QUIRE PERFORMANCE

On Monday of this week, students listened to the Quire perform two pieces; both beautifully sung, the first piece - Viva La Vida - demonstrated the versatility of the choir while the second - The Gaelic Blessing - was the perfect blessing for a Monday morning.

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ACT OF WORSHIP 

For our Act of Worship, Greisi B (9W) and Annabelle K (9W) read from the Book of Acts, chapter 1, verses 6-11 which tell the story of Jesus’ ascension to be with God.

In response, Reverend Kate asked us to wonder how we might have felt had we been one of Jesus’ early followers who, having seen the resurrected Jesus, had now seen him disappear only 40 days later. While they said nothing, Reverend Kate wondered whether Jesus’ followers had thought what on earth has just happened? or what will happen next? Maybe they thought what do we do now?

In the midst of their doubts, Reverend Kate said one thing was certain: at the ascension, Jesus – no longer present on earth – handed his work on earth to his followers; a bit like our Prefect Handover but with less clouds! Reverend Kate said that such was the responsibility handed to Jesus’ followers that they did not appear to stop gazing up at the clouds and she wondered whether they were thinking how do we do this task?

Speaking of tasks, Reverend Kate asked us what type of person we are when it comes to undertaking a task: Are we the sort of person who gets stuck in and works out how to do things as we go along? Are we the sort of person who plans how to do something and then follows the plan? Or are we the sort of person who procrastinates, spending ages thinking about the task, simply to avoid doing it?!

Reverend Kate said that she didn’t know which type of people Jesus’ followers were but with Jesus having ascended up on a cloud to be with God, they were now God’s hands, feet, eyes and ears on earth and so it was up to them to fulfil God’s mission to spread and live by the Good News.

Reverend Kate read us the words attributed to Saint Teresa of Avila: ‘Christ has no body now on earth but ours, no hands but ours, no feet but ours. Ours are the eyes to see the needs of the world. Ours are the hands with which to bless everyone now. Ours are the feet with which he is to go about doing good.’

To fulfil God’s mission, Reverend Kate said those early Christians, and all Christians of today, are called to ‘go about doing good’ and she wondered what this might look like at Queenswood: perhaps we might use our hands to help someone carry a heavy load or our feet to walk over to someone on their own; perhaps we might use our eyes to look around and see who might appreciate a smile, or our ears to listen attentively, or perhaps we might use our mouth to speak kindly to more than those in our friendship group.

Reverend Kate acknowledged that many of us already do these things but that as nobody is perfect, we could all do better, if only we stop gazing up at the clouds.

In prayer we asked God to help us to be better at doing good that God’s mission on earth might be fulfilled.

In other news….. Having been prepared by Reverend Kate for six weeks, a group of students ranging from year 7 to year 12 will be confirmed in the Queenswood Chapel on Saturday 18th May 2024 by The Reverend Dr David Chapman, Chair of Bedfordshire, Essex and Hertfordshire Methodist District and The Right Reverend Richard Atkinson, OBE, Bishop of Bedford; the candidates will be presented by Reverend Kate who asks us to hold them in our thoughts and prayers at this special time.