To Govern Is To Serve 

I often think of Chapel as a miracle in the morning. Somehow within 10 minutes servers and readers are found and organized and then it all happens. But only and all because of the willingness and support of the students and, especially, the leadership and service of the cohort of chapel prefects.

 

Wednesday afternoon was a miracle in the afternoon with the Church Parade at Christ Church. The School as a Corps marched down through the streets of Windsor, resplendent in their Highland Reds. There had been little to no time for rehearsal, just directions. Yet a battalion of servers and readers stepped up and took their places and illustrated and embodied precisely the theme of the Parade: To Govern Is To Serve. It was impressive; I couldn’t be more pleased.

 

Jacob Fines-Belcham '25 led the procession with Acolytes Spencer Armstrong '30 and Chelsea James '29; followed by Alex Urtheil '26 carrying the wooden cross with Acolytes Kelsea Griffiths '27 and Sokha Ebert '30. Caleb DeCoste '30 carried the Gospel Book with grace and aplomb leading the cadre of readers for the Reflections. Ewan Shaw '30 preceded Mr. Joe Seagram, and Lily-Beth Fisher '26, the Chaplain. The Colour Party followed the Procession and presented the Regimental Colours and the service unfolded after the first hymn.

 

Head Girl, Ava Shearer '24, read the first lesson from The Song of Songs, a lovely passage with powerful images about the passing of winter into spring, and of the idea of the garden of creation as the place of love and delight. Head Boy Spencer Johnson '24 read the second lesson from The Gospel According to St. John about Christ the Good Shepherd. Following the Apostles’ Creed, the classic and catholic statement of the Christian Faith for the many different forms of Christianity, a series of reflections were presented by students positioned at the Lectern and the Pulpit.

Vinnie" Armstrong '25, Sadie O'Callaghan '25, Gabby Shaw '25, Alex Graham '25, Sofia" Ning '25, Skye Hussey '26, and Jack Sangster '25 read effectively and with conviction about the concept of service and sacrifice belonging to the image of Christ the Good Shepherd in contrast to power as domination. The reflections were centered on the paradox of the shepherd: “the sacrifice of one for all and the sacrifice of all for one,” as Michael Foucault puts it. (This is ironic since Foucault following Nietzsche’s “will to power,” regards all forms of social and institutional order in terms of power and domination).

 

The readings complemented the Scripture reading in Chapel this week from Psalm 23, the Shepherd’s Psalm, which has shaped the image of Christ the Good Shepherd so profoundly and which connects to the universal image of shepherd in terms of human and divine government, as noted by Rev’d Dr. Robert Darwin Crouse, the most distinguished scholar ever to have come out of the School and College. The icon in the Chapel and the Church of Christ Pantokrator, Christ as the Ruler of All, provided another focus to the theme of service in consort with the dominant images of Christ the Good Shepherd in the School Chapel and of Christ Crucified at Christ Church. The Reflections can be accessed here.

 

The Reflections were followed by a lovely meditative classical guitar piece, Romanze,  by Johann Kasper Mertz, performed by Harvey Hadley '27; a wonderful and magical moment. Prayers were led by one of our head Chapel Prefects, Samantha Mayer '24. After the Colours were returned to the Colour Party, God Save the King was sung and the Sanctuary Party of Servers and Readers along with the Grade 6 class who were seated in the Chancel made their way in stately fashion (more or less!) out of the Church followed by the Corps.

 

The whole event was a testament to the willingness and ability of students to respond to what is expected and asked of them and to go beyond. They demonstrated their commitment to service and education. My thanks to them and to all who helped in getting the service underway, particularly Mrs. Susie DeCoste, Kiaya, and Christian Lakes, and Ms. Stephanie Cummings.

 

A miracle in the afternoon.