God of creation, we praise you, we thank you,
What a night of celebration we have had, what a year we have had!
God of creation, God of the Carey grades that we hope have been As, Bs and Cs,
God of the midnight maccas runs, the coffees and teas, textbooks, study buddies, and all the other things that lead to degrees...
Not your normal way to start a benediction but the Carey SENDing is not a normal event! The SENDing is the most fabulous of all Carey events. It is a concluding celebration of the previous year’s journey. Friends, whānau, current students, alumni and staff joined together, as students were recognised for their achievements and completion of Intermission, Mission Track, and Pastoral Leadership and Youth Pastoral Leadership training. Each unique element brought glory to God, from the chilling haka pōwhiri, to students sharing their life-changing reflections, listening to the Karen choir, honouring staff service, and the presentation of awards. We celebrated, laughed, sung, listened, gifted, laughed some more and prayed. Before we feasted, each person was sent with a blessing and a challenge we all can benefit from...
May we each know God’s tender love and care, be challenged daily to fight for justice, courageously take risks in Jesus’ name, and listen to the Spirit continuously as we run, walk or barely creep through the highs and lows of life.
Finally, may we all relish life, accepting the lavish love of our God, may we all have the wisdom to pause, remember and celebrate in all things. Amen.
Story: Rachel Roche
