A WOVEN SPIRITUALITY
“The Lord went in front of them in a pillar of cloud by day, to lead them along the way, and in a pillar of fire by night, to give them light, so that they might travel by day and by night. Neither the pillar of cloud by day nor the pillar of fire by night left its place in front of the people.” – Exodus 13:21-22
In a recent conversation, a colleague referred to spirituality as the fabric of our institution. As the Chaplain, of course, I appreciated this perspective. Clearly this person understands and sees the importance of spiritual life on campus as integral – and not just as a stand-alone endeavor.
My words to describe our spirituality, and in particular, our Episcopal identity, would be that it is woven into everyday life at Berkeley Preparatory School. Spirituality permeates all corners of campus, sometimes subtle, occasionally overt. Our “promotion of moral and spiritual values,” as mandated through our mission statement, is an ongoing aspiration, not just a box to be checked off with a class or occasional lesson on morality and spiritual development. Instead, we understand this mandate in holistic terms, noting all that is undertaken on campus, and taking the care to safeguard the free movement and expression of God in this place.
The foundation of our Episcopal identity, rooted in the Baptismal Covenant, is to strive for justice and respect the dignity of all human beings. This component was detailed in an earlier blog post, back in November, 2018. But this identity is woven in other ways, too. Prayer is another ongoing and fundamental aspect of life on campus (also detailed in a post from earlier this month). So is compassion, love, and grace.
But another strand comes to mind this week, as I wonder about spirituality as the fabric; as being woven into the Berkeley experience. We seek to cultivate a diverse and safe space for students and faculty to discover and embrace their own spiritual truths, while unabashedly sharing truths from the Episcopal tradition. This hope is realized through balancing spiritual integrity with a growth mindset; living authentically with open hearts and minds. This desire is made manifest by observing rhythms within the church calendar, while also lifting up significant occasions from fellow religious traditions. This spiritual discipline of balance is challenging, and, if not tended to with utmost care, can occasionally shift to watered-down spirituality (whatever goes) or pigeon-holed Christianity (stuck within church cadence). Both divergences lose sight on the beautiful menagerie of humanity; the mosaic expression of God in the world.
Yes, a woven spirituality, as understood through the Episcopal tradition, is surely on display here at Berkeley Preparatory School. And, frankly, I am grateful our culture embraces this approach and understanding of spiritual identity. The alternative would be a more segmented understanding – causing spiritual life to just find its way into the schedule, say, block H, to be engaged on a rotational basis. Instead, we claim, through our Episcopal identity, that God is to be found and experienced in all aspects of life on campus.
When Episcopalians gather to celebrate Holy Communion, we liken the Eucharistic prayer to the rising of the sun. At no particular and singular moment in the liturgy does the bread and wine become the real presence of Christ. However, when the celebration concludes, we do believe God has appeared in some fashion, through the mystery of our prayers. The sun has risen, and God is surely here.
So it is with a woven spirituality. There is no particular and singular moment on campus where God is more present or real. Instead, God permeates all that we do, perhaps as the fabric of our institution, but surely the strands that hold us together.
May we have the eyes to see this woven God at work in all facets of school life.
Back
In a recent conversation, a colleague referred to spirituality as the fabric of our institution. As the Chaplain, of course, I appreciated this perspective. Clearly this person understands and sees the importance of spiritual life on campus as integral – and not just as a stand-alone endeavor.
My words to describe our spirituality, and in particular, our Episcopal identity, would be that it is woven into everyday life at Berkeley Preparatory School. Spirituality permeates all corners of campus, sometimes subtle, occasionally overt. Our “promotion of moral and spiritual values,” as mandated through our mission statement, is an ongoing aspiration, not just a box to be checked off with a class or occasional lesson on morality and spiritual development. Instead, we understand this mandate in holistic terms, noting all that is undertaken on campus, and taking the care to safeguard the free movement and expression of God in this place.
The foundation of our Episcopal identity, rooted in the Baptismal Covenant, is to strive for justice and respect the dignity of all human beings. This component was detailed in an earlier blog post, back in November, 2018. But this identity is woven in other ways, too. Prayer is another ongoing and fundamental aspect of life on campus (also detailed in a post from earlier this month). So is compassion, love, and grace.
But another strand comes to mind this week, as I wonder about spirituality as the fabric; as being woven into the Berkeley experience. We seek to cultivate a diverse and safe space for students and faculty to discover and embrace their own spiritual truths, while unabashedly sharing truths from the Episcopal tradition. This hope is realized through balancing spiritual integrity with a growth mindset; living authentically with open hearts and minds. This desire is made manifest by observing rhythms within the church calendar, while also lifting up significant occasions from fellow religious traditions. This spiritual discipline of balance is challenging, and, if not tended to with utmost care, can occasionally shift to watered-down spirituality (whatever goes) or pigeon-holed Christianity (stuck within church cadence). Both divergences lose sight on the beautiful menagerie of humanity; the mosaic expression of God in the world.
Yes, a woven spirituality, as understood through the Episcopal tradition, is surely on display here at Berkeley Preparatory School. And, frankly, I am grateful our culture embraces this approach and understanding of spiritual identity. The alternative would be a more segmented understanding – causing spiritual life to just find its way into the schedule, say, block H, to be engaged on a rotational basis. Instead, we claim, through our Episcopal identity, that God is to be found and experienced in all aspects of life on campus.
When Episcopalians gather to celebrate Holy Communion, we liken the Eucharistic prayer to the rising of the sun. At no particular and singular moment in the liturgy does the bread and wine become the real presence of Christ. However, when the celebration concludes, we do believe God has appeared in some fashion, through the mystery of our prayers. The sun has risen, and God is surely here.
So it is with a woven spirituality. There is no particular and singular moment on campus where God is more present or real. Instead, God permeates all that we do, perhaps as the fabric of our institution, but surely the strands that hold us together.
May we have the eyes to see this woven God at work in all facets of school life.
Berkeley Preparatory School
Founded in 1960, Berkeley is an independent, Episcopal, college-preparatory day school located in Tampa, FL, for boys and girls in grades Pre-Kindergarten through 12. Approximately 1,400 students gather here from the greater Tampa Bay area to form ONE Berkeley.