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Holding hands in praise

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High School Principal's Corner — November 3, 2020

GRCHS Community, 

I thought I’d share the message and prayer that I shared with students and staff this morning over the intercom. I am thankful that even though we are physically distant, we can be unified through our faith in Jesus Christ. Thank you for your continued prayers, encouragement, and partnership!

—Brad

 

Students and Staff, 

I thought it was appropriate to start our day together in prayer and to remind each other of the beliefs and values that make us the strong school community that we are. It is no secret that this election is polarizing, and that tension is high. What does that mean for how we live together today and in the coming days, weeks, and months?

Let’s start by remembering who we are. First and foremost, we are followers of Jesus Christ and we stand on His promises to hold us together. We have committed to “be third” and to love God and our neighbors above ourselves. We view our neighbors here as unique and integral parts of our school and that were created in the image of God. We are a diverse group of Christ-followers that embraces every member of our school community. We do not shy away from difficult conversations or challenging topics and problems. Rather, we engage in respectful dialogue where we listen well and empathize with those with different experiences. When we disagree or share a unique perspective, we refuse to dehumanize or to reduce each other to stereotypes and we seek to honor God by how we handle conflict. We are justice seekers who defend those who might not always be able to defend themselves. We are disciples of Christ who believe in the power of prayer. Let’s go to the Lord now in prayer for our country, this election, and our community.

 

Sovereign and Holy God,

We come before you today asking for an extra measure of your grace and peace. It is not easy right now. Many of us have endured sickness in our families, economic hardships, racism, extreme anxiety, and a school experience that isn’t ideal. Many relationships that we thought were solid are on shaky ground. We recognize that we are a divided nation and that we are in many different places this morning with this election. 

So, God, we pause and kneel before you, thankful that we can start our day with you. We know that there are many around the world that aren’t free to do that. Thank you, God, for our teachers and support staff. Give them the right words and posture to walk alongside students and uphold them during a time when it is difficult to be an educator. Thank you for our amazing students and how they’ve come together to make this a great start to a challenging year.

Lord, we call on you on this election day to be with our newly elected officials. Uphold them and give them simultaneously a humble spirit and a bold strength so that they may lead well in this time when it is so difficult to unify our country and various communities. 

God, we do pray for our leaders, but we are also reminded in Psalms 146 not to put our trust in earthly rulers, but rather to put our trust in you. So, Lord, we come before you this morning as a school that isn’t defined as left or right, but rather as a third-space school, that is focused on you. 

We claim your promises to hold all things together. God, hold us together as individuals, in our relationships, in our school, in our country, and in our world.

In the name of Jesus, we pray. Amen.
 

Staff and students, today and in the days ahead, we have a responsibility to make this a safe place where we protect each other’s learning environment. Remember that school is not the place to publicly celebrate or mourn a political victory or loss. It’s not the place to use divisive rhetoric or to drop subtle comments. It’s not the place to display political symbols that might stir up anger and pain.

That being said, it’s OK to be upset and to struggle. If we’re being honest, in one way or another, we have all struggled over these last few months. Please go to the counseling office if you need support. A counselor will connect you with the right person and plan to work through whatever challenges you are facing.

GRCHS Eagles, let's come together in a spirit of unity. Despite so many difficult things going on, we have a lot to be thankful for. This is our 12th week of school! We have many members of our school still competing in fall athletics. We look forward to a school play in a few weeks. There is a lot to celebrate. We ask that you all join together in a sign of unity by wearing Eagle gear or Eagle colors to school on Thursday and Friday.

We believe in you, our students. Each day, you give us hope that the polarizing and often dysfunctional world that we have been witnessing, is yours for the taking. God is preparing you and even using you now to do His work.

We love you and we are proud of you! Have a great day!

—Mr. Mockabee

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