is not. How do we make it possible for teachers and students both to realize the “fruits of their labors?”  Was this teacher on the verge of losing her job if too many of her students did not meet the standardized test requirements? Had all been done to assess Mike’s learning process to determine why he could not make the connection between what he was taking in and what he was able to express on paper? Had anyone determined what it was that the tutor had done that worked and incorporated it into Mike’s learning plan?  

Tests are merely measures helpful in identifying next steps. They are never the ultimate outcome. God’s love demands that we all do what we can to help every child, teachers too, to be happy about the fruits of their labors. 

Prayer:  Loving God help us find ways to craft educational systems that meet the needs of students both individually and collectively. Amen.

The identities of students, families, or staff in stories that are shared in the devotions have been altered to protect their privacy. Any similarities between these stories and the experience of others are coincidental. No stories about students, families of students, or staff from Putnam Heights Elementary School are included in any of these devotions.

All scriptures are quoted from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicized Edition, copyright 1989, 1995, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of American. Used by permission. All rights reserved.