Monday 20 June was World Refugee Day, a day that honours refugees across the globe. As you are aware, our school community is made up of people from various cultures and life journeys, including refugees.

The body is a unit, though it is made up of many parts… If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honoured, every part rejoices with it. Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it.

1 Corinthians 12:12, 26

More than 1,000 lives were tragically lost in an Earthquake that struck eastern Afghanistan on Wednesday 22. More than 1,500 people were left injured. Many houses have been flattened and completely destroyed. As the scripture above reminds us, when one of us suffers, we all suffer. We are connected as a human family, and within our school community we have links to Afghanistan.

Many of you may be thinking, ‘What can we do to help?’ Mrs Duzniak will release some more information later this week about how we can raise money to help those who have been devastated by this deadly earthquake. Let us remember to pray for the families and individuals that have been directly impacted by this event.

Dear Lord
Thank you that you are with us in our suffering. You are with us in the form of one another. Help us to look out for each other, and to do our bit to help those who are suffering around us and in the wider world. Amen

Our Alive theme this week is ‘We Are Interdependent’. The definition of interdependence is ‘the state of being dependent upon one another.’ We are dependent on each other for support, relationships and friendships, acceptance, communication and making a safe community for one another. There are many people within our communities that we depend upon that are a part of the LGBTQ+ community. Therefore, if we expect those people within our communities to be all of the things we listed above, we should also be those things for them.

And as you wish that others would do to you, do so to them.

Luke 6:31

We all want to be defined according to how we feel we should be. Here are some clear definitions that often get misunderstood:

Sex - The condition of being male or female, which is determined by a person’s anatomy at birth.
Gender - The fact or condition of belonging to or identifying with a particular gender.
Sexuality - A person's identity in relation to the gender or genders to which they are attracted to (sexual orientation).
Intersex - The condition of having both male and female sex organs or other sexual characteristics.

Dear Lord,
May everyone be treated equally as they rightfully should be. We thank you that the bible says that you are love. May everyone experience this love without the division of definition. Amen.

Throughout the Bible, God’s Spirit is described as a fire. We see this clearest in the story of Pentecost. But why fire? Perhaps because fire is known to consume things. Fire also fuels things. It brings warmth and comfort in the cold. It lights up the darkness so we can see our way around.

For many of us during this time of year, it may feel like our fire has gone out. We’re tired. We’re stressed out with exams, summer plans, and the general weights and pressures of everyday life.

God’s Spirit wants to consume all our worries, fuel us to push forward, bring us warmth and comfort in the midst of our struggles, and light up the dark places in our lives.

Dear Lord,
Thank you for the fire of your Spirit. Please set our hearts aflame where the fire may have gone out. Help us to be fully alive in you. Amen

Over the next 2 weeks we will be celebrating the story of Pentecost as a school community. Today we are thinking about what the story of Pentecost means for us in 2022! What does it mean for you as a student in Bristol? What does it mean for you as a friend, a son, a daughter, a cousin…and any other group or way in which you identify yourself?

For me, Pentecost is about change and impact. On the day of Pentecost many people were empowered and changed dramatically. As you watch this clip, listen carefully to all that Asha says, do you want to be changed? How can you have impact in 2022, in all that you are going through?

Prayer
Dear Lord, thank you for your Holy Spirit. Thank you that you fill us with power to change the world and make it a better place. Help me to be the best version of myself, thank you that your Holy Spirit can help me do this. Thank you that it is your power and strength, not my own that will help me do this. Amen

Then the LORD God called to Adam and said to him,
“Where are you?”

Often the first question we ask or get asked when we bump into someone is, “how are you?” However, God’s first question to a person recorded in the Bible was “Where are you?”. God didn’t ask this question because he couldn’t find Adam. He asked him because so often, how we are and where we are, are linked.

‘Where’ is more than your physical location. It’s where you are at mentally, emotionally and spiritually. Where are you at this time? Stressed with school work? Excited for Summer? Feeling lonely? Secure among friends? It’s important that we can talk to one another and be seen, heard and understood. Perhaps the next time you bump into a friend, try to find out where they are in life at the moment – you may be surprised by their answer.

Dear Lord,
Thank you that you care about how we are and where we are. Help us to look out for one another, to sit with each other, to listen, to care, and to be there – just as you always are. Amen