According to Wikipedia an iceberg is a large piece of ice that has broken off from a snow-formed glacier or ice shelf and is floating in open water. Since the density of pure water ice is ca. 920 kg/m3, and that of sea water ca. 1025 kg/m3, typically, around 90% of the volume of an iceberg is under water, and that portion’s shape can be difficult to surmise from looking at what is visible above the surface.

From what you see on the surface, you’d assume that the part below water is about the same size.  But when you look below the surface you realize that ninety percent of the iceberg is under water and is serving as a ballast - providing stability, depth, and substance to the visible portion.

It is the same way with our lives.  It is the substance of our center, or core, that provides stability and strength to what is visible. For this reason we are committed to nurturing our community and focusing on that which draws us to Christ as our source and center.

What is the ballast in my life that provides meaning, stability and depth to everything I feel, think, and do? Is it a set of rules? Is it me and my own thinking?  Is it other people and their ideas?

Blessed are you who give yourselves over to God,
turn your back on the world’s “sure thing,”
ignore what the world worships.

Doing something for You, bringing something to You –
that’s not what You’re after.
Being religious, acting pious –
that’s not what You’re asking for.
You’ve opened my ears so I can listen.

So, I answered, “I’m coming.
I read in your letter what you wrote about me,
And I’m coming to the party
you’re throwing for me..”
That’s when God’s Word entered my life,
 became part of my very being. (Psalm 40:4, 6-8 MSG)

Colossians three states, “Look up, and be alert to what is going on around Christ – that’s where the action is. See things from his perspective.” 

One way we are working at increasing our ballast both personally and corporately is through prayer.  A deep inner life requires an ongoing conversation with the Savior. Our staff is beginning each day in focused prayer for each other, our students, and the school community. Once a week a group of parents meets in the morning to pray for the future of the school. Moms in Touch has been covering our school in prayer for years. 

PTF is sponsoring prayer evenings where parents can walk the halls and pray for their students, teachers, and the school as a whole. Our student-led core groups will focus attention on prayer. Once a month we will spend time during chapel in corporate prayer. In the spring we are exploring the idea of a staff and parent prayer retreat.  The purpose of the retreat is to pray for the school and develop a deeper partnership between teachers and parents. 

Another way we’re seeking to build ballast is by seeking to discern God’s vision for the future of our school. This month we had a community wide meeting on the 11th to gather input on the vision that has been developed so far. We are excited about how God is moving within our school to improve relationships, teaching and learning, and our ability to equip and encourage young adults to live Christ-centered lives of purpose.  Through the clarification of a shared vision we are confirming that we are a community whose center is Christ.

If we are seeking to be an extraordinary community of purpose then we must be clear about what fuels our community.  The Tuesday before students came back, our faculty and staff spent the day discussing what we see as the center of our community. After some great discussion we agreed that a purposeful community is developed from the inside out, and that above all, we desire that Jesus Christ be the source and center of our learning community.

What would a truly Christ-centered community of depth and purpose look like? 

I imagine that the people involved would be whole-heartedly committed to spending time with Jesus. I imagine they would take in scripture regularly, allowing it to penetrate their hearts and change them. I imagine they would be where the action is, following Jesus to dark and dirty places. Like icebergs, I imagine these folks would have a depth of humility, passion, and courage that is far greater than anything visible from the surface. 

May we be such people.  May we be such a community. 

(Iceberg analogy is from Seeds for the Future, Dale, 2005.)

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