Classical U

Long before this short animated film started collecting awards, Jason Rayner (a CCA alumni who is studying animation at the Savannah College of Art and Design) recommend this groundbreaking little work by Moonbot Studios. In addition to over a dozen awards already, "The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore" was recently announced as one of five Academy Award nominees for best animated short film this year. With only 15 minutes of playful animation and a childish instrumental score, it tells the story of a book-lover who is blown out of his chair by a storm that strips all the words from his beloved pages. He lands amid desolation but is conducted to a house of living books (by a friendly Humpty Dumpty who beckons from within a small volume of nursery rhymes).

At the same time as being a fun-loving and refreshing tribute to many childish and all-American things…

For any in our school community who are interested, here is the letter to Upper School parents regarding this year's seminar week. Several other documents from the student packet are also attached as links below this letter. Please feel free to stop by the school and observe some of the events listed on the schedule. (Please note that some details tend to change as the week unfolds, and teachers adjust to needs and circumstances. Check ahead of time with Robyn Burlew regrading any details.) Students and parents may also post any public comments or questions at the bottom of this page.

Dear Parents,

For seminar week this year, CCA students in grades 7 to 12 will be role-playing historical figures during two key developments in the conflict between the Palestinians and…

"Systematic theology has gravely suffered, indeed has deserted its vocation, when it has been divorced from meticulous attention to biblical exegesis. ...Systematics becomes lifeless and fails in its mandate just to the extent to which it has become detached from exegesis. And the guarantee against a stereotyped dogmatics is that systematic theology be constantly enriched, deepened, and expanded by the treasures increasingly drawn from the Word of God. Exegesis keeps systematics not only in direct contact with the Word but it ever imparts to systematics the power which is derived from that Word."

- John Murray

I'll be the first to admit it -- hosting international students can be a challenge.  There are the obvious issues:  more laundry, more shopping, more cooking, more homework, more scheduling.  And the not-so-obvious issues:  What should these kids call me? Am I a Mom, a friend, a guardian or just their driver?!

We are currently hosting our 4th, 5th and 6th South Korean students, three wonderful sisters who have no idea that they are blessing me even more than I am blessing them.  Simply having them in our home alters the dynamic and makes me more aware of what I say and do.

You have seen this phenomenon at work.  Dinner is burning in the oven, the kids are fighting, the cat is throwing up on the stairs and you are about to lose your mind -- when the phone rings.  You take a deep breath, stop yelling for just one second, pick up the phone and say in your sweetest, calmest voice, "Hello?"  You do this because you want the person on the line to think that you have it all…

Advocates for “Reformed Theology” many times –and for a long time- have been accused of practicing a kind of soteriological fatalism; in other words, Christians worshipping at more conservative Presbyterian, (certain) Baptist, Christian Reform, Reformed churches and the like have often been told by adherents of opposing traditions that they don’t care enough about the souls of the Lost –the eternal destiny of the Unregenerate.  

Historically and sadly, this charge has been in large part fair in the levying.   The criticized argument has gone something like this: God chooses the men and women He will save and those men and women have nothing to do with God’s choice of them; neither does any man or woman have any control over God’s choice of any other man or woman.   Therefore, there is no reason to evangelize.   God will rescue the souls He wants to rescue and damn the rest.   In fact, there is no reason to pray, even for a loved one: to pray for anything contrary to God’s…

I wasn't sure where the “leadership in cultural change” series would head when we began it. So many times each of us fall into despair of our surroundings and circumstances, and never rise much beyond the energy of complaint. In a world often characterized by inactivity and passiveness, would CCA students be any different? Could they “spur one another on to love and good works”? And if they tried but failed, would the attempt have been worth the risk?

The Joshua Farm in the Allison Hill section of Harrisburg was certainly an interesting prospect for students to consider. It was students leading one another to help an area that had little prospect of ever helping them back. I for one enjoyed my time helping, and the feeling of renewal that…