Marlin Strong

I've experienced an interesting conflation of two worlds this past week. On the one hand, I have been finishing a training presentation for my work at Family Abuse Center that spends some time looking at the "Strengths Perspective" in Social Work. On the other hand, I've witnessed (and participated in) the discussion surrounding the potential closing of Marlin ISD. In the midst of this discussion there has been plenty of worry, and plenty of criticism, particularly from places in Waco.

As some background, the Waco Trib ran an article last week about the closure announcement. Although the journalist was probably doing the best she could, many of us here in Marlin (and those who have worked in Marlin recently) knew the details of the article to not fully represent the true situation. I for one have seen remarkable improvements in the 5 years I have lived here, some of which I outlined in an email I wrote to the article's author.

One of the main points I made in that exchange was that we in Marlin are very aware of our problems. We also watch as the vast majority of news stories Waco media organizations run about Marlin end up being negative. I informed the author that there is a whole other side to the story that goes untold and that what we in Marlin need is hope. Sadly, a few days later, the Waco Trib ran this Editorial essentially continuing to blame the Marlin community for its problems and continuing to ignore the signs of improvement some of us tried to bring to their attention.

That is where this discussion collides with my other work. The Strengths Perspective of social work essentially argues that you can bring about change by calling out the strengths and skills of a client. You then play to those strengths to overcome the weaknesses and dysfunctions. It is a perspective based on optimism versus pessimism. It is a perspective built upon encouragement, not endless criticism.

And isn't that what Jesus did? He first approached his disciples with a call to "follow me." He didn't say "follow me because you're hopelessly screwed up." Rather, he saw their potential and invited them on an adventure. Or think of the woman at the well. Jesus knew her flaws and could've called them out immediately. Instead, he chose to engage her in theological debate because he saw her wisdom and knew she would become a greater witness in that town than his own disciples. He used a gentle hand to guide his flock to greater things. He knew the flaws, but he came alongside them and patiently molded them. Although he had every right to pull the God-card on them and start ordering them around because he "knew best," he chose to take the role of a servant calling out the strengths in his disciples.

That is what our city needs now. We need hope. But hope does not come from simple optimism and well-wishing. It comes from identifying our strengths and utilizing those strengths to get to work.

There is lots of work to be done for our schools. Even though we have seen improvements these past 2 or 3 years, prior to that there were many years of mismanagement and poor decisions that led to our current state. So it will take some time to undo the damage. Unfortunately, TEA does not seem to be as forgiving when it comes to time.

So, my proposal is to start calling out our strengths and start using those strengths to achieve change. Feel free to comment below with the strengths you have seen among us. I will end with what I have seen:

• We have teachers and staff that genuinely care for our students. This is not the case in every school district.
• We have creative students. I have known many students who are amazing artists.
• We are a resilient community. How many times have we faced bad news? How much negative press has been given to Marlin by insiders and outsiders? How are we still walking after years of driving through potholes? We have dealt with all these and more, but we are still here, and there is still a great deal of pride. Don't let anyone take that pride away!
• We have a Wal-Mart (hey, that's pretty impressive for a city our size!)
• We have a really awesome program (No Excuses University) at the elementary school that starts preparing students for college and academic success.
• We have diversity in our community.
• We have a community that cares for our schools. There were 1,000 people who showed up to the school meeting this past Wednesday! (That a freaking 1/6 of our entire city!!)

Please add more, and let's start the change. Let's create the hope. We are strong!

Marlin ISD article...disappointing

 Here is a copy of an email I sent to the author of the Waco Trib (and 2 editors) in response to this article written about the "struggles" in Marlin ISD:

"Ms. Butts,

I just read your article in the Waco Trib about the potential closing of Marlin ISD next year, and I'm sorry to say I was a bit disappointed in your reporting. As someone who has lived in Marlin and served as a youth pastor here for the past 5 years, this article did a very poor job of representing the actual situation with Marlin ISD. For instance, most of the comments and facts given about the monitoring by TEA or about unresponsive administrations were from when I first arrived in Marlin or even earlier. Those people are all gone now. Nowhere did I see any meaningful comments about staff or administrators from between 2011 to now.

