For the first time in 14 weeks, middle- and senior-school students were in the same place for Chapel.

Last week’s move to Level 1 means that we can now gather in groups of more than 500. This has made a significant difference to me personally: on Sunday, I was able to go to church for the first time in three months. It also means that we can meet together for our usual weekly Chapel – another opportunity that I value.

Today’s reading (Isaiah 55:12-13) picks up the theme of celebration. It is a message to a group of people who were taken captive and held in exile, people who knew restriction and hardship. Isaiah announced that they would be set free to return home and know peace. They would no longer feel trapped, as if surrounded by a field of thorns, but experience beauty and be refreshed. The time would come when they would celebrate and thank God.

Over time, this passage took on a second layer of meaning. It was seen as a picture of Jesus coming to bring God’s help to those who felt trapped in their mistakes, to offer God's forgiveness and peace, and to invite people to an eternal home.

We have been through a time of restriction. It is now time to celebrate, give thanks, and enjoy the increased freedom that we have.