Our elementary chapel service was rescheduled to Thursday this week due to Picture Day on Friday morning in the gym. Instead of our sea of green cardigans, the students sported their regular Thursday uniforms, reflecting a mixture of gym uniforms and polo shirts with or without cardigans.
Our chapel teachers led this mornings service, which began with singing O Canada, reciting the Lord’s Prayer and listening to the Land Acknowledgement. Our first worship song was “From the Inside Out” by Joel Houston.
This was followed by an Orange Shirt Day announcement from representatives of our Grade 3 classes. They gave a brief history about residential schools in Canada and a summary of the story about why we wear orange shirts and what it represents. They also read 1 John 3:18 which reminds us that we should show love to others with our actions, not just our words. In addition, they emphasized that we can “Armour up with Justice” by making sure everyone is treated with respect and dignity.
Before our message, the teachers led the audience in singing the second worship song, “We Are”. After the students sat down quietly, some Medieval music (intended for deep introspection) played. It set the tone for Mrs. V’s latest character impersonation – “Professor STEM-a-rius”. She carefully walked across the front, wearing a white lab coat and goggles while carrying a tall plastic test tube. This week, Mrs. V used a science experiment about an “invisible fire extinguisher” to engage the students and continue to explore the theme about armouring up with truth. With great skill and intrigue, Professor STEM-a-rius walked the students through the different stages of the experiment. At each stage, the students had a short period of time to discuss each step with their seat partners. Then, they finally watched the experiment and observed how a mixture of baking soda and vinegar extinguished a burning candle. Professor STEM-a-rius explained that the chemical reaction caused by the baking soda and vinegar created carbon dioxide, which pushed out the oxygen around the candle, causing the flame to go out, as fire needs oxygen in order to burn.
Before she explained how this experiment can be applied in our relationship with God, the students rose to their feet to sing “This Little Light of Mine”. Mrs. V then explained that our relationship with God is like the flame of the candle. We need truth (oygen) for it to burn brightly. When carbon dioxide gets in the way, it is like pressures or ideas that impact our ability to live out God’s truth. When we choose lies over truth, our light grows dim or it goes out. Then, others cannot see our light for Jesus. Mrs. V then spent some time reviewing some of the common lies that take us away from God’s truth. She followed up with important truths that God wants each of us to know. As she wrapped up, she emphasized the importance of saying the truth and living it out so that we are consistent and reflect lives with integrity.
To wrap up the chapel service, Mrs. V led the benediction. This was followed by a walk-a-thon kick-off presentation by two Grade 8 students. Dressed in “armour” and sporting Medieval accents and language, the two students took on the role of knights to promote the upcoming “Quest for the King’s Armour” Walk-a-thon. They shared the fundraising goal of $40,000, some of the key items that we are hoping to purchase, and important dates. Ms. Hoover then explained how pledge forms would work as we begin this three week period of fundraising for Wesley.