I also found it very unfortunate that the only administrator you seemed to interview was the new superintendent who has only even been around for about 3 months. The reality is he was not here and doesn't know what has really happened with the school district in the past 5 years. It would have been better to talk to those who have been on the front lines seeing improvements in the schools in the past several years. You could have talked to Wes Brown, the principal at the elementary school, who has helped completely transform that campus through the No Excuses University program which has gotten parents and students talking about college and careers even at the elementary school level. You could have talked to Mallory Herridge or Deborah Raphael who have served with CIS on 2 of our campuses and can testify to the improvements that have happened in the past 3 years. You could have talked to any number of staff or teachers and they would tell you that TEKS was constantly at the forefront of teaching and discussion, or that Marlin has great participation in parent and family nights, especially when compared to many Waco schools. But no, you chose to focus on the one person who hasn't been around and has the least direct knowledge of the school's history and improvement. You couldn't even find a parent who had some pride in the school district but featured just another voice of negativity.

Another problem I had with your article is that it shares the same faulty assumption as TEA that STAAR tests are the ultimate measure of a school's success. Yes it's true that STAAR tests may not have shown great improvement, but Marlin ISD has made significant strides in other areas, such as in reading levels. In the end, a school's or student's success or knowledge cannot be summed up in a test score, and it's the assumption that we can evaluate a school by a test that is harming Texas schools all over the place. Such an attitude ultimately leads to "teaching to the test" and handcuffs true, meaningful education.

Marlin has had its share of troubles, and so has our school district. What this community needs is to celebrate its victories and be reminded of its strengths and successes. But when some outsider reporter comes in and writes a "shock and awe" piece that focuses on the negative, it is done without thought of the damage that article may do. It is fine to report on facts that have happened (such as a warning of a school closing), but the reporting needs to be balanced, researched, and constructive. Many of us in Marlin know some of the comments in your article to be misleading or flat out untrue. But that is the only story that gets told in your piece, and the result is a further chipping away at the little hope that is left in this beat-up town. I don't know if your apocalyptic interpretation of the events was the result of a lack of investigation (which would be lazy), or a desire to increase readership and online clicks (which would be dishonest). Either way, we in Marlin need better. We need hope. We need the real picture.


Micah Titterington

Marlin Resident"


**Update, 10-2-2015**
I received a response from the article's author this morning. Here is what she wrote:

"Thank you so much for your letter. I appreciate your honest opinion of my piece and always welcome feedback.

Just so you know, I desperately tried to speak with teachers from the district but no one was willing to talk to me on the record. I spent all day yesterday in Marlin, knocking on doors and trying to find parents to speak about the district, but again, all but the one parent refused to speak to me.

There will be many more articles on the subject in the future and I plan to spend considerable time fleshing out the nuances of what is happening in Marlin. If you know of any teachers who would be willing to speak to me on the record (I don't do anonymous sources), please feel free to give them the number below. I would be happy to speak to them.

Again, thank you for your feedback.

Stephanie Butts

Staff Writer

The Waco Tribune-Herald

sbutts@wacotrib.com

254-757-5707"

So, if you have worked in Marlin ISD in the past 3 years, please contact her and let her know about the many positive things you have seen happening. Tell her about the improvements that have taken place that won't necessarily be reflected in test scores. As I stated in my first email, we don't need more criticisms and negativity in Marlin. We know our problems already. What we need are people ready to work towards solutions and offer a positive attitude. We need to hear about our strengths and successes, not just our shortcomings. We need hope.

If You had been here...

It has now been two weeks since Easter. This is the time of year when I always ponder whether or not we can truly claim to be a people of the resurrection. Each year comes with grandeur and glory. We proclaim "He is risen! He is risen indeed!" among stained glass windows and brilliant sunshine. We sing "Christ the Lord is Risen Today" while inhaling lily-infused air. We fill our sanctuary with bells, organ, guitars, cymbals, and strings. And the sermon, well it practically preaches itself. It is impossible to miss the Gospel truth of the Resurrection.

But give us two weeks, and we will largely forget all about resurrection. Yes, we still believe that Jesus was raised from the dead, but that is about as far as it goes. We dismiss the idea that the same spirit who raised Jesus is resurrecting our spirits in the here and now. We continue to ignore the truth that our bodies will one day be raised from the ground. But these are crucial truths that fill us with courage to live lives of faith in the midst of fear.

