The following notes are from College President Jim Martin‘s 2024 Convocation address, or watch here:
As we gather this evening, we mark the 4th convocation of Comeford College. Convocation is a word that has fallen out of usage in recent years. It comes from the Latin word convocatio (kon-voh-KAH-tee-oh) which is derived from con (together) and vocare (voh-cah-reh) (to call or summon). Convocation then is a special calling together for some shared purpose. Convocations are meant to be more ceremonial or celebratory than your average meeting.
By holding an annual convocation for Comeford College, we celebrate a new year and remind ourselves why we started in the first place and renew our commitment to pursue its purpose for existence.
This past year, the board of Comeford College has been discussing that purpose and evaluating our program. We met with a college accreditation agency to assess where we are at and seek their counsel. Based on those discussions it was decided best to make some changes to our program.
By now, most of you have heard that we have shifted away from pursuing a degreed program at this time and have launched our own custom certificate program. You can read more about it on our website.
While the program has changed, the purpose has not which is to challenge all our people, young and old, to join in the work of building, battling, and blessing.
We seek to build a better future for ourselves and the generations to come, and in so doing, experience God’s blessings. We believe those blessings will extend to our neighbors.
It should be no surprise to anyone here that these are not the most favorable of times for true followers of Christ. Sean recently launched our church’s Sunday night series Build and Battle where he pointed out that we are currently living in a negative world where Christianity is no longer viewed in a positive or even a neutral light, and it likely to only get worse.
According to Pew Research and other research groups, the group called “nones” is the fastest growing religious group in America. “Nones” are those who do not affiliate or identify with any faith group. It includes atheists, agnostics, and former church attenders who no longer adhere to their church’s teachings. Currently it is estimated that “nones” make up about 23% of the population while those who identify as Christian make up 64%. If current trends hold it is thought that within 50 years, the “nones” will reach 40% or better while Christians will decrease to less than 50%.
This of course is all in the Lord’s hands. We hope and pray that he brings revival. With such a pessimistic outlook it would be tempting to circle the wagons and just hold on as we wait for the end times. That is essentially what some Christians are doing today.
Here at TEC, and by extension, Comeford College, we believe now is the time to double and triple down on our efforts to build, battle, and bless.
The days of Nehemiah and Ezra were certainly not favorable, yet God intervened to let those men begin the work of restoring Jerusalem. I take great encouragement from these biblical examples knowing that it is God who builds and tears down. He judges the proud and shows mercy to the humble. I take hope in the Apostle Paul’s words in Romans 8:31, “…if God is for us, who can be against us?”
C.S. Lewis addressed the right time to build in The Weight of Glory when he wrote,
“If we let ourselves, we shall always be waiting for some distraction or other to end before we can really get down to our work. The only people who achieve much are those who want knowledge so badly that they seek it while the conditions are still unfavorable. Favorable conditions never come.”
Now is the time for building a better future for ourselves and the generations to come. The college is only a part of that work, but it is an important one.
For multiple decades there have been two areas of decay in our society that are rotting our culture from the inside out. The first is the widespread rejection of Jesus as Lord in every area of life and the second is the growing ignorance and/or rejection of the great ideas that have fed the development of Western Civilization.
These two issues are related in that you can’t speak of Western Civilization in a meaningful way with recognizing how deeply Christian thought has largely shaped it. It is Western principles, born out of Christian-based ideals, that continually appeals to would-be-immigrants in vastly larger numbers than any other nation on earth.
Let me now address these two issues and how Comeford College seeks to address both. In so doing, I hope to inspire more of you to consider availing yourself of the college’s program so that together was are better able to build towards a better future.
Issue One: Rejection of Jesus as Lord
The first, and foremost issue, is the widespread rejection of Jesus as Lord of all. Any casual observer of American history will readily see that a belief in the one true God was a cardinal principle in our nation’s formation.
This is evidenced by those famous words found in the Declaration of Independence,
“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.”
The declaration that Jesus is Lord is the omnia comprehensiva (OM-nee-ah kom-pre-hen-SEE-vah) , or all encompassing, claim that requires all of creation in heaven and on earth to yield to him.
Every aspect of our lives must comport with this claim. There is no area of life that is outside of it. There is no sacred and secular.
If Jesus is Lord of all then he cares about it all and therefore we should care about as many things as our finite nature allows us to.
