Worth It

2 Corinthians 9:8-9  ^“And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work.   As it is written: "He has scattered abroad his gifts to the poor; his righteousness endures forever."

   We raised the cost of attending Saint Paul Lutheran High School.  We didn’t want to but we did.  In fact, if you have been around for a while, you will not be surprised that this happens every year.  (A nice letter in this newsletter will explain more of the details.)

   I could go into a discussion about our budget and how we let the quad repair go for yet another year (because who needs speed bumps when you have potholes).  We could talk about the economy or any number of factors that affect our bottom line, but for you it is personal.  How are YOU going to make it all work out this year?

   Each family has to do its own evaluation of the information it has and come up with a decision on what is worthwhile and what is not.  What is it worth to have a Christian education?  What is it worth to have the formative years of high school surrounded by teachers who intentionally incorporate their Christian worldview into their course work, conversation, extra-curricular activities and even free time.  What is the value of having a peer group that is maturing together in academics, spirituality and social skills?

      On the other hand, can you afford it?  What does Paul write to the Corinthians about this?  “God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work!”  Really?  Does God do that?  Yes, He does!

   Saint Paul has been blessed during these past few years with donors who thought enough of this ministry to give generously so that many families were able to receive grants and aid.   God also has given YOU what is needed to “abound in every good work” as well.  

   Often I hear from those who are ignorant of this ministry that SPLHS is just another school for snooty rich families.   What they see is a nice campus, respectful students, active parents, and graduates who live lives of significance.  The assumption is that one has to be wealthy (and perhaps a little bit snooty) to receive such an education , yet the apostle Paul wrote, “He has scattered abroad his gifts to the poor.”  This is a euphemism for those who are “poor” in spirit (cf. Matthew 5:3), or simply those who are humble in spirit (recognizing their need for a Savior).

  One of the reasons that we have such a devoted school family is because there are a lot of people here who have “skin” in the game.  That is to say that they have made sacrifices.   Instead of investing in things that pass away, they have made the decision to send their child to Saint Paul Lutheran High School.  These are the parents who ask themselves, “How can I afford NOT to do this?”

Pastor Paul M. Mehl

Executive Director