On Monday, August 28, the Fall 2023 semester began with Cairn students, faculty, and staff gathering together to celebrate the incoming freshman and the start of another academic year.
Convocation Chapel opened with Dean of Students, Rick Swift, welcoming the new freshman. Following his introduction, the University sang “Speak, O Lord” and student body president Kolby Bills read from this year’s One Scripture, One University passage, Matthew 16:24, “Then Jesus told his disciples, ‘If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.’”
Dr. Williams then took the podium to address the University. As he examined the surrounding context to the passage, Dr. Williams described the disciples’ call to take up their crosses to follow Jesus in faith and obedience, learning that by surrendering everything to Christ, they would gain freedom in Christ. Dr. Williams also reminded the University that there would be trials accompanying the act of taking up our crosses, but that they should hold fast to the promise the Lord gives to Paul in 2 Corinthians 12:9 “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” As the students head into the new academic year, they were encouraged to hold fast to the hope that as the Lord sustained Paul through the thorn in his side, he would also sustain them in the midst of their own trials.
Convocation closed with the University hymn, “Great is Thy Faithfulness” as well as with a prayer led by Dr. Plummer for the Cairn community heading into the Fall 2023 semester.
Welcome, class of 2027!
