By Reverend Dr Katherine Rainger, Senior Chaplain

I am often asked what makes Radford College an Anglican School. Radford College’s Anglican identity can be seen in our history and foundations right through to the present day where we foster vibrant spiritual formation, religious literacy, academic inquiry, character formation and serving the common good.

I have increasingly come to appreciate the value of the College Prayer at both the heart of our Anglican identity and who we are as a community.

The Radford College Prayer was written by Reverend Richard Browning, a Radford College chaplain from 2006–2019. I’m thankful for the care and creativity with which Father Richard wrote our prayer:

Great Creator God,
you sing the world into life and fill it with love
binding the things of earth with the Kingdom of Heaven.
Breathe your Spirit over this land,
awaken our senses and fill us with light
that with Christ your Son
we would live in truth
rise in compassion
and walk in wisdom.
Amen.

The line that captures my attention today is 'binding the things of earth with the Kingdom of Heaven'. This phrase reminds me that all of life holds the possibility of the sacred, from the delight of children playing to the satisfaction of learning a new language, a musical note, sharing a meal or scoring a goal. These are the 'things of earth' bound with 'the Kingdom of Heaven'.

At the same time, I am reminded that the Christian Gospel reveals a God who suffers alongside others. A God who does not abandon us. A God who is bound to humanity and the creation in all its distress as well as its beauty. To continue to pray and give and act amid trauma and tragedy is a sign of the Kingdom of Heaven coming near.

I wonder which words stand out to you in the College Prayer. How does this prayer shape a desire to commune with God and live your life in response?

May the upcoming weeks bring a deep sense of the beauty and abundance of the 'things of earth' alongside an awareness of the 'Kingdom of Heaven' as the love of God the Creator, Christ the Son, and the Holy Spirit makes the ordinary extraordinary.