Background: Recently I examined some new paint-by-the-numbers kits in a local craft store. I was very impressed! The paint-by-the-numbers has improved considerably since I was a child. Now, without a doubt, these “canned†pictures are impressive. No kidding, one can literally paint a masterpiece by following a format created by someone else.
But so can 15 million other people. The same picture for infinitely different audiences bye infinitely different people. But the “artist†is no artist. He is a plagiarist, really, copying another artist’s work.
In the paint-by-the-numbers realm, there is nothing wrong with that. No one expects these pictures to be originals or to be worth much. However, what if Rembrandt himself learned to paint “by the numbers?†Would he, then, have pushed further and created his chiaroscuro innovations? I doubt it.
In 2 Timothy 3:5 Paul talks about having a form of godliness, but denying its power. Every Spirit-filled Christian would understand the difference between religion and relationship with God. One is dynamic and the other an imitation.
In other arenas, there are other forms that can rob us of the real. One such form that is causing a stir in the home school arena is format writing. It is easy to teach and easy to grade. It seems like a dream come true for our often reluctant writers. But is it?
Format writing is a writing strategy that purports to teach students how to write without the burden of a classical content, of a literary audience, or of a sagacious educational theory. This is in conflict with a more orthodox writing program that teaches writing in the context of purpose and audience.