Trusting in the gifts of the present

My reflection "Trusting in the gifts of the present" is up at the NAES Commons Blog,,,

Trusting in the gifts of the present
By The Rev. Peter M. Carey
Posted at the National Associations of Episcopal Schools' "Commons Blog"

“Will this look good on my college resume?” 

“What courses should I take to get into the college of my choice?” 

“What Division One coaches will be at this showcase event?” 

In schools today, there is an increasing focus on the destination of college, and it is not only juniors and seniors. Now, even fifth and sixth graders are talking about college and graduate school. My own seventh graders talk about going to either Columbia or Harvard or Michigan or UNC. In addition, Lower School admissions officers recount stories of prospective parents of pre-kindergarten students who ask about a school’s college profile! The causes of this pressure are legion: anxious parents, competition for college admittance, the Internet, and the high cost of advanced education, to name a few. With so much energy focused on the next chapter, there is a loss in the gifts of the present. We, like our students, often rush toward the future. 

I believe one antidote is for us to help model the spiritual practice of abiding in the present moment. As our former Archbishop of Canterbury, Rowan Williams, wrote “The hardest thing in the world is to be where we are.”*

Click HERE to read it all

Wonderful resources at NAES

There are some great resources in general at the NAES website, but especially over at the NAES Commons Blog.  Check them out!

http://www.episcopalschools.org/

http://www.episcopalschools.org/news/blog

Blessing of the Gries Center at Berkeley Preparatory School

Blessing of the Gries Center

Berkeley Preparatory School

25 August 2015

The Rev. Peter M. Carey, School Chaplain

God, you show us evidence of your creation through logic and mathematics.  Be with our students and their teachers as they strive to become diligent problem solvers.  Be a source of strength and comfort to those who struggle to solve ever more complicated problems.  May these math classrooms be places of great struggles and great successes.

God gives us the gift of beauty and art in our lives. Be ever-present with our students and teachers who seek through music and visual and performing arts to create and display this gift.  May these art spaces inspire our students engage their creativity in new and incredible ways.

God created the heavens and the earth, the sky, vegetation, and every living creature that moves.  Help our students engage fully in the pursuit of scientific inquiry.  May these science spaces be wonderful laboratories of discovery. 

Visit, O blessed Lord, this place of learning with the gladness of your presence, that this may a be a lively center for sound learning, new discovery, and the pursuit of wisdom; and grant that those who teach and those who learn here may find you to be the source of all truth; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Had a great time in Anaheim with the National Association of Episcopal Schools!

Here are a few pics from this biennial event:

Nice views

There is also a lot to explore at NAES schools!

The Rev. Brooks Hundley presents to New Chaplains (and not so new chaplains)

Our Presiding Bishop, the Most Rt. Rev. Katharine Jefferts Schori presents to school leaders

Afternoon walk nearby DisneyLand

Visiting with old Virginia Theological Seminary friends

Getting some exercise in the early morning

Grace Episcopal School (Maryland), Head of School Malcolm Lester

St. Andrew's (Louisiana), Head of School Mason Lecky

Many experience educators participated in these discussions

The Rev. Daniel Heischman, DD, Executive Director of the National Association of Episcopal Schools

Enjoyed meeting Tony Jarvis, long-time school head at Roxbury Latin School who wrote the incredible book, "With Love and Prayers"

Our Assistant Headmaster, Mr. Hugh Jebson, teaching teachers, chaplains, and administrators!

Some notable people who have attended Episcopal Schools

I serve as the chaplain at an Episcopal School in Richmond, Virginia: St. Catherine's School. I have also worked at two other Episcopal Schools in my coaching, teaching and ministry career. There are a wide range of Episcopal Schools across the country serving a diversity of communities and contexts. More information on Episcopal Schools can be found through the National Association of Episcopal Schools (NAES) organization, and their website HERE.


Some notable people who have attended Episcopal Schools are:

• Al Gore, Jr (St. Albans)
• Astronaut Michael Collins (St. Albans)
• Bishop Frank Griswold (St. Paul's)(NH)
• Greg Isdaner (Episcopal Academy) *
• Jesse Hubbard (St. Albans) *
• Jonathan Ogden (St. Albans)
• Kristin Gore (NCS)
• Queen Noor of Jordan (NCS)
• Senator John McCain (Episcopal High School) (VA)
• Senator John Warner (St. Albans)

Who else do you know who attended Episcopal Schools?



St. Catherine's School - Chaplain's Blog: Some notable people who have attended Episcopal Schools