“Take into your hands, Oh God, this school and each member of it.” This line from the Moravian Academy School Prayer is always meaningful, but seems especially poignant in our current season. Thanks to the gift of modern technology, the School Prayer, Alma Mater, and other familiar Chapel traditions have remained a vital part of school life, even in these days of social distancing. We still gather regularly for chapel, we still welcome guest teachers, we still celebrate one another on our birthdays. We just do it all via zoom. 

If you have wondered what a Moravian Academy Chapel is like, if you were a frequent parent visitor before Covid and miss these special gatherings, if you want to see and hear your own child share music, read, or reflect in chapel, then we have created this Vimeo Showcase just for you. Throughout the year, we will be posting recordings of our Zoom chapels here for members of our community to experience and enjoy.

This year, our theme for Chapel is around creating connection, building community, and supporting one another through these difficult days. We are also focused on spiritual growth, as we develop and practice our mission skills of empathy, creativity, curiosity, and perseverance. And as we do each year, we have continued to learn about and experience the many religious traditions celebrated by our students, and to explore the rich heritage of our school’s Moravian roots.

The basic form of a regular Chapel has remained the same: There is a Invocation and a Benediction, traditional prayers, scripture readings, poetry, music and reflection. We have found creative ways to include the parts of the service that are typically in unison, including a combination of “live” speakers and pre-recorded videos. And we have continued the wonderful Moravian Academy Tradition of students, faculty and staff members offering leadership throughout each Chapel service. Of course, we look forward to the day we can be together in person again, gathered in one of our familiar worship spaces. But for the moment, we are grateful for this continued point of connection and the way it draws us together in spirit.

We hope you will find time to pursue the growing list of videos in our Chapel collection, and maybe find yourself singing along to the Alma Mater, or speaking aloud those familiar words of the Moravian Academy School Prayer.