On Monday, August 28, the week began with Cairn students, faculty, and staff gathering together to celebrate both the incoming freshmen as well as the start of a new academic year.
Following the reading of Scripture and singing, President Todd J. Williams addressed the University community. He reminded all students that the faithful promise found in Job, “nothing can thwart the purposes of God,” applies to them now, whatever situation they find themselves in. Dr. Williams then shifted his focus to Psalm 25:4, the One Scripture, One University verse for the year: “Make me to know your ways, O Lord; teach me your paths.”
Dr. Williams cited this passage as one of many scriptures that emphasize a “walk” or “path” that a Christian life ought to walk or take, and “not just any path.” He then drew the connection to the simple Cairn mantra: “For many years now, Cairn has been using the tagline ‘walk a different path.’ But we don’t mean just any path. We mean that we are to walk according to the ways of God.” He challenged the university community to consider what walking a different path represented in this particular year, showing the all-encompassing nature of such implications, including our “posture, attitude, and disposition” in every circumstance. Most importantly, Dr. Williams encouraged everyone to take the simple but powerful verse into the new academic year as “a prayer you have to want to pray. It’s a prayer of humble obedience.”
Convocation closed with the University hymn, “Great is Thy Faithfulness” as well as a prayer led by Dr. Plummer for the Cairn community. The gathering for Convocation seeks to unite and encourage the University as they face the new school year.
You can listen to Dr. Williams’ full message here.