In John 11 we read the incredible story of Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead. As I was reading this story today, I noticed that one statement (or versions of it) is made at least three times to Jesus in the story--"If you had been here, Lazarus wouldn't have died." Both Mary and Martha tell Jesus this (11:21, 32) and the crowd also wonders about this (11:37).

I don't know why this phrase stuck out to me in reading the story. Maybe it's because it echoes our own desires. We are, by nature, people who desire escape. No one likes suffering. And so, when evil does rear its head, we are left questioning God's love. "God, if you love me you will stop this from happening." "God, if you had been here, this would not have happened." Yet, implicit in this reasoning is the concept that God is our butler who must do whatever we think is best. Embedded in this thinking is a belief that we need to avoid pain at all costs.

When it comes to facing the reality of death, Americans take this same tack. Honestly, most American Christians take a very unbiblical approach to death. When confronted with the truth that our bodies are wearing out and will one day die, most of us simply deny that this is any real loss. We have bought into the Platonic idea that, once we die, our souls will fly off to a disembodied "heaven" and dwell there for eternity. It's as if we think, "If God really thought these bodies were a good idea, then he would stop us from dying. But since we die, He must intend for us to leave these bodies behind." I hear echoes of Mary, Martha, and the crowd--"If You had been here, he would not have died."

But Jesus is not afraid of death. He grieves it and weeps over it because death is evil, but He knows it is not the end. Instead, Jesus' message is that God's love is stronger than death and can turn the evil of death into an opportunity to glorify God.

Yes, God could stop our deaths, but death is the reality we created. We have all sinned, and so we all die. But the Gospel is not just about defeating death, it is about using death to defeat itself. It's about God being so powerful and loving that He takes what is broken and dead and breathes new life into it. What evil and death ruin, God takes and transforms into something even better. Our hope is that God is in the process of allowing death to occur to open the possibility of resurrection. We will die one day, but those who follow Jesus will experience a life raised from the death. And through the pain of it all, we will realize the glory, love, and brilliance of our King.

So after Easter, let's hold tight to a strong theology of resurrection--one that not only believes Jesus rose from the dead, but also believes we will be raised one day as well. If we do this, we will stop saying with the crowd, "If you had been here...," but will start saying, "I accept my death, but stand amazed in your power over death and loving willingness to raise this prodigal life." May we be a people who desire to redeem and restore, not to escape. May we be a resurrection people.

I leave you with this song as a reminder of what Jesus means for us post-Easter.

Despair and Hope

We live in a troubled world, don't we? Every day the news is filled with tragedy and disappointment. Just in the past day we were greeted with news that ISIS is holding at least 150 Christians hostage, were reminded of the partisan politics and gridlock within our Congress, and probably heard about countless other problems in our local community.

Things can get even more depressing for those of us who minister [should be read "all Christians"]. As we seek to bring God's Kingdom to earth and to proclaim the Gospel that Jesus Christ is Lord, we often feel like we are spinning our wheels in the mud. It doesn't help when so many Christian teachers and pundits remind us of the many moral failings and cultural depravity in our society. And, if you happen to be someone working within the church (or even in a non-profit), you may sometimes wonder if all the work you are putting forth is really paying off.

This has been a constant struggle for me in my own ministry in Marlin, TX for the past 4 and a half years. I work hours each week preparing, studying, ministering, and praying, but sometimes it feels like the ministry and the community go one step forward and two steps back. You spend countless sermons and mentoring hours emphasizing to others the immense love and grace found through Jesus, only to have people walk away from the church. You teach about how holy living and self-control are truly paths to the good life, only to get on Facebook and see the crap that students and church members post (sometimes directed at one another). You point others toward the reality that our faith cannot be lived out alone and that we need the community of Christ's Body, only to be disappointed many weeks by piddly attendance. It's enough to make a grown man cry (and I have sometimes.)

