School meals have been very much in the news of late with the "celebrity" chef Jamie Oliver making waves over what food children are offered during the school dinner hour. His programmes seem to have caught the imagination and even politicians (by any chance, is there an election in the air?) are responding positively to Mr. Oliver's campaign to improve the nutritional value of the meals our children are served at school. I remember the school meals that were served up when I was a boy - Spam fritters and Sago pudding (or frog-spawn - as it was unaffectionately known) - Yuk! Children - or "kids" as they are so often referred to nowadays - don't know how lucky they are. What I would have given for a Turkey Twizzler - or a funny face shaped potato cake - or chips - what bliss! But, it seems that the days of the Turkey Twizzler are numbered and healthy food is now what will be on offer. No longer will school dinners be limited to a mere 37 pence per child - but will rise to 50 pence for Primary School children and 60 pence for those in Secondary Education. I was able to watch a couple of the programmes in the Jamie's School Dinners series and they were quite entertaining and educational. But, "Why-oh-why" (as they often used to say on Points of View) do we have to put up with such foul-mouthed language on television nowadays? I thought that ìcelebritiesî were supposed to set an example. I don't know where Jamie Oliver was educated but he seemed to be incapable of uttering a single sentence without resorting to the "F" word. By all means let us seek to improve the nutritional value of school meals - but let us also seek to improve the standard of our television programmes as well. Swearing and blasphemy seem to be the norm nowadays - how standards have fallen in broadcasting. Surely, enough is enough - let us clean up the Media and raise our sight a little above the gutter.
One finding that I found to be of interest was Mr. Oliver's assertion that the behaviour of the children had been shown to improve when they were fed more nutritional food. Well, if that is the case when children are given more wholesome physical food to eat -wouldn't it be equally the case that behaviour would improve even further if they were given more nutritious spiritual sustenance?
We are fortunate in our United Benefice to have two extremely good Church of England Primary Schools - schools which are pledged to provide a Christian ethos in which our children can grow, be spiritually nurtured and thrive. I delight in the opportunities I have as Vicar to strengthen the links between the Church and our two local Church schools, through Assemblies, through visits that I make to the schools and visits that the children and their teachers make to our churches. What a joy it was to celebrate the Holy Eucharist at Feering School last year on the Feast Day of All Saints - how lovely to have the Feering School Choir take part in the All Saints' Mothering Sunday Service when Bishop Christopher was with us. How moving I found the presentation of the Easter story by the children of St. Mary's School when they came along on Maundy Thursday to fill the Parish Church to over-flowing - again what a delightful contribution St. Mary's School Choir made to the worship offered during our Easter Garden Service on Low Sunday. I am keen to strengthen in any way possible the links between Church and School - I know that the two Head Teachers - John Brace and Greg Waters also have a strong desire to forge stronger links - this is altogether good and most encouraging.
Whenever I address a group of our children I am greatly impressed by their interest in things spiritual and for their deep desire to learn more about God and His Church - there is a thirst which is longing to be quenched and nurtured - for we are indeed spiritual beings - to deprive our children of spiritual nourishment would be just as cruel as physical or emotional deprivation. Yet, how many of our children even know the words of the Lord's own Prayer - let alone the content of the Creed or the Ten Commandments or the Holy Bible? Sometimes even in our Church Schools my heart sinks at some of the lyrics of the songs sung in Assembly - for some of them make little or no mention of God or Jesus and have been secularised and sanitised of any real spiritual content. I might even join Mr. Oliver on the campaign trail - but I, personally, would have a campaign for the singing of proper hymns and psalms and spiritual songs. If we desire a better, healthier, more considerate and kinder society - then we must ensure that our children are properly religiously educated.
Is there any connection between the perceived decline in the influence of religion (How often the Christian religion is mocked in the media in such broadcasts as that Turkey Twizzler of a programme - The Vicar of Dibley) and the decline in the moral standards of society? Of course there is!
At St. Mary's we have an excellent Sunday Club for children where they are taught the Christian Faith - this takes place in the Church Rooms at 10.30a.m. each Sunday in term time. We also have a splendid Youth Alpha group for older children and teenagers - and two Pram Services for the tiny tots, one each at Kelvedon and Feering. It was a joy to see the children from the Sunday Club leading the Good Friday Worship and telling us all about the significance of the Cross. So, don't deprive your children of spiritual nourishment - for in the long term - it's far more important than School Dinners.
Every Blessing,
FATHER DAVID