News Detail
‘You Are One of God’s Great Ideas!’ – SMES Community Celebrates St. Margaret’s Day
Head of School Will Moseley’s moving remarks about the life of St. Margaret, Queen of Scotland and the lessons we can learn from her resonated with those in attendance.
The St. Margaret’s Day All-School Eucharist brought together the whole school on Thursday in Pasternack Field House to honor our school’s namesake and to celebrate the founding of St. Margaret’s Episcopal School in 1979. Click here to read more about the history of the school.
Among the special guests in attendance were former heads of school Markham Campaigne (1986-2003) and Marcus Hurlbut (2003-2013), as well as members of the Board of Trustees and parents.
Below is the text of Head of School Will Moseley’s moving remarks about the life of St. Margaret, Queen of Scotland and the lessons we can learn from her:
I SEE YOU, AND I AM GLAD TO BE WITH YOU!
Good Morning and Welcome to St. Margaret’s Day! To begin, I would like to acknowledge a number of special guests today. First, I am happy to welcome former Head of School Mark Campaigne and his wife Mary Ann. Mark served as Head of School for 17 years from 1986-2003. Next, I am happy to welcome former Head of School Marcus Hurlbut. Marc served as Head of School for 10 years from 2003-2013. Also joining us this morning are members of the Board of Trustees.
St. Margaret’s Episcopal School was founded by the Reverend Canon Ernest D. Sillers in 1979 and named for Scotland’s patron saint of education, St. Margaret, Queen of Scotland. The school opened its doors on October 1, 1979 to 79 students who attended kindergarten through sixth grade on six acres. In 1986, the first class graduated 26 students. This past June, the 31st class graduated, bringing Tartan alumni to 2,103.
Today we celebrate Queen Margaret, our namesake. St. Margaret was one of God’s great ideas!
Born into exile in Hungary, Margaret was the daughter of the English Prince Edward, and the mother of Agatha. Margaret grew up in a very religious environment in the Hungarian Court. Her family moved to England when she was 12 years old.
Through a series of difficult circumstances including the death of her father, a storm drove her family’s ship to Scotland where she married a king and lived out the remainder of her life in service to others.
Margaret read stories from the Bible out loud to others, instigated religious reform, influenced her husband and children to be just and holy rulers, served orphans and cared for the ill and the poor, counseled those in need, taught countless students, built schools and hospitals, enjoyed sewing and embroidered vestiments, read devotionals and prayed unceasingly.
She did all of these things before she was 50, the age of her passing.
At St. Margaret’s Episcopal School, our mission is to educate the hearts and minds of young people for lives of learning, leadership and service. St. Margaret certainly fulfilled our mission through her life of Learning, Leading and Serving.
Though a Princess, Queen and Saint, Margaret was a lot like YOU and ME. She used her unique gifts to bless others. People could see God’s love and grace manifest in Margaret.
As we just heard in the reading from Ephesians, “We are no longer strangers, but citizens with the saints and members of God’s household.”
I often think about how our connections on any given day affect each other. Even something as small as a smile or a “Good Morning” greeting to someone we pass by could make their day!
Have you ever thought about the fact that you were uniquely created by God and that HE has a plan for your life to do good? You were equipped with unique talents and gifts to bless others for God’s glory.
SIMPLY PUT: YOU ARE ALSO ONE OF GOD’S GREAT IDEAS!
The Book of Ephesians, Chapter 2, Verse 10, says: “For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.”
As we connect to each other on any given day, we have an opportunity to bless each other through our words and actions and to show each other God’s love.
We are hundreds of God’s great ideas that together make up the St. Margaret’s community.
The third stanza of the hymn “I SING A SONG OF THE SAINTS OF GOD” goes like this:
They lived not only in ages past, there are hundreds of thousands still.
The world is bright with the joyous saints, who love to do Jesus’ will.
You can meet them in school, or in lanes, or at sea, in church, or in trains, or in shops, or at tea.
For the saints of God are just folk like me, and I mean to be one too.
Just like Margaret, God-willing, we can all be saints. Each and every day, we have the same opportunity as Margaret. We can bless others with our unique gifts!
When people see you, do they see and experience God’s love and grace? Do they see God’s great idea in you?
Let’s be true to who God created us to be and rejoice in his great idea in creating you and me!
May God Bless You and May God Bless St. Margaret of Scotland Episcopal Church and School!
HAPPY THANKSGIVING!
St. Margaret’s Episcopal School
Translation? ¿Traducción? 翻译?: