Charging Forward in Faith: Middle School Chapel

9/18/2024

Chaplain Weisenfels

Middle School Chapel is off to a great start. I love hearing the students sing and share their thoughts each morning. This trimester we are Charging Forward in Faith by studying the attributes of God explored in the book The Good and Beautiful God by James Bryan Smith. So far we have discussed that God is good (all the time!) and God is trustworthy. We are discussing ideas that we may carry in our heads that do not match up with what God says in the Bible. We are also exploring Soul Training exercises that help us to replace what we may have heard from others or that we tell ourselves with the truth of what God says. So far, we have talked about sleep, silence, and finding joy in God’s creation.

Sleep. Sleep may not be the first thing we think of when talking about spiritual disciplines, but we all know that we cannot be our best selves when we are overly tired. It is often hard to show up as the people Jesus calls us to be - loving, kind, patient, and full of the fruit of the Spirit. It is even harder to do so when we’re already grumpy and not feeling well from getting too little sleep. When we surrender our worries and cares to God and allow ourselves to rest, we acknowledge that God is in control even and especially when we reach the end of our human capabilities.

Silence. We live in a noisy world, and our students have constant sources of noise and distraction at their fingertips in the form of text alerts, notifications, video games, earbuds for music, YouTube, endless streaming options, etc. It’s rare to find silence. I laughed in the chapel when several middle schoolers shared that their siblings were the main source of noise in their lives (and also what keeps them from getting enough sleep!). I don’t believe that, but whatever the reasons, taking time to be still and quiet is difficult for all of us. However, it is essential for connecting with God and hearing his voice in our lives. “Be still and know that I am God.” Psalm 46:10.

Joy in God’s creation. The simple fact that the sun comes up every day and sets every evening is a reminder of God’s faithfulness. The beauty we observe in a West Texas sky, a flower in the garden, or an interesting bug on the porch reminds us of the tremendous care God took in creating the world, and how deeply God must care for each of us and every detail of our lives. I encouraged our students to make sure they put their feet in the grass or look up at the stars as often as possible and remember the good and beautiful things in their lives, gifts of God.

Here is a link to the Middle School Chaplain’s Challenge where you can see more of what is coming up in Chapel. Any student who tries out the Soul Training exercises and records a bit about their experience will receive a reward at the end of each trimester.

Our students tell me they know God is good because they love singing along with Taylor Swift music and cheering for Cristiano Ronaldo, but also because they go home to safe spaces and are loved by families like yours. Thank you for entrusting your children to Trinity School. They bring me joy every day.

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Trinity School of Midland

3500 West Wadley Avenue, Midland Texas 79707 - Email: info@trinitymidland.org - Phone: (432) 697-3281 - Fax: (432) 697-7403 -