CHAPLAIN ’ S REPORT
In stillness and silence
Almost all year levels have an opportunity , as part of the Outdoor Education curriculum , to go away on a camp . In Years 7 , 8 and 9 the camp is either held at , or commences at , Stronghills , which is a delightful piece of bushland property the School leases for such purposes . It provides a place by which our students are taken away from the usual routines of life at school and at home . For some it might provide some moments of concern as they find themselves exposed to a completely new experience while for those who come from families with a camping or bushwalking tradition it will be more familiar .
To each of these Senior School camps Father Barry and I as chaplains of the School are invited to lead a service . We are most grateful for this opportunity to invite the students to reflect upon an aspect of being in the bush and away from home and / or boarding comforts ! We invite them in different ways to be conscious of creation and its order and beauty , of which Stronghills abounds . I recall the rather surprising and stunning response of a Year 7 cohort at a service in which Father Barry invited them in the “ pitch darkness ” of the night to look up and observe the stars . The response of awe and amazement was such that one wondered if some of them had ever cared to look to the night sky and observe the beauty of the stars .
It is also a time to invite them to seek a level of stillness and silence ( save freight trains passing by ) in their lives . Too often
our lives and their lives are filled with such busyness that I wonder if we have lost the ability to enjoy our own company ; indeed , I sometimes wonder if we might be scared of it . In allowing for stillness and silence we enable the possibility of being in communion with God , whereby through prayer , we might speak to and listen to the promptings of the Divine . The Biblical record has many examples of Jesus taking time away from the busyness of his life and ministry by seeking refuge in creation and finding a place for silence , stillness , prayer and refreshment .
Lady Day Prefect Wei Ngo ( 12St )
In the morning , while it was still very dark , he got up and went out to a deserted place , and there he prayed . ( Mark 1:35 )
And after he had dismissed the crowds , he went up the mountain by himself to pray . When evening came , he was there alone , ( Matthew 14:23 )
Now during those days , he went out to the mountain to pray ; and he spent the night in prayer to God . ( Luke 6:12 )
It is good that at an Anglican School our students have this opportunity to follow in the footsteps of Jesus Christ . Therefore , I pray that the following blessing might be their experience when on camp :
As you see the leaves blow in the breeze : Know that God ’ s spirit is near .
As you encounter the birds and the animals : Know that God has created everything good .
As you walk along bush tracks : Know that God walks with you .
As you open your heart and mind to the silence and stillness of the bush : Know that God is open to listening to and speaking with you .
May God bless you and keep you safe . Amen .
The Rev ’ d Canon Dr Philip Raymont Senior Chaplain
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