Collective Worship
Our understanding and practice of daily collective worship grows out of our theological beliefs about who God is and how God relates to us. These beliefs shape the way in which we relate to God, to other people, to God’s world and to ourselves in our worship and school life. We believe that this enables us to, ‘‘Uphold the fruit of the spirit to learn and grow together in God’s amazing world”
Our beliefs about God show us that our daily collective worship should be invitational, inclusive and inspirational.
Invitational
The life of Jesus Christ clearly shows that his dynamic ministry and relationship with others was rooted in his times of worship and prayer alone with his Father. John’s gospel uses the image of the vine to show what this means. It speaks of Jesus ‘abiding in his Father’s love’ ( John 15:10).That abiding resulted in the fruits of a life which transformed others and bought healing and peace. As Jesus responded to his Father’s invitation, so we read in the gospels that Jesus invited his friends to share that time of stillness away from the busyness of life. In that way they were responding to Jesus’ invitation can abide in Christ (John 15:4-5 &15:9-10) Jesus continues to invite us, his friends, to share a time apart so we can shape our school day in a Christ centred way.
As the spiritual writer Thomas Merton wrote, ‘ it is in deep silence that I can truly learn to love my brothers and sisters.’
Invitational and Inclusive
The gospels show that throughout Jesus’ life he was both host and guest to others. In so doing, he showed inclusivity to all who would ‘break bread’ with him. Christians believe that Jesus Christ not only showed hospitality in his life, but, by becoming a human being like us, he is ‘hospitality’ inviting us all into his Father’s love for everyone. When our lives are Christ centred, they will be outwardly focused. We will want to invite other people to meet with God in our worship and in the way we act towards them. We will show inclusive hospitality by what we say , what we do and who we are. Jesus’ new commandment in John 15 is to, ‘love one another as I have loved you’ (John 15:12 ) The example he gives us of what love looks like is washing his friends’ dirty feet. As our school community grows together in worship as branches of the vine, which is Christ ,( John 15:5) each of us can live life in all its fullness.
Invitational, Inclusive and Inspirational
After the resurrection John’s gospel records Jesus breathing the breath of the Spirit( John 20:22) into his friends, the first members of his church. Through that ‘in breathing’- ‘inspiration’- of the Holy Spirit, they were called to share in Jesus Christ’s ministry of transformation of our world. Abiding in his love through the power of the Holy Spirit they would grow fruit- ‘Fruit that would last’( John 15, 5 &16)
From that moment on all Jesus’ friends are called to grow in faith so that they too can grow the fruit of the spirit in their lives and share in Christ’s ministry so that our world can be a place of justice and peace and joy for all people.
Our collective worship is the heartbeat of the school day by which we can breathe with the breath of God’s spirit. We can grow together as branches of the vine and become strong and courageous advocates for the causes of truth and goodness in our world.
Monday is led by Open the Book (Church)/Head of School
Tuesday is the hymn of the week / first news led by Worship Lead / AHT
Wednesday is led by Class teachers
Thursday is led by Class teachers
Friday celebration worship led by the Head teacher
