Recently, I texted a former student of mine whose mother, an actress, is featured in the series Elsbeth. I was delighted when I received an immediate reply from the young man I had coached in lacrosse and soccer, his secondary sports (he starred in basketball and plays in college). And, despite our Episcopal school requiring 3x weekly chapel, this student-athlete was decidedly not a chapel enthusiast. That being said, he had recently returned from China where he reported “listening to a lot of podcasts and reading from religious texts.” He continued, “I used not to think religion would have been a big part of my life but I’ve recently been interested in implementing it into my daily life.” After telling me he was reading Genesis, he asked for my recommendation for religious practices and texts. Knowing how brief and cryptic my twenty-something son’s texts can be—I was deeply moved by the fact that this young alum had replied and done so with a clear desire for spiritual growth. As school chaplains, we are very familiar with those students who seem to have no interest in our weekly worship services and sit seemingly disengaged through the required chapel gatherings. Then this same young person comes back to an alumni gathering and reports that they feel as though something is “missing” from their lives post-graduation. They find themselves searching for spiritual belonging and the opportunity to gather in worship. How many of our former students have surprised us by asking us to officiate a wedding, baptize their child, or bury their loved one? Alums whom we didn’t think were paying attention while they were attending our chapel services who later felt a pullback to devotional experiences.

What my texts with my former player reminded me is worship at our schools can take many forms—the virtuoso violin performance, the behind-the-back goal, the inspiring act of service, AND the senior baring her heart and soul in a talk delivered in the pulpit. These are all forms of worship that when cultivated and encouraged by the chaplain bring vitality, connection, and spirituality to our schools. Our calling as chaplains is to inspire worship among students that is organic, student-led and church supported whether that takes the form of a before-school breakfast Bible study, an affinity group-led exploration of Diwali, chalking the schoolhouse doors on Epiphany, or a full school Seder meal. For so many of our students who have not been to church, mosque, or synagogue, we have the amazing opportunity as chaplains to show them how powerful gathering as one community with a higher purpose can be. And while they may not appreciate it during their time at our schools, a seed is planted and God does the rest.

My current posting is at Holderness, an Episcopal School founded in 1879 in New Hampshire, that is oriented towards being in the White Mountains whether it is for hiking, skiing, rock climbing, or the 13-day solo Outback program. Given this ethos and the limitation that our school has outgrown the chapel building, we try to move outdoors as often as possible whether it is the blessing of the animals or the backpacks, outdoor evening Bible study around the campfire, or even Lessons and Carols! Being together outdoors to worship works well at Holderness. We do have an inspiring outdoor chapel that is about a fifteen-minute uphill hike from our main campus, and services there overlooking Plymouth Mountain are uplifting. On my first trek up to the outdoor chapel this fall for an outdoor service, I noticed the distinct smell of wood smoke before I could even see the hewn log pews or granite altar. My immediate thought was the Psalms, “Let my prayer be set forth in your sight as incense, the lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice” (Psalm 141). My heart soared and this got me fired up for worship—students were speaking about their experiences with cancer, our singers were accompanied by guitar, the Spirit was present and people were feeling the love. 

I wonder if I’ll get a text in a few years from a Holderness alum asking, “Rev. Hutch, do you remember the smell of that perfect October Day when we were all in chapel together?”

The Rev. Jay Hutchinson is Chaplain at Holderness School in Plymouth, New Hampshire.