Another summer is coming to a close, our youth are packing backpacks full of pencils, paper, books and rulers in preparation for the upcoming school year. Plans are being made for the many events that will be happening as the church begins its new year. Excitement is in the air for the promises that the future holds.

A few of our students may be feeling a little trepidation with the coming of that new school year. These are the ones that are moving up in grades from elementary to secondary systems. Most of us can probably remember our first days in what was called back then “Junior High” and now carries the name “Middle School” Where we went from having the same teacher for the entire day to trying to find our way through the maze of hallways to our several teachers waiting in different rooms. We did not understand it then, but this was preparing us for how it was going to be when we later advance to “High School” and for some College.

As we walk our walk with God, each step along the way is preparing us for something in our future. From our earliest classes, where we learn concepts like sharing and caring, to later adult classes where we are reminded that God loves each of us the same. Each class added on to the knowledge about us as seen by God and our understanding about how we are to see each other.

Christianity has from the earliest teaching of Jesus in the book of Matthew taught that we would someday stand before the throne of Jesus: 32 All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. (Matt 25:32)

In this image, Jesus separates the Sheep from the Goats based upon the actions they did during their lives on earth. All of the actions can be traced to lessons they had been taught by parents, teachers and priests. Many are surprised to find out that they were expected to do some of the things that they had been taught:

41 “Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. 42 For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, 43 I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and You did not look after me.? "They also will answer, Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?' And Jesus answers them: 45 "He will reply. Trulv I tell you, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these. You did not do to me. (Matt 25: 41 - 45)

I always remind myself that we need to remember all the things that we have learned; we will never know when we might need some of the knowledge in the future. We need to remember all the things that we learn at the feet of Jesus, you never know when some of it might come in handy.