Our Distinctives
The Cross and the Crown
Every mark of a St. David’s education, from its crest to its purpose to its promise, confesses one thing: Christ, in whom all things hold together.
Three Emblems, One Confession
Three emblems adorn the crest of St. David’s, each drawn from the life of David and each confessing Christ. Encircling the shield is the Latin motto, Sapientia et Aetate et Gratia (Wisdom and Stature and Grace), beneath the Crown of David. It comes from the Gospel according to St. Luke and captures our Lord’s own development as a child: “And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and man” (Luke 2:52).
Wisdom
A golden harp stands for the wisdom by which St. David composed his poetic psalms, prayers, and hymns that continue to grace the Scriptures today.
Stature
A slingshot recalls the stature exhibited by St. David when he faced and felled the giant Goliath, citing his confidence in the Lord of Israel.
Grace
A jar of anointing oil symbolizes the grace shown to St. David when God anointed him to be His king, as dear to Him as a beloved son.
The Cross and the Crown
Growth in wisdom and stature and grace is the goal for each student at the Academy, boldly inscribed in its Latin motto, Sapientia et Aetate et Gratia, encircling the shield.
Atop the shield rests the Crown of David, each of its horns bearing the image of a Davidic king: Sts. David and Solomon on the left, and Sts. Hezekiah and Josiah on the right, with the King of Kings, our Lord Jesus Christ, at the center.
Each of the three emblems makes visual confession of Christ, as well: the harp bears an image of the Lion of Judah, a name for Christ; the slingshot holds a stone, as Christ is our Cornerstone; and the jar of anointing oil carries the classic Chi-Rho symbol of His name.
The Christ-centered nature of the Academy’s work appears throughout the crest, an emphasis reflected also in its coloring. Scarlet reminds us of Christ’s cross, where He shed His royal blood for sinners, and gold is the color of the eternal crown He inherited upon rising from the dead.
At the Lutheran Classical Academy of St. David the King, students will be taught to bear the cross and wear the crown through faith in God and love toward their neighbors.
Why We Teach
So That the Good Life May Abound
St. David’s unites catechesis and the liberal arts so that students may abound in faith and the virtue it cultivates, which is the fullness of life intended by God.
So That Thanksgiving May Increase
As faith and virtue abound, thanksgiving increases, not only in the students themselves but also in the lives of those whom they serve.
The St. David’s Graduate
A graduate of The Lutheran Classical Academy of St. David the King will have grown in wisdom through deep engagement with Scripture, the liberal arts, and the great books of the Western tradition.
They will have grown in stature through discipline, order, and joyful physical activity. And they will have grown in grace through daily worship, catechesis, and the ministry of pastors and teachers who both teach and model the Christian life.