Wednesday 13 May 2026
I’m very mindful as we move into Week 4 of Term 2, that things are especially busy for our students. The Senior Ball is only just fading out of our rear-vision mirror, Big House Music practices are front-and-centre, and winter sports are well underway - and then of course there’s the matter of academic lessons and other cultural activities too. In the bid to pursue the best all-round education, we can find sometimes find ourselves stressed, overwhelmed and scurrying like people trying to catch our proverbial tails.
This is where the wisdom of Jesus comes in, where He invites us to take time-out for silence, for stillness and opportunity to gain a more balanced perspective.
I’m very mindful that in Jesus’ three year window of trying to show people ‘who God is and what God wants’, even the Son of God took ‘time-out’ – away from the "hurly-burly" (in the words of William Shakespeare), to re-centre Himself upon what was most important; if you like, re-centering Himself on who God is and what God wants.
In the Gospel of Mark we read of a curious moment in Chapter 1, when Jesus takes Himself off, before the rest of the disciples are up, and Peter – in a panic – comes looking for Him.
Note, as you read, how Jesus responds to Peter’s urgent demands…
35 Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed. 36 Simon and his companions went to look for him, 37 and when they found him, they exclaimed: “Everyone is looking for you!”
38 Jesus replied, “Let us go somewhere else—to the nearby villages—so I can preach there also. That is why I have come.” 39 So he traveled throughout Galilee, preaching in their synagogues and driving out demons. (Mark 1:35-39)
What we see is an unflustered, unhurried Jesus – who know who He is and what His priorities are, precisely because Jesus puts ‘first things first’ and is able to hold His boundary as the demands of others press in on Him. It’s a good lesson for us. One of the traps for us as a College is that we become ‘so busy’ that we can neglect the thing that is most important for us – spending time in the quiet and in the silence – being reminded of who God is and what God wants for us and the world we are called to serve.
Can I encourage you in the busyness of life to keep carving out that time for rest and reflection... Our College Chapel services – during the week and on Sundays - provide important opportunities for us to attend to this work of attending to our inner lives.
So if you’re feeling especially drained or driven to distraction can I encourage you to get along particularly to our Sunday evening services. Yes, it is expected that you’re there, but more importantly it is an opportunity for our inner empty cups to be filled as we spend time together reflecting on who we are, who are becoming and what is most important.
The services for the rest of the term are offered here:
- Sunday 17 May – 6:00 pm – Taylor & Averill House Sunday Chapel – Max Masters
- Sunday 24 May ‘Pentecost Sunday’ – 6:00 pm – Parnell & Major Sunday Chapel, 7:15 pm – School & Middlemore Sunday Chapel– Max Masters
- Sunday 21 June - 6:00 pm – Marsden & Greenbank Sunday Chapel – Max Masters, 7:15 pm – St John & Selwyn Sunday Chapel – Max Masters
We look forward to seeing you there – not as a chore or as something but you’re compelled to do, because we as a Chaplaincy care about helping us all to rest and reflect on what matters most.
Reverend Gareth Walters