Turkey Trot and our Day School
When I served at St. Mark's Episcopal Church, Houston, I was introduced to the world of Episcopal Day Schools. There, I learned to lead chapel services for our Pre-K through 8th grade school. Students from that school went on to attend Episcopal High School, St. John the Divine, or one of our Houston public or private schools. One feature of every Episcopal (and other parochial) school I know of is the school chapel. Either daily, or as at Trinity by the Sea, weekly services shape the life of the school. In these chapel services, the student body gathers for a time of prayer, scripture, song, and teaching. The service may varies according to the age of the students, but they all maintain an Episcopal structure, similar to our Daily Office of Morning prayer. At Trinity, after a hymn, there is a procession of the cross, candle, and flowers up to the altar. A student from three of our classrooms carry these symbolic items up to the altar, then we sing "This little light o...