Anderson University - Echoes Yearbook (Anderson, IN)

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1 l l l In the Footsteps of the Qreat Teacher Grace A. Phelps Teachers the world over, acknowledge Jesusias a g1'eat teacher, but not all acknowledge him as the greatest teacher who ever lived, He was not A great teacher, but THE great teacher, the greatest who ever uttered words. VVherein lay his perfection? He had the wonderful faculty of leading men and women to higher planes of thought and living, using langtiage and objects within their understanding. Not once was a question put to him, not once did a situation arise but that Jesus had a story to fit the case, wan object lesson, an argument or a project, that was apt to a perfect degree. l He told stories by the lakeside that led tl le people into the kingdom of heaven. VVhen the disciples asked him who would be the greatest in the kingdom of heaven, he set a little child in the midst, so teaching a great truth by object lesson. At other times the Saddueees and Pharisees came questioning his authority, the conduct of his disciples, and the iineaning of the law, but Jesus was ready for them with a1'gument, and with stinging rebuke, silenced their wicked tongues. He had the project method at his command when he sent the ten cleansed lepe1's to show themselves to the priests, and when he sent the seventy forth to preach and heal the sick. He used marvelous sagacity in his talks with the woman and her friends at Jacob's well in Samaria. Many a great teacher has come and gO11C since, but the greatest of these have been thoseq who, like Jesus, walked and talked with men on their own ground, and who led them on, as Jesus invariably did, to higher thoughts and lives, using language Zllld objects within the everyday experiences of their auditors. His principles of teaching are as applicable today as they were nineteen centuries ago. What has all this to do with us-students and alumni of A.B.S.S.? .lust this! VVhile a few of our number will becof e evangelists and will stir the hearts of men and women to action by their won erful speech, yet the majority of us will be pastors, teachers of youth, and le ,ders in various capacities. It will be our task to lead onward in the Christian' life, those who have been won to Christ by the cvangelists. It will be our task to win men and women, and even little children, to Christ through teaching- selling', the message of Christ to them through teaching. i Now we all want to achieve the greatest success possible as teachers, and we all feel that the first requisite is study and tijaining, so we have studied the A l me .gf I yi. w,,,-up 1 1' PAGE TYVENTY-TXYQ

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most suited to the occasion. The pastor who is in close touch with the needs of his people will find enough things that they need to he taught. If he is also in close touch with his Lord and his Bible he will Hnd enough truth to meet these needs. Should it occur for some reason that the pastor finds it difficult to have sufficient fresh messages for his people, it is likely that he may find happy relief in expository preaching. Let him look into the Scriptures to see what message they may have for him and his people. For instance, let him study the Sermon on the Mount. A pastor of moderate ingenuity will be able so to develop this sermon that he can prepare from it a series of messages suflicient to continue for six months. He will also have the happy consciousness that he is presenting the direct teachings of the Mfaster rather than developing a topic of his own selection. Let the pastor teach his people the great principles of true religion. HC slhould not seek to carry each thought to the fine points of its applications. Let him leave a little for the people to think out for themselves. Nor should he be disappointed if they differ in some details of their thinking. The teacher who can cause men to think independently in right channels accomplishes more than one who molds all minds after the pattern of his own. Let him direct the hearts of his people in the right channels and give little attention to mere opinions, even his own. Let him avoid matters likely to cause controversy unless some important principle is involved. He who is particular to preach only the Bifmle may preach it forcefully and he will have the united support of his people. The pastor who would teach successfully must have due regard for the feelings and opinions of his people. It is well for a man always to know he is right, but not necessary that he always assert this knowledge. He who listens patiently to the complaints, the fears, and the sorrows of his people is always wiser 'for doing so. He can then better help them, and may receive something that will be helpful for himself. The successful teacher is not overly assertive. It is not for the pastor to demand that all accept what he says upon his hare assertion. His duty is to make all men see but not to compel them to accept what they do not see. If his people do not agree with him it is not for him to chide them 'but rather to feel that he has failed to make the truth sufficiently convincing. Let him pray that he may make the truth so plain that all can see, and that he may present it in a spirit so Christ- like that all will desire to accept it. The work of a pastor is not well done until he has taught his people to know God for themselves. lt is inevitable that they will receive much from his per- sonality though he seeks to impress, not his own image, hut that of Christ upon them. I-Ie gives his life to develop a church that will glorify his Master. If his work is well done there is likely to come from the ranks of those he has taught some one who will excel him in usefulness for the Master. Thus he lives on in the lives of those he has taught as does the great Teacher whose servant he is. PAGE TYVENTY-ONE

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art of teaching and have found methods that are said to be modern. But there is not a method of teaching known that Jesus did not use. Since we are to teach his book, how could we better prepare for success than by seeking to find the teaching principles we have learned in the accounts of the lVIaster,s work, make this knowledge thoroughly our own, then apply it in our own work? We shall then be copying after the only great and perfect pattern ever given. And, as I think of this problem again, I wonder if our evangelists would not do well to study the methods of the great teacher since there is more or less of teaching in their work also. YVhile our pastors will find full scope for teaching in their pulpits, the majority of us will go i11to the work of the Sunday-school. Oh, that we may catch a never-failing vision of the importance of that brief hour once a week, and of the good that may be accomplished through the Sunday-school and its activities. The Sunday-school is the churchis provision for the religious nur- ture of her children aside from what they get in the home, as well as the church's recruiting station for the un-churched, un-Christian homes. It is in the Sunday-school that the babes in arms are QI11'OllCd for religious education. lt is here the Beginners are led in their first steps toward the heavenly Father. It is here that our Primary and Junior children are trained to worship, and learn the grand stories and hymns of the faith. It should be here that our adolescent young people should be led to' decide for Christ, and to choose voca- tions where they can best serve Him. It is here that adults can all find some activity, if it is nothing Inore than recruiting the numbers of the school, and many will be teachers. Even the pastor will find opportunity to teach and train his young people to carry on the school efficiently and wisely. VVhat responsibility, then, rests on us who have now completed our train- ing and are ready to step into the gapping ranks of religious educators. How carefully and prayerfully we should approach our task. We cannot prepare too well. We cannot afford to neglect to follow in the steps of the great teacher, the perfect teacher, THE TEACHER-our Lord Jesus Christ. God, grant that our daily prayer shall be, Lord, make me a TEACHER, after thine own heartf' . PAGE TXVENTY-THREE