Connections Quarterly Winter 2018 - World Religions | Page 16

C HAP EL AND THE NO N-RE L I G I O US
Continued from page 13
these ideas voice through a wisdom story,
a nuanced question, or a student reflection,
we further strengthen our ability to discov-
er our individual and collective promise—
which is exactly what Chapel is about.
We’ve also answered the direct question, “Is
SMUS Chapel a religious gathering?”
No. Although overtly religious in the past,
Chapel no longer promotes a particular
doctrine or tradition. The only divergence
from this statement is the continued pres-
ence on occasion of a few Christian hymns.
We sing them out of respect for our heritage
and because the music is beautiful.
Although this might seem to be a depar-
ture from our 110+ years of tradition, we’ve
come to understand it as being consistent.
Back then, Chapel reflected the students who
attended the school, almost all of whom were
Christian and most of whom were Anglican.
Today, the tradition stands. Chapel reflects
the students who attend the school, some of
whom are devout Christians, some of whom
“Our internal surveys suggest
that what we’ve gained has
far outweighed what we’ve
lost—another gain for our
entire community.”
identify with faith communities but aren’t
active, and some of whom are non-religious.
This particular way-stop on our journey is
the result of more than ten years of transi-
tion, leading to measured shifts in language,
form, and assumptions. 3 Where once we
broadened our practice to include students
of other faiths, we’re now benefiting from
further extending ourselves to consider the
experience of those who are non-religious.
Our internal surveys suggest that what we’ve
gained has far outweighed what we’ve lost—
another gain for our entire community.l
3. Feel free to contact me if you’d like to know the specifics of how we conduct Chapel at our school.
Keven Fletcher serves as the Chaplain and Faculty Mentor at St. Michaels University School
in Victoria, BC, where he divides his time between public speaking, process facilitation, and
exploring life choices with staff and students. The 1,000 strong community of SMUS draws
from five continents and 25 countries. As an ordained minister within the United Church of
Canada, his former role centered on congregational ministry in the midst of crisis. An avid
teller of wisdom stories, Keven drew his favorites together to form the core of a novel, When
It Matters Most, and investigated the ethical implications in a paper, ‘Cultural Appropriation
and the Telling of Wisdom Stories.’
Page 14 Winter 2018

CSEE Connections