CHAPEL THE CHAPLAIN’S REPORT
This year has seen an increase in our outreach to the wider community. Every Friday a group of students go to the Salvation Army to help out at the food bank. The activities range from unloading vans, sorting out the food cupboard, to organising the food parcel. Carl Whitewood, the superintendent of the Salvation Army in Ramsgate, has seen a dramatic increase of need for the food bank as a result of the cost-of-living crisis and is very grateful for the help. This year we have seen the launch of another Christian Union in Kirby. Meeting slightly earlier, the Kirby boarders have a chance to play games, read the Bible and pray. The
Senior School Christian Unions have continued to go from strength to strength with many attending.
I would like to close by thanking all those who have helped with services, or who have read and played music. Sadly, Mr Bowyer will be leaving us; his organist gifts will be greatly missed. He has served Chapel and the school with excellent music, engaging school singing practices and beautiful choral pieces. We wish him well for the future.
Rev. J Goodwin-Hudson, School Chaplain
As I reflect on the year, I consider what has had the most impact in Chapel: what has had the greatest response from students and staff. This can be measured by how much conversation is generated post-Chapel. There is one Chapel that stands out more than others which highlights the centrality of our Christian community and the power of the gospel. In the Lent Term, our Chaplain’s assistant Mr Jameson, while on his way home, had a very nasty cycle accident. A car didn’t see him, pulled out in front of him and Mr Jameson went flying over the car, with his head absorbing the full force of the fall. Thankfully, because he was wearing a helmet, he was safe albeit shaken and his head was badly bruised. The first person on scene happened to be someone from our facilities team who was able to pick him up off the road and provide first aid. Although they work in different departments, St Lawrence College is a community which looks out for one another. When I announced the accident to the School in Chapel, I was struck by the pupils’ response. Everyone was visibly
concerned for his welfare. After that Chapel, pupils from every year group - day and boarding - came up to me asking for information and wanting to send their prayers. Students who I had thought were not particularly religious told me they were praying for Mr Jameson. His accident highlighted that while we come from many different backgrounds, we are a community. The second was the witness of Mr Jameson in response to the accident. He was injured through no fault of his own and to make matters worse the person who caused the accident drove off without leaving any details. Not only was his bike a write-off, but he was badly injured and had to be taken to hospital. When talking to the students about this in Chapel, we rightly felt the injustice of his situation. However, he mentioned that the Lord’s Prayer, “forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us,” and his own personal daily need for forgiveness helped him to forgive those who had wronged him, including the perpetrator of this accident. This caused a lot interest and discussion in school among students about the difficulty and importance of forgiveness. God took something difficult and used it to bring about good.
LAWRENTIAN 2023
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