From the Chaplains

It’s hard to believe that we have almost finished Week 3 of term! 

To all who are celebrating the new Lunar New Year, I wish you much happiness and many blessings for this Year of the Dragon.  

For us chaplains, it has been a busy and happy start to the year, with many special chapel services such as the Induction of the Year 6 Leaders, the Welcome to Year 7 service and in Week 2 a very special Boarders’ chapel service which included Reverend Punam Bent’s Closure of Ministry Service, led by Reverend Stuart Bollom, Director of Mission (Schools) within the Uniting Church Synod of NSW/ACT, to officially mark the ending of Reverend Bent’s ministry here at the College.  

It was a moving evening service in which the boarders and staff expressed their love and gratitude for Reverend Bent through music, words and gifts.  

This week in chapel, continuing with our Term 1 theme of ‘New Beginnings’, we have been looking at the powerful creation narrative in Genesis 1:26-27: 

Then God said,  

“Let us make humans in our image, in our likeness, so that they may have custodianship over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the livestock and all the wild animals, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.” 

So God created humankind in his own image, 
in the image of God he created them; 
male and female he created them. 

I shared with the students that during the summer holidays, when I had the very great blessing of being on Hamilton Island with my family, I spent some time doing my favourite thing, which is floating in the ocean.

As I gradually relaxed my neck, arm and shoulder muscles, I let the water hold me. If I tensed up, or tried to raise my head a bit, I wobbled and started to sink a little.  

But when I let go and relaxed, I was totally supported and held in the warm salty waters. Even when small or larger waves washed over my face, I was safely held.

Just as we float in the amniotic waters inside our mothers’ wombs, nurtured and protected, growing and developing, so the Creator holds us and protects us, helping us to grow and flourish as human beings.  

God – however we understand God to be – has made each one of us, in God’s own image. That means we are created in love, to be in relationship with the Creator. As we prayed in chapel this week: we are made ‘from love, to love and to be loved’.  

And because God created us in love, God also holds and loves each one of us throughout our lifetime – and beyond.  

And if we allow ourselves to relax our muscles, so to speak, and trust that we are held – eternally – we can come closer to experiencing the spiritual and existential peace that is promised.  

As a reminder of this, as the students left chapel this week they were able to see and touch a red heart, floating in water, to remind them that they are held by God’s love.

Ash Wednesday was marked by a special service for staff last Wednesday morning.

For Christians, we are now entering the holy time of Lent, and preparing our spirits for what is the crux and centre of our faith – the season of Easter. As we enter this waiting time, may God the Creator richly bless you and keep you and your families.  

Edwina O’Brien

Assistant Chaplain and Head of Religion and Ethics