Students in Prep to Year 6 and the Year 11s participated in a Dadirri-Prayer Space in the school chapel themed around ‘The Christmas Journey’ and featuring eight different stations including: What is God like?, Christmas journey, Missed journey, A manger for a bed, Saying sorry, Journeying on, Journeying towards the star, Who is invited to take the journey?, Waiting on the journey, and Peace for the journey.
A lot happens between one Christmas and the next. The Reverend Susan Crothers-Robertson said this prayer space invited students to consider the journey they have come on since last Christmas.
“Students were invited to think and reflect about the year and, if they chose, to let go of things that were causing them issues and to celebrate and give thanks for the special things and people,” she said.
There were signposts guiding the students along their way. For instance, at the “Journeying towards the star” station, students were invited to think about the wise ones who were guided by a star in their journey towards Jesus and reflect on who has helped guide them throughout the year. The students wrote their reflections on paper stars which were then hung from above to create a curtain of gratitude.
Many students penned messages of thanks for their parents and teachers.
“My mum. For believing in me when no one else did. Not even myself.”
“Mum. She has offered so much support and guidance for me. She is always here for me and wants what is best for me. She is always so generous and kind.”
“My teachers. For supporting me and helping me grow.”
“My friends, family and the people who love me as well as the people I love.”
“My mum and dad have guided me a lot this year as I navigate my senior years of schooling.”
At the “What is God like?” station a Pre-Prep student responded aloud: “God is love and kind, and cares for me like mummy and daddy do.”
The “Missed journey” station prompted thoughtful responses about regrets, with a Pre-Prep student gravely claiming, “I made a big mistake; I ate a whole bag of lollies”, to which their teacher stated, “Let’s bury it and God will take it away.” The regretful student responded: “I sure hope so.” A Year 1 student mused: “I love this station because it reminds me if I do something wrong, I can bury the stone knowing that I am forgiven and can forgive others.”
At the conclusion of her time spent in the Prayer Space a Year 6 student profoundly said, “I looked back at something I thought was big and now realise that it was only small, and it is ok now.”