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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Following in Your Father's Footsteps
by John Bishop, Director of Spiritual Formation, based on this week's MS/HS chapel messageRead More
When I was a kid, my dad worked as a machinist in the engineering department at Cornell University. From time to time, he would tell us about the ridiculous plans he’d been handed, parts the engineering students had dreamed up on paper but never fully thought through. His job was to manufacture those parts according to the specifications. Because he was a very sharp man, he often had strong opinions about the designs and wasn’t shy about sharing them with the engineers upstairs. “Your specs are calling for A572 Grade 50 steel,” he’d say, “and you’re not going to get away with anything less than 4140.” Occasionally, he even changed their minds, saving himself a great deal of time and frustration in the process.
That discerning eye didn’t stay in the machine shop; he brought it home as well. We lived in an old house that
constantly needed attention, so there was always something under construction. Windows were being replaced, plumbing redone, walls torn down and moved, and furniture and equipment hauled in and out. Beyond the house, there were barns, sheds, and a chicken coop on the property that all required building and maintenance.
When we built the chicken coop, I was probably seven years old. I still remember being up on the roof, clumsily nailing down shingles. “You might want to drive the roofing nail, not your fingernail,” my dad would say as I nursed my bruised fingers. Learning how to handle a hammer was simply part of being a Bishop.
We often follow in the footsteps of our fathers. What we see our parents do, how they work, speak, and respond to challenges, shapes how we live. This influence can be both good and bad. I’ve always been “handy” because my dad taught me how to use tools, but I’ve also had to wrestle with the habit of using biting sarcasm to communicate.
When Jesus calls us to Himself, He says, “Follow me.” What He means is simple and demanding: live as I live, go where I would go, do what I would do, and say what I would say. Jesus followed perfectly in the footsteps of His Father in heaven, and He calls us to do the same. Romans 12:2 puts it plainly: “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind…” In Christ, everything begins to change.
Over time, we start to sound different. We act differently. Our choices no longer mirror the culture around us but increasingly reflect Jesus. Some things we learn from our families are gifts to be cherished, God placed you in your family on purpose. But when it comes to how we ultimately live, our model is not our earthly father, but our heavenly one.
We were meant to follow in our Father’s footsteps, and those footsteps led to the cross so that we might have life, and have it to the fullest. Take inventory of your life: do the things you say and do look and sound like Jesus? -
A Spitting Image
Read Moreby John Bishop, Director of Spiritual Formation,
based on this week's chapel message
It is a nearly universal experience, when a baby is born, for people to compare how the child looks to his or her parents. This instinctive reaction is often captured with the phrase, “Oh, he’s a spitting image.” It’s almost irresistible to point out the resemblance, especially when you know the family well. Sometimes it’s obvious, like the shape of a nose or a familiar smile. Other times it’s subtle: the way a child tilts her head, laughs, or carries himself through a room.
Of course, resemblance isn’t always physical. Some children don’t look much like their parents at all, yet the family connection is unmistakable. Maybe they share the same competitive streak, the same dry sense of humor, or the same response when frustration sets in. These similarities are more than endearing observations; they quietly remind us of who we are—and whose we are.
This is especially evident in adoption, where there is no biological connection. Even then, you can often recognize the family bond almost immediately. Belonging, in this case, goes far beyond genetics. It shows up in shared values, rhythms of life, patterns of speech, and ways of relating to the world. Over time, love shapes identity.
The same phenomenon happens in communities. Groups of people begin to “look like each other” through shared habits and values. When I lived in Canada, people genuinely did say “sorry” all the time. Now that I live in Miami, I can often recognize locals by how they dress, how loudly they talk in restaurants, and by phrases like “Bro” or “Oh, that’s super cute.” Toss the word pero into an otherwise English sentence, and the Miami origin becomes undeniable.
This is no accident. Scripture tells us that God created human beings in His image. In Genesis 1:26–28, we see a clear distinction: while plants and animals are made “according to their kinds,” humanity is created in the image of God Himself. In other words, there is an undeniable family resemblance between humanity and divinity.
We reason, create, discern right from wrong, recognize beauty, and love. These qualities set us apart and reflect the character of our Creator. This is why every human life carries inherent dignity and worth. It’s why kindness, generosity, belonging, and justice matter—and why hatred, racism, and selfishness are fundamentally wrong.When we step back and look at humanity as a whole, the resemblance becomes clear. God created us to reflectHim—to bear His character into the world. And when love, justice, creativity, and mercy are on display, the family resemblance comes into focus. We were always meant to be recognizable as His—to be, in the truest sense, a spitting image of our Father. -
God Leaves the Light On
Read Moreby John Bishop, Director of Spiritual Formation, based on this week's MS/HS Chapel
Last week, I described the tension of driving a car that was clearly breaking down while climbing a mountain onvacation. Our destination was my friend’s parents’ house, or as it’s known to us, The Bear’s Den. At the top of the winding road that leads to the house stands a wrought-iron gate with bears cast into the bars. Hand-carved wooden bears stand guard at the entrance, and occasionally there are actual bears disappearing into the woods as you pass through.For nearly eight years, we’ve spent the week after Christmas at The Bear's Den. It has become familiar territory, filled with shared meals, stories, and comforting traditions. So, when our struggling car finally sputtered around the last corner and the gate came into view, our entire family erupted in unison: “We made it.”The relief was immediate. The fear of being stranded faded, the tension drained from our shoulders, and what replaced it was something deeper, a genuine sense of arrival. Ahh…we're home. After a fifteen-hour travel day, that moment felt like an emotional exhale. To make it even better, our friend’s mom had her famous spaghetti waiting and made sure everyone had a full plate the moment we walked through the door.There is no feeling quite like going home. And conversely, there are few pains as deep as the ache of wanting to be home and not being able to get there. That hollow homesickness—the emptiness that settles in our gut—is a beacon calling us back to what is familiar, safe, and secure. It is the longing for belonging, and it is an echo straight out of Eden.God is our Father. He made us in His image, and from the moment we rebelled against Him in the garden, He has been working relentlessly to bring us back home. In short, God leaves the light on. He has the table set, the meal ready, and He waits at the gate for us to return.We were never meant to navigate life alone, grinding through its inevitable struggles without direction or hope. Through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus, the way home has been made clear. Even if we arrive broken and battered, like the prodigal son, or like my own check-engine-light version, when we finally round the corner, we find God standing at the gate, ready to welcome us home.Don’t accept the lies that try to convince us that success in this life is what ultimately matters, or that lasting joy can be found in material things. Those lies are whispered by the same forked tongue that deceived Adam and Eve in the garden, promising freedom while delivering exile. Instead, come home to Jesus. In Him, we find not only forgiveness, but restoration, belonging, and the new life we were created for.
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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.