FROM OUR CHAPLAIN

This week saw the first of our Senior School Chapels for Years 9 and 10.

It was a thrill to see the chapel nearly full.  I thought we might have to go into overflow but we managed to all sit in the main area.

Engaging with love was again our theme, as it is for all our first chapels this year, and the students were able to take their ponderings away and fill out their worksheets in their Mentor Groups the next day.  The question they had to consider wass what area in their own life did they want to experience more love in that would bring them more life satisfaction.

This week, in the Christian Calendar, saw the beginning of Lent, the 40 days of fasting and prayer before the Easter Calendar commences.

I share the prayer here that I have blessed staff and students with throughout the week and trust you might receive some blessing from it yourselves.  It is not a prayer of just giving up, but one that takes up good living standards and laying down those that are not helpful for our planet to be a better place today and in our future.

O Holiness,
Bless us with love for all humankind
Let us forgive instead of getting angry with one another
Let us bless instead of cursing one another
Let us tend one another’s wounds instead of rubbing salt into them
Let us hearten instead of discouraging one another
Let us give hope instead of driving one another to despair
Let us hug instead of harassing one another
Let us welcome instead of cold-shouldering one another
Let us thank each other instead of criticizing one another
Let us praise instead of maligning one another . . .
Let us love unconditionally – diminishing the violence of judgementalism and division in the world and giving birth to a new community…
A community that makes love visible.

Rev Grace
College Chaplain