Christ is Evident in Creation - Craddock
For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse. - Romans 1:20, ESV
At Classical School of Dallas, we partner with parents to cultivate students who love truth, goodness, and beauty - recognizing Christ as the source. In all of Classical’s academic programming, it may very well be our nature study curriculum that best invites us into this life-changing discovery of Christ in and throughout the created world.* Week by week, our 1st-4th grade students are led into a methodical, creative, and tactile study of that which is right in front of them; those things they can see, and sometimes even touch. The interwovenness of truth, goodness, and beauty gives each family an opportunity to pursue Christ-centered, classical education at its finest.
The sense of beauty comes from early contact with nature. - Charlotte Mason
Nature study in the grammar school is one way in which we have very intentionally highlighted beauty at Classical. Whereas it can be argued that everything true and good, is by virtue, beautiful, it generally does not need to be argued that nature is inherently beautiful. It is orderly, pleasing to the eye, reflective of the human condition (think seasons, new life), and is tangible evidence of a loving Creator. Sara Groves speaks of a starry night as evidence of a loving Creator in her song, “Maybe There’s a Loving God:”
Maybe this was made for me
For lying on my back in the middle of a field
Maybe that’s a selfish thought
Or maybe there’s a loving God
My prayer for us this year, as we “taste and see that the Lord is good” though nature study, is that we take the time to let the Lord meet us in the epitome of what is true, good, and beautiful. But we must take the time. Resist the temptation to check another box, to show up without slowing down, or to fill your head without engaging your heart. Take your children’s lead on this. Their innate curiosity and aptitude for playful learning are the simple foundations you need. And do not let it be lost on you that each week’s study concludes with the created (your children!), imitating their Creator through their own inspired creation. Through the expressive culmination of each lesson, your students are cultivating patience, learning to give attention to detail, and imitating the strokes of the Greatest Artist himself.
In Christ,
Christie Craddock
What is this life if, full of care, we have no time to stand and stare?
No time to stand beneath the boughs, and stare as long as sheep or cows:
No time to see, when woods we pass, where squirrels hide their nuts in grass:
No time to see, in broad daylight, streams full of stars, like skies at night:
No time to turn at Beauty’s glance, And watch her feet, how they can dance:
No time to wait till her mouth can enrich that smile her eyes began?
A poor life this if, full of care, we have no time to stand and stare.
-”Leisure” by W.H. Davies
* A special thanks to Missy Williams, who has worked tirelessly to curate a nature studies curriculum that is designed specifically for our community. She has made our dreams into reality as we are weekly ushered into the presence of God.