Chapel Blog
Chapel topics in the middle school and high school are based on the Bible verse and theme selected for that school year. The lessons taught by the verse are broken down into monthly themes, and then taught weekly in chapel. Chapel blogs are written by Spiritual Formation Director John Bishop, Westminster administrators and teachers, and even students, and complement the teachings in weekly chapel.
2026
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Meek
This week, we continue with the third beatitude found in Matthew 5:5:Read More
“Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.”
“Meek” isn’t a word we hear much these days. And when we do, it often carries a negative tone. It sounds soft, timid—like how you might describe a mouse or someone who struggles to speak up for themselves. In the words of our eighth graders, you might hear someone say meek is “low key beta.”
So why does Jesus declare that the meek will inherit the earth—a reward we typically associate with power, ambition, influence, or assertiveness? How can meekness lead to something as vast and substantial as the earth itself?
To understand this beatitude, we need to redefine our assumptions. Meekness is not weakness. It isn’t being a pushover or avoiding conflict out of fear. True meekness is strength under control. It’s the ability to put others ahead of yourself—not because you lack confidence, but because you possess the kind of inner strength that doesn’t need to dominate.
Jesus isn’t praising passivity. He’s lifting up a way of being that values humility, gentleness, and self-restraint in a world that constantly pushes for self-promotion. The meek are those who live with others in mind. They don’t insist on their own way at every turn, and they don’t see life as a competition where only the loudest or strongest win.
When we live with ourselves at the center, our world shrinks to the size of one. But when we learn to see others, to care, to yield when appropriate, our world expands. We become connected, open, generous—and that’s the kind of life that truly inherits the earth.
Perhaps Jesus is inviting us to consider that we’re short- changing ourselves when we make everything about us. Real blessing, He suggests, comes when we let go of control, embrace humility, and trust that the way of gentleness leads to greater things.
So ask yourself: Where might meekness be more powerful than pride this week? And what might God want to give you—not by grabbing hold, but by letting go? -
Mourners
Read Moreby John Bishop, Director of Spiritual Formation, based on this week's MS/HS ChapelThis week, we continue with the second beatitude found in Matthew 5:4:
“Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.”
At first glance, this verse sounds like a contradiction. How can someone who is mourning—someone in the depths of grief—be considered blessed? Mourning is tied to loss, pain, and heartache. It doesn’t feel desirable, let alone like a pathway to blessing. And yet, Jesus makes this bold promise: those who mourn will be comforted.
The truth is, grief touches all of us—often more frequently than we realize. While we tend to associate mourning with funerals or major life tragedies, the need to grieve surfaces in everyday disappointments, too.
Consider a scene at Starbucks: after waiting in a painfully long line, you finally step up to order your favorite drink—a venti oat milk chai latte—only to be told they’ve run out of oat milk. Your sigh and half-defeated “Okay, fine, I’ll take almond,” is a small expression of grief. You’ve let go of the ideal you were holding onto and accepted something less than perfect. It might sound trivial, but it reveals something deeper: every loss, big or small, invites us to acknowledge what we hoped for and come to terms with what is.
You could have refused to grieve. You could have clung to your ideal, raised your voice, and tried to force the world to meet your expectations. But reality doesn’t always bend to our will. And when we try to ignore our grief—when we pretend, we’re fine or demand control—we miss the very thing Jesus promises: comfort.
Grief is not weakness; it’s a doorway. When we allow ourselves to mourn—whether it’s the loss of a loved one, a dream, or even oat milk—we acknowledge our limits and our longing. And in that honest space, God meets us. He doesn’t shame our sorrow. He sits with us in it. And through His presence, we find real comfort.
So this week, ask yourself: What loss have I minimized or ignored? Where do I need to make space to mourn? Because in that space, Jesus says, we are blessed—and we will be comforted. -
Poor in Spirit
Read Moreby John Bishop, Director of Spiritual Formation, based on this week's MS/HS ChapelThis week, we begin with the first beatitude found in Matthew 5:3: “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”
Just a few weeks ago, many of us were unwrapping Christmas gifts—things we had longed for, talked about, and eagerly anticipated. In those first moments, the excitement is real. We’re thrilled. We’re grateful. But it doesn’t take long before those once-treasured gifts lose their luster. The thing we once “had to have” becomes just another item on our shelf—or worse, something we’re already thinking about replacing. This cycle reveals a deeper truth: stuff, no matter how shiny or satisfying in the moment, was never meant to fulfill us for long.
Jesus understood this. In fact, He begins His most famous sermon—the Sermon on the Mount—with a powerful and countercultural statement: “Blessed are the poor in spirit.” At first glance, this seems confusing. Why would poverty of any kind—especially of spirit—be considered a blessing? Isn’t the goal to be rich in spirit, strong, full, and confident?
But Jesus flips our assumptions upside down. To be “poor in spirit” means to recognize our need—our spiritual emptiness apart from God. It’s the realization that we can’t earn or manufacture meaning on our own. We’re not self-sufficient, and that’s not a flaw—it’s the doorway to something greater.
When we admit our spiritual poverty, we create space for God to move in. We become open to His grace, His truth, and His kingdom. And that kingdom is not like the kingdoms of this world. It isn’t built on possessions, power, or popularity. It’s a kingdom marked by peace, joy, humility, and purpose—things no amount of stuff can ever truly offer.
So as we reflect on this beatitude, let’s ask: What am I clinging to for fulfillment? Am I willing to let go of the illusion of self-sufficiency and admit my need? Because Jesus promises that it’s in that very place of honest humility that we find the kingdom of heaven.
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2026
Westminster Christian School, located in Palmetto Bay, Florida, is a private, college-preparatory school for children from preschool through twelfth grade.