Graeme Schache
We have focused completely on Jesus for our Term 3 Worship times. We progressed from his birth in Week 1, through different aspects of his ministry until arriving at his death and resurrection in Week 9 and 10. It is a little strange celebrating Easter events in September, but it is great to have two opportunities to investigate and celebrate the event that is pivotal in God’s rescue of humanity from selfishness, self-centredness and sin.
Our College holds up ‘Celebrating the Gospel’ as the first tenant of our mission. The Gospel is all that Jesus has accomplished for humankind through his life, death and resurrection. Our School song ‘Semper Fidelis’ proclaims ‘On solid rock our school St Andrews is found. Jesus Christ is our foundation and cornerstone…’ Our school is certainly physically built on solid rock. The bluestone that was blasted from the side of the hill where J block sits is testament to this. The fabric of who we are is built on the love and forgiveness won for all people by Jesus through his death on the cross.
Articulating the very essence and meaning of what took place on a hill outside of Jerusalem 2,000 years ago is challenging. I recently bumped into a book that outlines 50 reasons why Jesus gave up his life on the cross. All of these reasons are different aspects of what was achieved on our behalf by God as he sacrificed his own life for us. It is the type of concept that can never truly be grasped once and for all. The more it is contemplated, the more it reveals to us, and in doing so shapes our hearts and minds.
Middle/Senior School and Junior School encountered the truth that God took all the sin of the world upon himself at the cross. In Junior School we had a heap of fun witnessing how the sin that covers us (represented by dark coloured water) is taken away from us as Jesus (represented by a candle) gives up his life (represented by a glass jar placed over the candle, extinguishing the flame) as this happened all the dark coloured water rose into the Jar freeing us from the sin that darkens our lives. It is an awesome physical demonstration of what God achieved at the cross and it has helped in my grasping of the significance of this history changing event, highlighting how we are never too old to experience anew the beauty of Jesus’ sacrifice, love and forgiveness.
The transformation Jesus can make in our life is seen in these two images. The first is us covered by sin… and the second clearly shows how the sin is taken up by Jesus as He gives up His life and we are freed from sin (we are represented by the coin that is now visible due to the ‘sin’ being taken away) Junior School parents. You can check with your children!

Our School is built upon the Gospel. We are so fortunate to have this as an unchangeable truth in our community. I pray all of us can continue to enter into the reality of Jesus’ forgiveness as seen at the cross and welcome it into our hearts and minds where it brings great peace, joy and love into our very existence and who we are.