Chaplain

Heritage Week

Heritage Week is a time to reflect on the culture of our School and to celebrate the good things and resilience of our community. Our history, current culture and vision are all on view as we celebrate together. As we do this we need to look back, reflect on the present and look forward.

Looking back, we see some key formative times in our history. The resilience and vision as the founders established a school for girls to develop young women to think and serve. In the middle of last century, when the School became part of the SCEGGS network of schools, the choices of the school motto and readings showed a depth of theological reflection wanting to see the young women be prepared for a life of serving, being light for the benefit of others and the glory of God. This remains relevant today for all our students. The Beatitudes (Matthew 5:1-12) is the first part of the school reading and are familiar words: “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of God. Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the kingdom of God. Blessed are those who are pure in heart, they will see God. Blessed are the peacemakers for they will be called children of God.”  These words challenge us to seek God, his ways and his priorities. This message is a timeless message, bringing hope and clarity in the face of changing society.

Reflecting on our present leads us to give thanks for good leadership, dedicated teachers, wonderful students and a diverse community working together. I have the delightful experience of speaking to the entire school body each week as they attend chapel. I see their individuality, their networks of friendships and their faces as they consider the messages. It is a constant joy to engage with students at various ways in deep conversations about life. Our sacred duty as a school is to prepare our students for the challenges of life before them. As the Chaplain I aim for each student to have a clear understanding of the message of the bible: that God creates and loves them God saves us, through Jesus’ death into this eternal kingdom. This is good news bringing hope, love, resilience, peace and joy.

In looking forward, we can consider the way our School can serve both our students and the world. This outward focus of the light metaphor reminds us that our School can be an agent of change and an agent for justice and compassion. As we ignite our students’ vision and thinking they will become global citizens engaging with the complex issues of the day, we will want them to have a good ethical, moral and spiritual foundation to think logically and creatively, to understand these issues and see the nuances and perspectives. Only then can they begin to seek solutions and instigate change or reform.

It is therefore appropriate that on Friday we will have a Foundation Day Service coming before God as a community to celebrate and reflect on our School. It is of course essential that we have a firm and sure foundation for our School and life. Our Anglican tradition declares that with Jesus as the cornerstone, our foundation is secure enabling us to reach for the stars.

Happy Heritage Week and God bless

Ms Bronwyn Lihou
Senior Campus Chaplain
blihou@redlands.nsw.edu.au
9909 3133

Ms Fiona McKenzie
Junior Campus Chaplain
fmckenzie@redlands.nsw.edu.au
9953 6022