Rachel Hancock
‘God Acts through Worship’ at Googa
In chapel in the last few weeks the students have connected with how ‘God acts through worship’.
How does God act through worship at St Andrews? Our immediate thoughts are chapels. However, I have just come back from spending a few days with the Year 9 boys at camp at the Googa Outdoor Education Centre and this is definitely a place where we see God at work.
In this space, God is truly evident in the act of worship. So far at camp, the boys have been part of worship services - they have sung worship songs and listened to the leaders’ personal stories of how God has impacted their lives. These leaders have supported them and role modelled their love for God. Some have acknowledged that they pray for these students who are in their presence for only a short time but see the importance of prayer to support them. The boys have spent time in reflection on the beauty of God’s nature, they have journals where they have moments on camp to reflect on their gifts and talents that God has given them.
God is constantly acting through worship in this camp.
Let’s admit the obvious. They are Year 9 boys and many of them are oblivious to the fact that God has been a part of their lives through them in worship at this camp. But this is not really the point. God is the one acting, he is continually there, we only need to be part of these experiences and be open to Him for Him to be acting in our lives.
God reinforces this in his word when He says:
‘And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you. John 14:16-17.
This Year 9 camp is one pivotal example of how God acts through worship in our St Andrews community.