Think about some of the modern-day maxims we are told: your religion is a private thing, you don’t talk about religion in polite company, we must preserve the separation of Church and State, religious expression is only for inside the church building. Heaven forbid we offend someone with a nativity scene at the mall.
The pressure to go along with these socially acceptable religious mandates continues to increase. Many Christians have succumbed to the pressure and go along to get along, and inch by inch the enemy invades.
Comeford College exists to smash such nonsense. We say proclaim Christ at the family get together. Proclaim him in the workplace. Speak of him in the public square. Expect our political leaders to honor him. Refuse to be cloistered in our stained-glass aquariums once a week.
If Jesus is Lord of every square inch of creation, then each of us must be constantly pressing on, by the power of His Spirit, to take back those inches that are under Satan’s influence.
This isn’t just the job of a few gifted saints. It is all our calling wherever we find ourselves.
Ask yourself, do you have the right kind of godly discontent, or have you found a groove that suits you and your content to ride that groove to the end?
One of the classes we are offering at the college on an ongoing basis is called Jealousable Lordship.
The course description states, “This class would be IDEAL for every Christian, especially for those who know that God has called them to live on earth for more than simply evangelism.”
We believe we are called to live as he has commanded us and in so doing, we will be blessed. That blessing will in turn make us jealousable to those who are being saved.
This class shows how a grammatical-historical reading of God’s Word gives us confidence as we live out its implications in our families, churches, and cities.
We highly recommend that every adult at TEC take this course.
Consider one final point on this issue. If the enemy of our soul’s knew that there was no way he could snatch us from the Father’s hand, what would be the next best thing? Wouldn’t it be to keep us corralled away in our churches where we aren’t interfering with his plans. An enemy cornered is an enemy controlled.
All believers, regardless of age, should constantly be looking for the next inch where they can proclaim Jesus is Lord over it.
Issue Two: Growing ignorance of the great ideas that guided the development of Western Civilization
On a whim, I asked ChatGPT how important Christian thought is to the development of Western Civilization. Here is its short answer:
“Christian thought has played a significant role in the development of Western civilization, influencing its cultural, philosophical, legal, and social frameworks. Its impact is deeply rooted in various aspects of Western society, shaping institutions, ethics, and intellectual traditions.”
It then went on to list how Christian thought impacted the concepts of justice, charity, and the inherent dignity of individuals. The belief that all men are created in the image of God led to the principle of universal human dignity and subsequent developments in human rights and equality.
Many early universities were started by the Church. Thinkers in the church, such as Thomas Aquinas and Augustine, developed the ideas of natural law, the relationship between Church and State, religious freedom, and just war theory.
Christian monasteries preserved much of the classical Greek and Roman knowledge through manuscript copying and libraries, ensuring the transmission of ancient wisdom to future generations.
Christianity profoundly influenced Western art, particularly through the creation of religious icons, sculptures, paintings, and the construction of cathedrals and churches. Art styles like Gothic, Romanesque, and Renaissance were deeply influenced by Christian themes, focusing on biblical stories and the divine.
Christians have been at the forefront of the abolition, social justice, and equality movements.
Christians fostered the establishment of hospitals, orphanages, and other charitable institutions throughout Western history and were often at the forefront of caring for the poor, sick, and marginalized.
Christian thought has also supported the development of science, particularly in the belief that the universe is orderly and intelligible because it was created by a rational God. Early scientists such as Isaac Newton, Johannes Kepler, and Gregor Mendel were deeply religious and saw their work as exploring God’s creation.
Christian teachings on the nature of authority, governance, and justice have significantly shaped Western political institutions. Concepts such as the divine right of kings, social contract theories, and the value of individual liberty and conscience were influenced by Christian theological discussions.
Christian notions of equality before God and the inherent dignity of individuals contributed to the development of Western democratic ideas, including the belief that rulers should be accountable to the people and that individuals have intrinsic rights.
As you listen to this history of Christian influence in Western Civilization, ask yourself how this compares to the Church’s role in society today.
By and large, our institutions and political processes have been surrendered to, or taken over by, those who do not hold to a biblical worldview. The result has been the decay I stated earlier.
People today want the fruit of Western Civilization but not the tree from whence it comes.
It used to be that every four-year degree offered in college would include a general education in Western Civilization. This was deemed necessary so as to prepare students to be good citizens. This general education has been largely replaced with courses that focus on contemporary matters such as DEI, racial justice, climate change, gender studies, and other social issues of the day.
