For Open Day 2022 we continued the theme from last year of symbols that give life and so we created a ‘River of Life’ in Chapel. Prospective students were invited to become a part of the river by writing on coloured fish something that they were looking forward to, their hopes or dreams.
The idea for the ‘River of Life’ was based on a Biblical verse from the Book of Ezekiel (47:9) ‘there will be very many fish…and everything will live where the river goes’. Later in the New Testament, Jesus declared himself as living water and said “Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink” (John 7:37–38).
So, we began this term in Chapel by learning more about The Lord’s Prayer. This is the prayer that was given to us by Jesus when people asked him ‘how do I pray?’ We took time and space to connect with ourselves, with each other, with God and the world around us. To notice, wonder and question as we explored one or two lines from the Lord’s Prayer each week: getting to know God, beginning to discover how we might come close to that living water and to recognise God’s activity in our own lives and the world around us – so that His living water can spread out through us as love to others.
This theme of living water is also represented on our new green stole along with other images of Christ – I wonder how many you can spot? If you haven’t seen it yet – do come and have a look as these symbols of Christ (in bold) are beautifully painted on green silk and make reference to life and growth – can you work out why?
(living water, bread of life, true vine, lamb of God, suffering servant). But I especially like the stars … they remind me of a line from a Graham Kendrick song called The Servant King.
“Hands that flung stars into space … to cruel nails surrendered”
For all the awesomeness of the stars we see in the night sky, there is someone even more awesome. It is the one who flung the stars around at creation. It is the one who holds them in His hands even now. And it is the one who also submitted those hands to a cross to bring our salvation. To die for our sins. A sign of his love for us.
“Our Creator, who fills every molecule from the farthest solar system to the inside of my lungs.”
