Worship enhances our Anglican Identity

The Reverend Dr Theo McCall, School Chaplain | St Peter’s College, SA St Peter’s College, Adelaide, takes seriously its commitment to create a greater awareness amongst our students and staff of the seasons and symbols of the Church’s Year, with an appreciation of the theology and liturgy that lie behind them.

A key component of Anglican Identity is to be found in the way we worship corporately. Lex orandi, lex credendi (literally ‘the law of worship is the law of belief’) means that the way we worship as a church informs and shapes our beliefs. If we are committed to shaping our students and staff in the Christian faith, as received and understood by the Anglican Church, then an appreciation of the Church’s seasons and symbols is a crucial part of this. This ensures a continuity with the wider Anglican Church, so that school chapel services, while remaining contemporary and relevant are, nonetheless, also connected with the customs and living traditions of the wider Church. The seasons of Lent and Easter provide a particular opportunity to connect with the wider tradition, which is replete with many beautiful, authentic customs. Students appreciate authentic customs, especially when the theology behind them is explained. In many ways, students are more open to authentic, historical, but living traditions, than they are to fabricated, ‘hip’ creations. The marking of the season of Lent began with Ash Wednesday services for each part of the school. In both the Junior and Senior Schools, many students came forward to be anointed with ash. The tradition of the ash being made by burning the previous year’s palm crosses was explained. In addition, the School Chaplain, the Rev’d Dr Theo McCall, visited the Early Learning Centre (ELC) and conducted a very simple service with the students, including an encouraging Question and Answer time, leading to an invitation to the students and staff to be anointed. Once again, many of the young students came forward to be anointed with ash.

In Holy Week, daily morning services allowed a real sense of entering into the Church’s liturgy, culminating in the Maundy Thursday Eucharist in the Senior School with many students and staff coming forward to receive Holy Communion. This solemn time allowed students and staff the opportunity to reflect on the theology of the cross and the hope of the resurrection. Part of the experience of enhancing the Anglican Identity of St Peter’s College is to engage in profound theology, which challenges the minds of the older students. This year the School Chaplain explored the extraordinary theology of Jürgen Moltmann (admittedly not an Anglican!) and reflected on what a theology of hope means in difficult circumstances. As a prisoner of war at the end of the Second World War, Moltmann would walk around the various prison camps where he was held captive, feeling humiliated as a German. To his utter amazement, he

gradually began to experience God. He writes, “I cannot even say I found God there. But I do know in my heart that it is there that he found me, and that I would otherwise have been lost.”

Hope does not occur in isolation. The Last Supper, which the Maundy Thursday Eucharist remembers each year, tells us that Jesus knows what it is to suffer. Australians often don’t understand what remembering means in the Jewish faith. In the fullest, most beautiful, Jewish understanding of remembering, it is as if we are right there with the disciples at the Last Supper, listening to Jesus say, “This is my body, this is my blood”. So, we remember that Jesus knows what it means to suffer. He’s been there, on the cross. He is with us when we suffer. He knows that we sometimes struggle. Thus, the hope which Moltmann writes about is an authentic expression of Christian hope. It is not a naïve hope. “Genuine hope is not blind optimism … It is hope with open eyes, which sees the suffering and yet believes in the future.”

A special Maundy Thursday service also occurred for the Junior School in the school’s Memorial Hall, incorporating a Last Supper Play. The enthusiasm of the students to participate in the Last Supper Play was incredible. This too was a service full of hope, but of course tailored to express the hope of Easter in a simpler way to the younger students. The goal of the service was also to help the students learn about and remember the Last Supper. It was also to reflect on our hope that life has meaning. Using the drama, the students were gently encouraged to learn that out of our struggle emerges a beautiful hope: the hope that God will, one day, draw us into the kingdom of his son; we have that lovely picture of eternal life, where there is no more suffering or pain or death. “This is such a privilege for me as I stand on the shoulders of giants … leaders before me who have contributed in making this school the wonderful place it is.” These were the words of Mrs Tracey Gray on the day she was commissioned Principal of Frederick Irwin Anglican School. Frederick Irwin’s greater community came together for this significant Service, including The Bishop of Bunbury, The Right Reverend Dr Ian Coutts, and CEO of the Anglican Schools Commission, The Reverend Peter Laurence OAM. ASC Principals, Frederick Irwin Executive and Council, along with local Indigenous leader, Mr George Walley were also in attendance. Mr Walley’s ‘Welcome to Country’ was particularly heartfelt as he highlighted the time, he and Mrs Gray had already spent together focusing on building the relationship between the school and the Aboriginal community of Mandurah. This day was made even more special with the presence of some of Mrs Gray’s family from the United Kingdom and the Eastern States, only made possible with the easing of COVID restrictions. Although the Frederick Irwin students and staff could not be in attendance, the Service was live streamed into classrooms across the two campuses. The Commissioning Service included prayers, readings and musical performances from Prefects and members of the community, together with the presentation of symbolic gifts to the Principal from members of the greater school community. The most poignant moment was the official Commissioning by the Bishop and the presentation of Tracey to the gathering, as the official Principal of Frederick Irwin Anglican School. It was extremely emotional for all. In her speech Tracey highlighted her focus for the school. “This year my theme for our school year is Joy! Through conversations and story sharing about our school I have had so many joyful stories shared. Conversations about how much the school is loved, the great place that it is and the many achievements of alumni students, most of all I have heard about the amazing staff who have made a difference.” She then spoke of the importance of community, of building the school and its reputation and on focusing on the values of the school - respect, responsibility, honesty, compassion and courage. Her final words were of gratitude towards her family, friends and the greater school community. The occasion ended with a morning tea and an opportunity for everyone to personally congratulate and welcome Mrs Tracey Gray to the school.

Frederick Irwin commissions new Principal

Frederick Irwin Anglican School, WA