A Message from Head of School, Tom Argersinger
Dear Parents and Friends of CCS,
I write today with the violence that has rocked America over the last week still fresh on my mind.
There are many things that could be, and have been, said about what this series of events says about where we are as a country.
But I think there are two things that should be on the forefront of our minds and hearts as Biblical Christians during this chaotic, turbulent, and yes, violent, era in American history:
First and foremost, we must remember that there are many grieving families. Though the news cycle has largely moved on, they are living with a new reality, a new emptiness, and a suffering that appears deeper than they can bear.
Last week, their world changed completely in a matter of minutes. I cannot imagine the grief that they feel. I can only hope that all of the victims of the various incidents knew the Lord Jesus Christ, who is revealed in the Bible as their personal Savior and Lord, and that they have been translated to that far, far better Land.
Secondly, we must remind ourselves that our struggle is not against flesh and blood. (Eph. 6:12) I believe that in this season it is clear that Satan, the enemy of our souls, the enemy of God, is rampaging as a roaring lion throughout the land (1 Peter 5:8), seeking to steal, kill, and destroy. (John 10:10a) And he is very good at it.
Yet I would also like to remind everyone in the CCS community and beyond today that the God that we serve is fully engaged, is fully sovereign, is perfectly good, and will not forsake His people.
In my view, too many Christians have gotten stuck in the first part of John 10:10. The verse goes on to say:
…I (Jesus) have come so that they (those who follow Jesus) may have life, and have it in abundance.
Far too many followers of Christ, particularly in America and the West, have forgotten who this God we claim to serve really is:
…the immensity of His power
…the greatness of His Majesty
…the unlimited reach and capacity of His mind
…the forgiveness and love that lives in His heart
…the unchangeableness of His character
…the saving power that is expressed in the Gospel of the Kingdom
…the effectiveness of Word-saturated prayer
…the depth of His desire that no one should perish
…the weight of His unfathomable wisdom
…the perfections of His glorious beauty
…the wisdom of His justice
…and His particular care for every detail of our lives.
And because of this, revenge is not a Biblical response. We have neither the wisdom nor the scope of knowledge and insight to properly bring retribution. It is, in a very profound way, far above our pay grade.
I must admit to you that my heart has been broken in a unique way. Even prior to the events of the last week, I had begun to feel a clear prompting and burden from the Lord to schedule a night of worship and prayer for the CCS community.
We have scheduled this event for November 8 at 6:30-8:15pm at Kings Crossing.
I am fully aware that there is never a good time to add one more thing to the schedules of busy people. But I cannot help but feel that if we are not willing to lay down something in order to gather to pray over the brokenness of families, of our children, of our neighbors, of our fellow church members, and of our country and ourselves, what does that say about what we actually believe about the power of the Word, worship, praise and prayer?
For now, let’s pray not only for the families of the victims who were taken from this earth so violently, but also for the perpetrators who survive, that they would find and be found by Jesus.
Let’s join together to pray for the very soul of America, that God would have mercy on our country, and that a revival, an awakening, a powerful move of the Holy Spirit, would begin soon — and may it be ignited right here at CCS, through confession and forgiveness.
Forgive us, LORD, for how we have taken our eyes off of you, and have given our hearts to our idols and attempted to worship a diminished god who is not the Yahweh of the Old and the New Testaments.
Have mercy on us, Father, and give us the humility and the courage to return to your word, to trust in You, to listen for the voice of your Spirit and to obey with love and courage and conviction.
I leave you for now with the Psalm that I chose to read over the faculty and staff at our security briefing last Wednesday:
Psalm 29 (CSB)
The Voice of the Lord
A psalm of David.
*1 Ascribe to the Lord, you heavenly beings,
ascribe to the Lord glory and strength.
2 Ascribe to the Lord the glory due his name;
worship the Lord in the splendor of his holiness.
3 The voice of the Lord is above the waters.
The God of glory thunders—the Lord, above the vast water,
4 the voice of the Lord in power,
the voice of the Lord in splendor.
5 The voice of the Lord breaks the cedars;
the Lord shatters the cedars of Lebanon.
6 He makes Lebanon skip like a calf,
and Mount Herman, like a young wild ox.
7 The voice of the Lord flashes flames of fire.
8 The voice of the Lord shakes the wilderness;
the Lord shakes the wilderness of Kadesh.
9 The voice of the Lord makes the deer give birth and strips the woodlands bare. In his temple all cry, “Glory!”
10 The Lord sits enthroned over the flood;
the Lord sits enthroned, King forever.
11 The Lord gives his people strength;
the Lord blesses his people with peace.”
I encourage husbands to speak this Psalm out loud over their wives tonight.
I encourage mothers to sing this song over their children tonight.
I encourage grandparents in the CCS community to pray the words over their children and grandchildren tonight.
Because it is only in the word of God, as it is energized and illuminated by his Holy Spirit, that our true hope lies.
Now may the God of the Bible be your strength and your shield as you choose moment by moment to walk in his steps and to trust in Him and be helped (Psalm 28:7).
We will do this for His great glory and for the good of our children, our families — and our country.
For CCS and the Kingdom,
Tom