One of the great traditions at Newington, at the Stanmore Campus, is the Shrove Tuesday (last day before Lent commences) Pancake Bake-Off. Instigated by our Headmaster, Dr David Mulford, the chaplains and various other staff, were up early that morning firing up the College’s barbeques in readiness for the hordes of boys who would march down the drive to receive their Shrove Tuesday pancake and sweet sauce – hopefully cooked beautifully, although some were either on the rare side or charcoaled.

This year the “password” to get a pancake was simply to tell us one fact about Easter. Well this was an education for us rather than the boys. We had at least three students say “isn’t it something to do with the birth of Jesus”. One lad whipped his iPhone out and “googled” to search for a fact that would earn him a pancake! That moment stuck in my mind more than any other.

They all got pancakes, and the chaplains and staff realised how little some young people know about the Easter story. Most simply associate Easter with a holiday, preparation for Anzac Day and chocolate.

One does hope that the whole experience of the pancakes, and the start of Lent, did focus the attention of many to the fact that Easter was coming and that for Christian folk, this is probably the most important time of the year – even more so than Christmas.

Easter is all about the mystery of the Almighty One coming to us in our form, as the Christ, and sacrificially offering all so that we might have life, and life in all its fullness. Let’s give ourselves a chance to catch a glimpse of the Grace and Wonder of Easter this year and remind ourselves that even in the midst of tragedy, loss and suffering, there is a promise of eternity – life beyond this material existence, as well as the chance to be embraced by God in this present existence.

Rev David Williams
College Chaplain