Honor Academy Accountability Cards

A 2009 intern sent me a copy of the Honor Academy accountability card. Although the accountability system seems to change slightly from year to year, the basic idea is a checklist that each intern fills out weekly to assess if they have complied with the requirements of the Honor Academy. Depending on how many requirements they miss, there are various levels of punishment. Here are a few of the items on the list:

I had my quiet time today.

I read my Bible reading plan.

I was prepared for class.

I exercised 4 times (this week).

Disturbingly, some interns have reported that they were repeatedly told that a 59 minute quiet time did NOT count – it must be a full 60 minutes. Requiring someone to spend time with God is legalistic enough, but dictating the exact amount of minutes required takes it to a whole new level of ludicrous.

Here is a sample form (from 2009) that I have filled out. I’m not sure what level of punishment this poor intern would receieve, maybe a dish duty or “extra training.”

Now, I’m certainly not against a program with requirements. The worlds of education, business, military and sports are full of requirements you must meet in order to succeed.

But this is NOT the world.

This is God’s kingdom. Things are upside down here. We don’t succeed because of what we do – 60 minute quiet times, recruiting kids to go to ATFs, starting ministries, etc. We succeed because of what He has done.

All of our bets are on Him. As Paul said, “we put no confidence in the flesh.” In fact, if you read the context, he is talking about not putting stock in our spiritual performance!

If the HA really wanted to have a Biblical Accountability Card, you could just hand this in every week:

13 COMMENTS

1. squeakycheez07 | November 29, 2010 at 4:22 pm | ReplyI had to honor council cases for my accountability card. the Extra training was awesome to someone who was actually honest on their card. I was so pissed.
2. Nunquam Honorablus | November 29, 2010 at 4:50 pm | ReplyI remember Hasz (it could have been another staff member, to be honest, but I’m like 90% sure it was Hasz) talking about the accountability card, and saying something along the lines of “Sixty minutes. Not fifty-nine, sixty…”Totally remember the pressure, because one time I cut my quiet time off early by two minutes once. I felt convicted enough about it to mark it on my accountability card, soooo yeah. Head trip.Oh, and how they were described my year: “I spent one full hour in the Lord’s presence”.I don’t even know how to address that.
3. Nunquam Honorablus | November 29, 2010 at 4:52 pm | ReplyWOOO REDUNDANCY ignore that “once” at the end of that sentence I guess ffff
4. Natalie | November 29, 2010 at 5:19 pm | ReplyR.A. I appreciate this post. It’s true! This is very very very true. There is absolutely zero confidence in the flesh. We have none.
   Whatever treasures we do have Jesus gave us and we can not even brag.I’ve been thinking on A-Cards a little bit and it’s enough to drive you crazy because there is no way to do better! You can only do ‘Just enough.’ or not enough. But you can’t do better than enough to make up for the not enough. (lol. did that make since? 😉
   i mean really, can you do anything in the H.A. to blot out your mistakes???
5. Nunquam Honorablus | November 29, 2010 at 6:02 pm | ReplyWell, you can be a kissass, but I don’t think that’s the answer you were looking for.
6. Anonymous | November 30, 2010 at 6:15 pm | ReplyUgh, just looking at that makes me all kinds of crazy and makes me have to take deep breaths……so sad. 🙁
7. joe intern | December 3, 2010 at 3:00 am | Replyagain, your posting a blog about things that are no longer used at the HA….no thats not an excuse, thats saying that your information is over 7 years old…just saying
8. admin | December 3, 2010 at 3:00 am | ReplySorry, Joe Intern, both your facts and reading comprehension have let you down.A 2009 intern sent this to me. They were at the HA just over a year ago.
9. heartsfire | December 3, 2010 at 4:30 am | ReplyFurther Joe Intern one of my friends started the year this year as a CA she told me they still use the Accountability cards this year and she HATED having to use them or turn them in!
10. Robbie | December 3, 2010 at 5:32 pm | ReplyDid anyone else notice that they printed the date wrong for the second week?! It should have ended Nov. 8, NOT Oct. 8. Seems kind of ironic for a nit-picky “accountability system.” 🙂
11. admin | December 3, 2010 at 5:34 pm | ReplyI’m not too worried about that, Robbie. 🙂What bothers me most is the idea that God is keeping “score” of our “good” and “bad” deeds. Thats just sick.And its NOT the Gospel or the NEW Covenant.
12. Anonymous | December 12, 2010 at 3:18 pm | ReplyJesus would have had the Torah (or Tanakh) reading plan though. 😉
13. Anonymous | March 26, 2011 at 5:50 am | ReplyFrom my understanding of the Bible, God DOES keep score [He keeps track, anyway], and we will be judged by God for ALL of our deeds, good and bad [many, many Bible references]. However, your Christian community should NOT be keeping score, nor passing judgement on you for your score, nor prescribing how much time spent with God is enough, nor judging the way you choose to spend your time with God. Also, this “score” isn’t a measure of whether or not you’re good enough to get into Heaven. None of us are good enough to get into Heaven on our own; we need to accept the “payment” that Jesus made on our “sin account” for us by dying on the cross.I’m disgusted that such a place exists, and that it’s still represented to Christian families as a good place to send your kids so they can learn leadership skills. I empathize with you all, and I’m so glad that your experiences have not chased you away from God.