The sound of AWE is “WOW!” When we see or hear something that stirs up AWE within us, our mouths might utter, “WOW!” or maybe our heart just acknowledges that something special has taken place. Just think about it: nature does this regularly (vast oceans, snow-capped mountains, all those Insta posts from Bora Bora of turquoise seas and neat bungalows over the water); the LSU Dance Team’s National Championship-winning performance to Michael Jackson’s Smooth Criminal does this (yes, I just rewatched it in preparing this blog and am blown away again by the amazing talent and sheer physicality it takes to perform like that, even if some of the trademark MJ motions make me wince!). Other things inspire AWE as well: a Bach concerto, children singing Christmas songs in a beautiful sanctuary, seeing a stranger be kind to another stranger, watching a baby being born.
AWE is, well, awesome. It sparks gratitude in us, and gratitude leans us into humility. And when we lean into a right view of ourselves and our place in the world, we become better stewards of all God has blessed us with.
Recently, awe has been studied. The examples above, while from my own head and experience of WOW moments, fall into quantified categories (stick with me because I really think this is interesting…AND we want to TEACH children to recognize WOW moments!). We experience AWE in moral beauty when we see kindness and courage in other people. We also FEEL it in visual design, in art, in music, in nature, in big ideas. When I’m talking with someone about CCS and our core values, I get excited and am a little on the WOW side. I experience AWE when discussing our focus on spiritual formation, for example. I’m in AWE of how much YOUR kids have stored in their little hearts: scripture and songs and sign language and set prayers.
Which brings me to our final core value: foster delight in learning. I’ve been listening to a podcast on awe, and I think “delight” is one step down from AWE…maybe it’s not as all-encompassing as AWE, but it’s a close cousin. To delight in something means that we take great pleasure in or find joy in it. We want all our CCS students AND teachers to take great delight in learning new things.
Many schools have “create life-long learners” as part of their mission statements. I hope that we have such an inspiring, interesting, compelling, challenging, and holistic approach to playing and learning that that is happening naturally. As believers, we ARE life-long learners, as we grow in our knowledge of and in our affections for Jesus!
Delight in learning can be seen in digging for worms on the small playground with 3 year olds (a regular occurrence!), at a 3rd grade tea and poetry time, in morning meetings daily, and on the countenances of all who are at CCS every day! We are happy to be there delighting in God’s creation and pointing all those things (science and math and reading and games and history and nocturnal animals and silly songs) BACK to Him and His good plans for our lives. WE as a staff embody a delight in learning, and that helps us foster that delight in children.
In fact this coming Monday, January 6, we have a staff development at CCS (children return on January 7!). As a staff, we’ll be learning all day about various topics: child development, crossing the midline, neural integration, coping skills, classroom management, emotional regulation. We want to be continuously learning ways to do what we do BETTER. We’ll share two meals together and be involved all day in all of our core values:
Focus on Spiritual Formation
Build Intentional Communities
Nurture Joyful Childhood Experiences
Foster Delight in Learning
We desire to do all of those well and to the glory of God!
As we start this new year, may we be people who LOOK for the AWE that is around us, give thanks to the ONE who provides it, humble ourselves, and steward all that He’s blessed us with, to the glory of Christ!
