In some ways the first week in February marks the beginning of things for 2023.  Our summer holidays are over and some are returning to work or the usual weekly routine.  It is also the time that our young people return to school.  This prayer for the new school year comes to us from Daniel Broadstock, teacher and member of Brunswick Uniting Church in Melbourne.  It is with his permission I share this prayer.

                     God of new things,
                     Bless all those who are returning to school.
                     Bless old students and new students.
                     Bless teachers and principals, nurses and coaches,
                        gardeners and groundskeepers, cleaners and social workers.     
Bless our chaplains.
                     Bless the pattering of small feet in new classrooms.
                     Bless the smell of new books and clean desks.
                     Bless the summer sun and faded courts on warm concrete.
                     Bless the eager to learn and the anxious of heart.
                     Bless those who are slow to read and quick to calculate.
                     Bless the friendless and the unsure.
                     May there be good lessons learned,
                        forgiveness quickly asked and given, patience sustained,
                        character nurtured, hope inspired, and growth gained.
                     Through your spirit of new life,
                        encircle our schools with peace, hope, and love.
                     In the name of Christ our friend,
                     Amen.

May 2023 be a wonderful year for all those engaged in learning.  May God’s spirit of new life enrich us all.

Blessings – Heather (she/her).