Critics of traditional classical studies question why we should be studying “dead white guys”. The result is that we are becoming a society that is not truly educated to be thinkers but rather trained widgets to fulfill some useful task in society.
Mortimer Adler, in his book Six Great Ideas, insists on the necessity of everyone having a foundational education in the great ideas of Western Civilization. He writes,
“Becoming acquainted and conversant with the great ideas will not prepare the individual for any special career—in business, the learned professions, or highly skilled occupations of one technical sort or another. Specialized schooling is required for that. But everyone is called to one common human vocation—that of being a good citizen and a thoughtful human being. Only by the presence of philosophy in the general schooling of all is everyone prepared to discharge the obligations common to all because all are human beings…”
By philosophy, Adler means the study of fundamental questions about existence, knowledge, values, reason, mind, and language. The word philosophy comes from the Greek word philosophia (fee-loh-SOH-fee-ah) which means “love of wisdom”.
Adler correctly points out the need for a given populace to be conversant on the big ideas that shape what a nation is or aspire to. Anything less leads to a population voting for the kind of poor leaders we have today.
If you have been paying attention to all the political rancor going on you will notice that both major parties are using words like democracy, fairness, equality, justice, opportunity, etc. The problem is that those words have different meanings to them. Take equality for example. To one party that means equal opportunity. To the other it means equal outcome. Those differing interpretations lead to vastly different ideas about the role of government in our lives.
Without a common understanding of what these big ideas mean, we the people vote for individuals who say the right words but end up foisting destructive laws on us because they mean something entirely different when they use those words.
One of the ways Comeford College seeks to combat this dumbing down of our population is by offering a course like Omnisteroids. This course is designed to introduce students to many of these big ideas of Western Civilization and to learn from the good and the bad in its history.
Building a better future must begin with understanding the past, otherwise how can we know what better is? As the saying goes, “He who doesn’t learn from history, is doomed to repeat it.”
Classes like Omnisteroids helps shore up our personal foundations so that we are better equipped to assist as we battle and build together.
We hope to see many of our adults take this class.
Summary
To paraphrase Bob Dylan – the times they are a changin’, and it’s not good. I’m not sure if there ever has been a time in history when they were. The prince of the power of the air has always been at work to stop kingdom work. His goal is to bring about as much death as he can, but God is at work to bring life.
Even in the direst of circumstances God has been at work throughout human history to build and bless for his name’s sake and glory, and we don’t have to wait until the end times to see it.
I’m close to finishing my 5th read through the bible in the last two years and I have been impressed as I re-read the Old Testament of God’s intention to restore and bless the nation of Israel even as he takes them through times of severe discipline.
The major and minor prophets are particularly interesting. Together they make up 240 of the bible’s 1190 chapters, or about 20%. Much of it contains warnings to Israel and pronouncements of judgement on them and other nations. Nevertheless, the prophets always hold out the promise that God’s end game for his people isn’t punishment but rather restoration and blessing, and he says he will accomplish it by giving the Jews a new heart.
As I was reading through Lamentations on my recent vacation, I came across one of the most often recited set of verses of hope found in the bible. You know them well and have probably recited them to yourself in times of difficulty.
The verses are found in Lamentation 3:22-23,
“The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.”
Up to this point in Lamentations the author, presumably Jeremiah, has been lamenting the current state of affairs. It is all doom and gloom with no hope in sight.
Just a few verses prior to verse 22 he wrote,
“He has made my teeth grind on gravel, and made me cower in ashes; my soul is bereft of peace; I have forgotten what happiness is; so I say, ‘My endurance has perished; so has my hope from the LORD.’ Remember my affliction and my wanderings, the wormwood and the gall! My soul continually remembers it and is bowed down within me.”
As he sits there with his soul vexed, he reflects on the nature of God and then says, “But this I call to mind, and therefore I have hope:” before launching into his declaration on God’s mercies.
Perhaps you can identify with Jeremiah, especially as we approach November 6th (Ha!).
We do not live in favorable times yet build we shall because we believe God’s mercies are new every morning and great is his faithfulness.
Comeford College is just one prong in TEC’s fork to try and pick up a very large meatball, to use one of Sean’s favorite illustrations.
We are small and easy to ignore. The Tobiahs of this age will mock and say, “What they are building – if a fox should jump on it – he will break their stone wall down.”
Maybe they will be right. If, however, we care enough to build a college, and avail ourselves of it, and God chooses to bless it – I like the odds of it being used to build, battle, and bless our way to a better future.
