This morning we gathered again for our weekly chapel. This month we are focusing on servant working: being the hands and feet of Jesus.
First, we were reminded to be more than a bobble-head. Bobble-headed people are those who agree with all the wonderful ideas of servant work that need to be done, but there is no follow up action. We are servant working and that requires action!
The grade 8 class presented a skit on what superheroes might be like
if everyone became active servant workers.
Those poor, unemployed superheroes! (Wouldn't that be wonderful?)
Grade 2 shared their art display on servant working. Each student painted a picture of themselves and attached ways that our bodies can be the hands and feet of Jesus. Each student shared one of the sentences s/he wrote about servant working:
My knees are servant working when I kneel in prayer for someone else.
My hands are servant working when I set the table without being asked.
My voice is servant working when I sing at Shalom Manor to the seniors. .
My feet are servant working when I carry out the trash.
We then reflected on some of the ways Beacon students have been servant workers,
especially in the past month.
We then met in our gift groups in various places around the school and created prayer lists for things to pray for in the coming weeks and how we can continue to be servant workers and prayer warriors.
Our weekly chapel focused on Servant Working through Acts Of Kindness.
At the beginning of chapel, we were reminded God's story, of which we are a part, in this video:
The Grade 4's presented the story of "Papa Panov" which further explored this theme:
Professor Squinch sent us another video:
We were then challenged as classes to find opportunities to serve others in small and larger acts of kindness for the next week and beyond. What can you find to do to bless someone in an Act of Kindness?
Here are a few ideas for you to join us at home and out in our community in random acts.
On Friday November 30th, the grade eights went to Temple Anshe Sholom in Hamilton.
A travelling exhibit — from the Anne Frank Centre in New York City — came called Anne Frank: A History for Today gave the students a glimpse into Anne Frank’s life during the Holocaust.
Alongside was a second collection Art and Propaganda in Nazi-Occupied Holland where visitors saw original posters and paintings by Dutch artist Henri Pieck that were distributed by the Nazi-controlled Dutch government during the war.
Madeleine Levy, co-chair of the Hamilton Jewish Federation’s Holocaust education committee, said “Everyone has to look at history in order to fundamentally capture who they want to be today, and what kind of a community we want to have today,”
Afterward we were invited to come into the sanctuary. Our guides showed us where the rabbi spoke and the cantor chanted. They showed us the ark where the special Torahs were kept. Mr. VandenBurg wore a prayer shawl. We tried to read their song book and discovered that the book was read in reverse then what we were use to. We experienced hospitality from beginning to end and felt that we now had some special Jewish friends.
The though line we are focusing on this month is Servant Working. Wednesday morning we had our weekly chapel where we were challenged to be the hands and feet of Jesus in our day to day living.
This video challenged us to think with a servant working heart.
We brought our boxes with gifts for the Rose City Ministry children, full of gifts that we gathered for children in difficult situations. We had more items than we needed to fill our boxes so we will be able to fill some extra boxes as well!
We will continue to focus on how we can serve those in community around us. How are you servant working in your life?
