Praying With Your Eyes — A Lower School Reflection

Below is the weekly chaplain's newsletter called 'Table Talk' that I write for the Lower School division of Holy Innocents' Episcopal School.

“And God saw all that he made, and it was very good.” (Genesis 1:31)

Goodness and creation are inseparable. The divine goodness of created things is the overarching theme of the first creation story in the Bible. After each act of creation—night and day, water and land, plants and animals, women and men—the narrator repeats the line, “God saw how good it was.”

The story invites us to train our eyes to see the universe, the earth, and ourselves as divinely good. Just as each piece of art reflects the artist who made it, all creation reflects the infinite goodness of the Creator. Seeing God’s goodness shining in and through life is what it means to pray with your eyes.

Many people falsely assume that prayer is limited to words or thoughts and that the proper posture for prayer involves bowing your head and closing your eyes. The first story of creation reminds us that using our eyes to see God’s goodness is as essential as using our lips to name that goodness.

During class, we’ve been practicing seeing God’s goodness reflected in the beauty of created things. We look for it shining in the beautiful pieces of art located at Holy Innocents’, in the blueness of the sky, in the flickering of a candle flame, in the glow of the stained-glassed windows, in the symmetry of the church’s architecture, in the bloom of the flowers kept throughout the chapel, in the rustling of leaves…the list of visual goodness goes on.

Most of all, we looked for God’s goodness shining in the faces of our neighbors and in our own reflections. Thursday’s Chapel Challenge was to have a staring contest with some friends and find God's goodness shining through their eyes.

Like any form of prayer, praying with your eyes requires practice. Just as it is with practicing an instrument or world language, the more you practice prayer the easier it becomes to realize that God’s goodness is always shining all around us and within us, waiting to be acknowledged, celebrated, and shared.

God saw all that he made, and it was very good. This Labor Day weekend, I hope you take a good pause to see as God does and pray with your eyes.

With Love and Prayers,

Chaplain Timothy

"Since love grows within you, so beauty grows. For love is the beauty of the soul." - St. Augustine

For regular updates, photos, prayers, and glimpses of what's going on in the spiritual life of the HIES Lower School, you’re welcome check out the following:

Facebook: facebook.com/episcopalschoolchaplain                        

Instagram: http://instagram.com/episcopalschoolchaplain

Twitter: https://twitter.com/EpiscopalChap

Many Fish, One School — A Lower School Reflection

Below is the weekly chaplain's newsletter called 'Table Talk' that I write for the Holy Innocents' Lower School.

Dear Golden Bears and Parents,

Like Episcopal schools across the country, Holy Innocents’ is characterized by the unity of its diverse student population. 'Diversity in Unity' was the theme of this past week’s chapel service entitled Many Fish, One School.

Keeping in mind that the new course I’m teaching is called F.I.S.H (short for Faith In Service & Humanity), I’ve been asking all of the students to consider what makes each of them unique. During class, I had each 1^st and 2^nd grader color in a fish so that it represented something special about him or herself. Similarly, each of the 3^rd, 4^th, and 5^th graders drew self-portraits and answered a worksheet with the following questions.

1. What do you like most about yourself?

2. What do you like most about other people?

3. What are your greatest gifts and talents?

4. What are your favorite things to do? 

5. If you could have one super-power what would it be?

6. If you could have God answer two questions what you ask?

I attempted this practice myself and realized that the overarching purpose of these exercises was not only to deepen one's self-understanding but also to help the students discover that, no matter how big the school is, each student—like each fish—is beautifully and wonderfully unique.

As St. Paul reminded us in this week’s reading from scripture, “Though we are many, we are one body,” and each member of the body plays a different but equally important role in sharing God’s love. The principle of diversity in unity applies to the Lower School as well. Like the many fish that make up our one school, our differences elevate and enhance one another.

Throughout the school year, I’ll be having a ‘Chapel Challenge’ each Thursday. The Chapel Challenge this past week was as follows:

Because God loves when we bring our differences together, share with a friend, teacher, or family member one thing you’re proud of that makes you special and different from others.

I’ve found that it’s best not to ask others questions if you’ve not already answered them yourself, so I encourage you to answer the 6 questions above, share your responses with your family, and discover what makes both you and your children special and unique.

One way to celebrate God's glory is by celebrating how God made each of us gloriously different; and our school’s ability to share God’s love depends on our willingness to claim what each of our different gifts are. 

Though we are many fish, we are one school.

With Love and Prayers,

Chaplain Timothy

P.S.

I encourage all students, parents, and staff to either stop by my office or email me to share what their gifts may be and discuss how these can be used to share God’s love with others.

For regular updates, photos, prayers, and glimpses of what's going on in the spiritual life of the HIES Lower School, you’re welcome check out the following:

Facebook: facebook.com/episcopalschoolchaplain                        

Instagram: http://instagram.com/episcopalschoolchaplain

Twitter: https://twitter.com/EpiscopalChap

A Bright Beginning -- A Lower School Reflection

Below is the weekly chaplain's newsletter called 'Table Talk' that I write for the Holy Innocents' Lower School.

Dear Golden Bears and Parents,

Holy Innocents’ has never been brighter. The first week of school ushered in a host of new faces that are reflecting the goodness of God and lighting up the Lower School. We’re blessed with new students, new parents, new teachers and staff, and terrific a new Head of School.

If you’re a new member of the Holy Innocents’ family, it’s likely you’re coming from a school that neither identifies as Episcopal nor has a chaplain. If this is the case, allow me, the Lower School Chaplain, to briefly explain a few things that might be helpful.

Because we’re a faith-based school, Holy Innocents’ is committed to the spiritual lives of the students. My role as the chaplain is to develop faith in God, respect for self and others, and a sense of service in each student.  In the tradition of national Episcopal schools, we welcome people from all faiths and backgrounds, knowing that our differences elevate and glorify one another.  

One central way we grow in faith is through our weekly chapel service on Thursday mornings at 8:30 AM. During chapel, we come together as an entire school to share in God's love and grow closer to one another through worship, prayer, and a lesson.

Along with leading our chapel services, I teach each homeroom a course called F.I.S.H. (short for Faith In Service & Humanity). F.I.S.H combines spiritual development, religion studies, and service learning, and will be tied to the service projects and fundraisers we engage in throughout the year.

Almost every week, I send out an email to parents that I call ‘Table Talk.’ The purpose of this is to let you know what’s going on in the spiritual life of the school and tell you what the children are learning about in chapel or in FISH. Most Table Talks include three talking-points that I encourage each parent or guardian to talk about with your children when you’re sitting at the dinner table, in the car, or in a good space to have a conversation. These talking-points can also be found in back of the weekly chapel programs, which I encourage students to take home. 

I’ve been praying for new and returning students, parents, and staff all summer, and it’s a practice I’ll continue throughout the year. If there’s ever a reason for joy, concern, prayer, or questioning, I always make time for students, parents, and staff.

With Love and Prayers,

Chaplain Timothy

P.S.

Learn more about the Chaplain Program at HIES in the latest issue of the Torchbearer. 

Also, this year I’m taking the my chaplaincy on to social media, so for regular updates, photos, prayers, and glimpses of what's going on in the spiritual life of the school, you’re welcome check out the following:

Facebook:

facebook.com/episcopalschoolchaplain                        

Instagram:

http://instagram.com/episcopalschoolchaplain

Twitter:

https://twitter.com/EpiscopalChap