The CCA Covenant
Rebecca Urrutia
February 18, 2010
Filed under Spirituality, Student Life, Top Stories
For the past several weeks in CCA High School, the word “covenant” has probably been mentioned over a hundred times, creating mixed emotions in the student body. Responses vary from, “I don’t want it to be held over our heads if we mess up,” to “I think it’s a good heart check, it’ll tell you if your heart is in the right place or not.” This double-sided piece of paper consists of eighteen Christian principles and includes a place for students to sign their signature if they agree. The purpose of this Community Covenant is to serve as “scriptural truths that one should live by in and out of school,” says Youth Pastor Topher Harrison. On the covenant it says, in bold black letters, “As a genuine follower of Jesus Christ, I will aspire to. . .” The key word is aspire or strive. It doesn’t mean perfection. As Pastor Topher says, it is simply a model to help students honor God in their thoughts, actions and lives.
Mark Merril, CCA’s high school art teacher, held two oranges in his hands while talking to his small group about the covenant. He asked them to point out the differences between the two, and as students began to shout out trivial differences, Mr. Merrill confessed that one of the oranges was artificial. But from a distance, no one could tell the real apart from the plastic.
The reality lies in this: many of us have become masters at pretending to live for God. On the outside we may seem authentic, but on the inside we are empty. “If students follow Christ, they will be bearing real fruit, not just externally but internally also,” says Pastor Topher. Although we may be able to fool others, God knows who we are on the inside. The real question is: how can we reach out to others and make disciples if our faith isn’t real?
Through this covenant, CCA is trying to pour into students and help them become solid Christians with a genuine relationship with the Lord. As Pastor Bob Coy said in chapel two weeks ago regarding the Covenant, “Our desire is just for you to read it, know it, and live it out.”