Chaplain

Easter is Cancelled

I got an email a couple of weeks ago confirming Easter is cancelled or at least your Easter Service is cancelled. Then one thing after the other was either cancelled or in short supply. I am sure you can relate. Thoughts of ‘we can do this’, ‘we are grateful’ to ‘this is hard’, ‘uncertainty is unsettling’ to ‘this too shall pass’ swirl in our minds. We acknowledge that people in our community are impacted to varying degrees at this time. 

Whatever your current thinking and feelings are, some things are certain, some things do not change. Things are different this year but not that different. 

The question remains can you really cancel Easter? The answer simply put is no. The Easter message of love, joy and hope is constant and relevant. Easter celebrates the death and resurrection of Jesus. It is the acknowledgement of the connection and peace with God that this sacrifice brings. Gratitude for this sacrifice while celebrated at Easter can be a daily exercise in thankfulness. Jesus who does not change offers peace, forgiveness, new beginnings, calm, guidance and direction. 

As part of our Easter reflection as a community this year let us celebrate our connections and hope. 

We celebrate the love of God and we also see the value in loving others. It has been wonderful to see people in our community support each other. Staff, students and families alike are keen to ‘let their light shine.’ Hopefully while some things we may choose to leave behind from this season, caring for each other deeply will not be one of them. 

Heartwarming stories of connection have been seen all over the world – people supporting an older neighbour, music in Italian streets shared over balconies, international flags projected on Brazil’s Christ the Redeemer statue – in prayerful solidarity of the global pandemic or musicians using technology to put a new spin on an old classic hymn. Each person has their own tale to tell. 

Like all departments at school, the Christian Studies Department has been looking at how we can connect and meet the needs of our students and community at this time. Learning has continued and we have been receiving creative work from Lego Last Supper creations, to Chapel songs with dancing and bubbles, to beautiful Bible covers designed, and questions engaged with genuine curiosity and thought. We look forward to continuing that connection in Term 2. 

For those of you who want to ‘attend’ an Easter service but are not sure where to go please see the links below to our local Anglican churches. Most churches have some kind of online presence at this time.  

St Peters Cremorne. https://stpeterscremorne.org.au/
St Thomas North Sydney https://www.st-thomas.org.au/
St Augustines (Bay and Bridge Church) https://bayandbridge.online.church/
St Matthews Manly https://www.stmattsmanly.org.au/

As we head into holidays, we pray you will have an opportunity to refresh and relax and reflect. Please let us know if we can support you in any way at this time. 

Ms Bronwyn Lihou
Senior Campus Chaplain
blihou@redlands.nsw.edu.au
9968 9830

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