It is hard to believe that we have been in the renovated Chapel for ten weeks already! Once upon a time there was a dream to have a bigger Chapel, with a mezzanine floor, and now it is a reality! It has been very special being able to have the whole school seated together in one space, singing together, celebrating together, and sharing communion together. Although we haven’t been able to light candles (yet), because of health and safety issues relating to the areas still under construction, we have been able to get back into the rhythm and flow of Chapel as we follow the seasons of the church year as well as the events in the calendar of Aotearoa NZ.

We started the term with a special service to re-open the Chapel by considering how our special character is at the heart of everything we do as a school. This is true physically, with where Chapel is situated, but also in terms of the values we hold as important as a school. Our foundations are in the Anglican church, while the land upon which we stand has its history and origin in Te Ao Māori. The teachings of Jesus and the stories of our history weave together through these foundations to create the unique heart of our school.

With that in mind, we spent some time this term considering the centrality of grace as a concept and a practice in Christianity, since it is easy to miscontrue what Christianity is really about. Is it about trying to be a good person who will then go to heaven? Or is it about accepting the love and forgiveness of God, experiencing the grace of God, and then living a life that shows that grace in how we treat others? The parable of the Prodigal – son or daughter – is a powerful way that Jesus taught us about grace.

This term we also considered the environment, the creation of God, and how we are called to care for it. Being in nature, respecting the creatures with which we live and the whenua upon which we stand, is fundamental to our spiritual wellbeing (our taha wairua), and to who we are as God’s people, made in God’s image (Genesis 1). The life of St Francis, with his emphasis on appreciating the love of God through acknowledging our “brothers and sisters” in nature, can be an inspiration for us, even 900 years after he lived!

For Te Wiki o Te Reo Māori we delved into the waiata He Hōnore, discovering its origins and meaning. The words come from the Gospel of Luke, where the angels declare the good news of Jesus’ birth to the shepherds, saying, “Honour and glory to God, peace on earth and goodwill to all people!” (2.10). With the additional acknowledgement that God is our shelter (te piringa) and source of life (Toku oranga).

We have good foundations here at St Hilda’s. Our three-tikanga Anglican church, our connection to the land and story of Ōtepoti Dunedin, and Jesus who is our rock and God our shelter. Our “new” Chapel symbolises all of these things, and we are part of the continuing heritage and future it represents.

Dr Gillian Townsley
Chaplain