Thursday, September 23, 2021

The Return of Chapel

 Some Classical Christian Schools have chapel, others do not because of the constant integration of scripture into the daily school environment.  At HCA, Chapel has been a long-standing, integral part of our weekly routine.  

For 26 years, our inter-denominational Christian school has invited parents and pastors to present a Biblical worldview lesson from the truths of scripture to our students each week.  The tangible benefits of this are obvious.  I love hearing multiple people from differing Christian backgrounds (who have become one Christian family at HCA) speaking on the impact that Jesus has on their lives, and on the things He is teaching them.  It is so important that the adults in our children's lives display an authenticity of their Christian walk to the kids.  And, weekly, that is what we try to share with our students at Chapel.  

Life is hard.  If we pretend that being a Christian erases all of the hurt, anguish, frustration, and fear, our children will feel like they are failing when they experience the same things.  But, when we tell them that, even as adult Christians, we struggle with life, it helps them see the reality of their own issues, and further, when we explain that the steadfastness of the Lord is our rock to lean on, we reveal that even when we are six feet tall, we cannot truly succeed in life apart from a relationship with God.  

Last school year, as everything was unusual, we stopped our normal chapel services.  While we had to do what we had to do in the covid year, the impact on the school was real.  Without the weekly gathering of believers, we all felt a void that transferred into fears and frustrations that may have been alleviated to some extent by the truth reminders from the Holy Bible - God's Word.  

Motions with the school verse song

We were all so excited to be able to start up chapel services again last week.  Mrs. Peeler started off the Grammar grades with our school verse (John 16:33), and the reminder that we can find peace in troubled times because Jesus has overcome the world.  Yesterday, Pam Starnes shared with our students that they all have eternal worth as Children of God, even when it doesn't feel that way.  

High School Praise Team leading worship
In the upper grades chapel, Dan Tarr shared from James chapter one about how believers should be set apart from the world in how we handle trials.  James tells us that we should find joy in our trials because they solidify our faith and point us back to the Savior, who is the real source of joy and contentment.  

As God would have it, both chapels were full of wonderful reminders for the crazy times in which we live. I am sharing all of this today simply to celebrate the fact that we are able to slowly get back to the real mission and vision of HCA, and we are already seeing a difference.