Revd Peter Rickman by St Paul's Collegiate School

Founders Service Sermon by Revd Peter Rickman

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“In the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, and your old men will dream dreams. Even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days, and they will prophesy.”

Have you ever wondered just how did they do that? How did they do it?

Over the centuries, extraordinary people have discovered and invented amazing things, and I often wonder how they did it?

  • Nicholas Copernicus, who died in 1543, discovered that the Earth was not the centre of our solar system, but in fact, the Sun was - it was an outrage at the time!
  • Galileo came along 100 years later and announced to the world that it was not flat after all but was round in shape. Shock horror, he was put in prison for 22 years for that crazy idea! They weren’t the only ones either - they have been hundreds of people who have discovered and invented and developed unique ideas, concepts and objects down the centuries. The list is quite remarkable, and I quote their names and dates of death alongside their discovery:
  • Blaise Pascal 1662 invented the calculator
  • Robert Boyle 1691 became the most important person in the history of chemistry
  • Isaac Newton 1727 discovered gravity
  • Antoine Lavoisier 1794 was the one that gave us the periodic table of elements to learn, what fun that is
  • Joseph Priestley 1804 discovered oxygen
  • Allesandro Volta 1827 invented batteries
  • William Kirby 1820 and his mate John Dalton 1844 introduced atomic theory into chemistry - gee, thanks, guys!
  • Andre ampere 1830 discovered electromagnetics
  • Mary Anning 1847 palaeontology
  • John Henslowe 1861 was Charles Darwin's tutor and together worked on evolution research
  • Michael Faraday 1807 gave us electrolysis
  • Charles Babbage 1871, the world's first programmable computer
  • Louis Pasteur 1895 discovered vaccinations. Thanks Louie we all owe you one!
  • James Joule 1889 discovered the laws of thermodynamics
  • Wilhelm Roentgen 1923 discovered x-rays
  • Marconi 1937 gave us the radio
  • William Keane 1932 gave us brain surgery
  • Revd George LeMaitre, who died in 1966, discovered Big Bang Theory
  • Igor Sikorsky 1972 helicopters
  • Werner Heisenberg, 1996 quantum mechanics
  • Werner von Browne, 1977 rocket engines and space exploration
  • William Mollard 1989 with others: nuclear energy
  • Ernest Wharton 1995, with others split the atom
  • Arthur Schawlar 1999 lasers
  • Peter Grunberg 2018 hard disk drives

I could go on and on, and perhaps you think I have already. It is an impressive list of impressive people with remarkable discoveries and inventions. They all have something in common too. They all have something in common with the Bible reading we’ve just had and the Founders of Saint Pauls's Collegiate School, whom we acknowledge and give thanks for today.

These giants in medicine, engineering, science and academia have all worked their way towards their significant breakthroughs and discoveries in the same way that our founders discerned and developed this school. How did they do it?

Quite simply through the power of prayer, Christian faith, and the Holy Spirit's gift. All of our founders and all of these pioneers of science were devout followers of the teachings of Jesus Christ, and they were Christians.

George Laimatre was a Christian priest, and 96 years ago, he challenged the scientific community of his day by suggesting that the universe hadn’t always been in existence, but rather it had a starting point. This man of prayer was the pioneer behind Big Bang Theory.

Like so many others on the list, discoveries were also inspired by revelation through the Holy Spirit, which is God’s best gift to us.

The Holy Spirit that inspired and revealed so many of the great discoveries of the last thousand years was at work in the lives of our founders and their families

All of our founders were people of great faith inspired by the Holy Spirit gifting to us what we enjoy today - this remarkable school of St Paul's.

This was how the school was founded. It started with prayer, it began by discerning the still small voice of God, and it started in stillness by waiting upon God.

Thank you to those families, staff and students who attended this month's Founders Service, it was a pleasure to see you all.  


Blessings,

Revd Peter Rickman