But, the temptation to despair and burnout is not unique to church work. Anyone who sees a need in their community and has struggled to change that reality will inevitably face these dark nights and haunting questions. And, when those doubts come, it is so very tempting to give into despair and cynicism. I have seen it in my own life. Slowly, you start badmouthing your congregation, or your town, or your school, or your (fill in the blank). You compare your grass to greener fields in other towns and communities. You entertain thoughts of leaving and moving to someplace where "they actually get it." You find yourself visiting despair.com to feed your cynicism and self-righteousness (it's actually a pretty funny website, check it out.) But cynicism is not a Christian virtue, at least not in the Bible I read.

In Jeremiah 32, there is a beautiful story that deals with despair and hope. At this point in the prophet's life, he has spent most of his ministry proclaiming the doom of Jerusalem and the Temple. Now, those prophecies were unfolding as the King of Babylon was besieging Jerusalem. Jeremiah then had the duty of announcing the city would fall and that Judah's King would not escape. In response, the King of Judah decided to imprison Jeremiah for his negativity.

However, while Jeremiah is sitting in prison and knows that his city will fall into the hands of his enemies, he receives an amazing prophecy. God instructs him to buy a plot of land in Judah and to place the deed in a jar "so it will last a long time." In Jeremiah's current circumstances that business deal made no sense. Why buy a piece of land that was about to become occupied territory? He didn't even know if he would survive the siege.

Even though it made little sense, the symbolism of this simple action was huge. Buying a deed communicated to God's people that this hardship would not be forever. They would not be occupied forever. One day, they would return to the land, and in that context, having a deed to a field would be a blessing. Despite the surrounding circumstances, Jeremiah chose to be used as a symbol of hope reminding people that we serve a God of restoration and resurrection.

So, the next time you feel tempted to give into despair and cynicism, remember that we are called to be signs of hope for our community, church, and culture. When everyone around us is screaming that the sky is falling, we are called to remind them that it is really heaven that is falling to earth. When pundits and neighbors despair because evil is running rampant, we run to the cross where Jesus crucified every evil power. And, when we look at our situation and are ready to host a funeral, we remember that we are a resurrection people.

Now, we may not see the transformation we want to see in our lifetime, but we also know that it's not really us who provides the growth and change. We plant the seeds and someone else may water, but in the end it is God who breathes life. After all, Jeremiah never got to use his deed. He probably died in captivity. But, for years that deed sat as a symbol of hope that all was not lost, and one day, someone did get to use that deed.

So wherever you are, cling to hope and "put the deed in the jar," because God is not done yet.

Jehoiachin in Babylon

The OT books of history end on a dark note. The northern kingdom falls in 2 Kings 17 after generations of sin. Then, the southern kingdom and Jerusalem also fall in the final chapter of 2 Kings (2 Kgs. 25). The fall of Jerusalem is an especially tragic event. King Zedekiah is captured, forced to watch the deaths of his sons, and then is blinded by the Babylonians (25:6-7). Then, the Temple is burned along with "every important building" (25:9). Finally, the holy objects of the Temple and the people of Jerusalem are carried off to Babylon.

Thus, the historical books end with chaos, darkness, and despair. All that Israel had worked for since the Exodus seems to have been undone. The land is lost, the Temple is lost, and the people are lost. However, there is perhaps a glimmer of hope at the very end.

2 Kings 25:27-30, the final verses of the book, tell the brief story of King Jehoiachin, who had been captured by the Babylonians prior to the destruction of Jerusalem. The author tells the reader that the Jehoiachin was released from prison and was even given a seat of honor at the king's table. Although this is only a small glimpse of hope, it is at least a sign that Judah has not been completely destroyed and abandoned by God.

This rhetorical move is reminiscent of the final scene of the movie "The Road." This movie tells the tale of a father and son who attempt to live and travel in a post-apocalyptic world with no sunshine that is also infested with cannibals. Although the father dies in the end, leaving the boy alone in this god-forsaken world, there is also a tiny ray of hope at the end. The boy has the good fortune of meeting up with another small family who are willing to take him in and show him kindness. Although the movie ends here and does not offer hope for the improvement of the world nor give assurances that this family will survive, there is at least a small sense of hope at the end. This short story in 2 Kings works similarly. Although there is no guarantee that Israel will make a glorious return, there is hope held up that perhaps not all is lost.