This Week in Chapel: January 14-18

2018-2019 Chapel Theme- "Let us love, not in word or speech, but in truth or action."

Stay up to date by following @eachapel on Instagram and check out this week's photos.

Upper School Chapel

Monday, Jan. 14 - Vocation of the Priesthood

Lower School Chaplain Michelle Bullock shared her journey through the ordination process to the priesthood with Upper School students on Monday. She vividly recalled standing in her family kitchen at six years old and telling her father, "When I grow up, I want to be a preacher." Her father explained that was not possible because she was a girl. "I didn't question him or our beliefs. I thought my dad said this is true, so it must be so. I believed this for the next 20 years." Throughout her life she continued to feel pulled toward the priesthood. After majoring in elementary education in college and teaching for a few years, Chaplain Bullock again felt drawn toward the priesthood. She applied and was accepted, much to her surprise, into Duke's Divinity School. "I learned about beauty, pain, love, joy, and suffering in the church and the world," shared Chaplain Bullock. She shared several moments when, "I just didn't think I could keep going." But she persevered- crediting several people including Father Tim Gavin, Hon., Middle School Chaplain Bert Zug '78, and Upper School religion teacher Topher Rowe. Chaplain Bullock encouraged students to find a vocation they love and "don't be afraid to pivot. The won't always be easy, but that doesn't mean you should stop." On Saturday, December 15, Chaplain Bullock was ordained into the priesthood by The Rt. Rev. Daniel G. P. Gutiérrez, at the Philadelphia Episcopal Cathedral.

Friday, Jan. 18 - Honoring Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Students in Upper School celebrated the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. in Chapel by reading excerpts from Dr. King's "Death of Evil upon the Seashore." This sermon was given on May 17, 1956 to a massive crowd at The Cathedral of St. John the Divine in New York on the second anniversary of the landmark Brown vs. Board of Education decision. In the speech, Dr. King drew powerful parallels between the telling of Exodus and the African American journey. The sermon ends with a thoughtful optimism, imploring the audience to have love and compassion for their fellow human being. "Evil in the form of injustice and exploitation cannot survive forever ... we must believe that a prejudiced mind can be changed."

Middle School

Tuesday, January 15 - Rabbi Eric Yanoff

On Tuesday, Rabbi Eric Yanoff, who serves the vibrant and diverse Jewish Community Adath Israel in Philadelphia, (introduced by his parishioner, Shelby Pasternack '24) spoke to us about the need that we have to listen to one another if we are to gain a more complete imagine of God. He talked first about Jacob's wrestling with God, and how this was when Jacob was renamed Israel, and therefore "Israel" means "to wrestle with God." He then used a powerpoint to illustrate the ancient Indian story of the blind folk and the elephant where each blind person touches a different part of the elephant, thus drawing a different conclusion of what was in front of them. Individually, they had no idea what it was. However collectively, once they shared their understanding, it became clear. Rabbi Yanoff related this parable to our understanding of God: that none of us can fully understand God on our own, but if we listen to each other we have the opportunity to come to a greater understanding.

Lindsay Lee shared her faith paper on Thursday where she talked about her own wrestling with God. She spoke of her family's dealing with celiac disease and how one sister was diagnosed, and then the other, and how this disease affected their lives. Lindsay was also eventually diagnosed with the same disease. She wrestled with God as she attempted to understand how she could live with celiac, and ultimately came to realize that God is always there for her, supporting her and her family through good times and times of trial.

Lower School

Tuesday, Jan. 15 - Lower School Read-a-Thon

Lower School librarian Linda Hassett, Hon. shared the details of this year's Lower School Read-a-Thon in Chapel on Tuesday. "Please read to help kids in need succeed," said Mrs. Hassett. Proceeds from the Read-a-Thon will benefit EA's two sister schools- St. James School in Philadelphia and St. Marc's School in Haiti. Head Chaplain Tim Gavin, Hon. helped establish EA's partnership with St. Marc'c School. He explained that money raised by EA students will help children their age in Haiti buy their own books, food, medicine, and clean water. The Read-a-thon takes place Jan. 18-28.