Devotion – A one-off love – unshakable and immovable
Though the mountains be shaken and the hills be removed, yet my unfailing love for you will not be shaken nor my covenant of peace be removed (Isaiah 54:10)
When mountains around the world shake, we’re visually presented with news images. It may be through natural disasters like volcanic eruptions or events like explosions in war. When mountains or hills shake – whatever the cause – the impact is significant. Even only seeing these occurrences via visual media leaves me momentarily stunned and disquieted. I find my thoughts then run to the event’s victims and their fear and shock, their losses and grief, their probable sense of displacement and vulnerability, their brokenness of body, mind, home and family – devastation. ‘Confronting and overwhelming’ is too weak a description of what happens to people when the mountains they live with shake.
While sitting with the readings for today, I found myself attached to verse 10. I share my experience as it may be similar to yours. This Scripture reaches for an example we can identify and engage with on various levels just by imagining a mountain shaking. Imagining this event gives me shivers and a sharp, small dose of anxiety. But, straight away in this verse, the Scripture tells and reassures us that God’s unfailing love for us is not shakeable like the mountain or removable like the hill – this love will not be shaken. The description in this verse throws up a picture of something deeply disastrous – a mountain shaking or a hill removed – and implies the subsequent impacts. One starts to feel a response to this imagery. Then straight away, the verse redirects our minds. If what we think influences what we feel, this redirection of thought is closely followed by the response of one’s heart. Here then, on both mind and heart levels, this verse affirms that the absolute opposite of ‘mountains shaken or hills removed’ is what God’s love for us is like. The words of this verse carry us away from a ‘shaken’ to a ‘not shaken’ mindset and plant our focus on a one-off love. One like none other – the unfailing, unshakable love authored and given to us by God.
Merciful God, amid our difficulties and burdens, thank you that you remind us of your unfailing and unshakable love for us. Please bless us in our experience of your love. In the name of Christ, Amen.
Prayer Points
We pray for all people and their families who have fought for the freedom of our country
We pray for the Thang, Thang Ngak & Thawng families
This year’s graduation celebrations will be held on Thursday 15 December. We are very excited that we will be able to return to St. Bernadette’s church to conduct the celebrations. During the ceremony there will be several special presentations and speeches. We will celebrate the year that has gone as well as acknowledging the Year 6 students. The choir and musical groups will enhance our service with music and singing.
The last day of the 2022 school year is Friday 16 December. During this day the students will have the opportunity to receive their reports and say goodbye to their teachers and friends before finishing the day at 12.15pm.
More details of these events will be distributed in the coming weeks.
Remembrance Day
Remembrance Day is held on November 11 each year, the same date World War I ended. On this day we stop to remember and pray for the service men and women who lost their lives during wartime. The poppy has become the recognized symbol of Remembrance Day with people traditionally wearing red poppy pins on their jackets and hats. We encourage everyone to reflect on the meaning and importance of Remembrance Day.
In the Prep classroom we have been learning about the 3D objects in our environment.
You can ask us to find a 3D object in our home and what the object is called.
Year 1/2
In the Year 1/2 classroom we have been learning about different types of poems – Haiku, Acrostic and Lantern. We wrote our own poems and you can ask us about their structure and how we expressed our thoughts.
Year 3/4
In the Year 3/4 classroom we have been learning about 2D and 3D shapes and symmetry. Ask us about some the shapes we have learned about or to describe a 3D shape.
Year 5/6
In the Year 5/6 classroom we are preparing to go on camp next week. Please ask us about the exciting activities planned and what equipment we need to pack.
