Until Easter, students at Sherborne Girls in Dorset will be able to explore what Lent means to them in their very own ‘God Pod’ – a wooden shed on wheels that mysteriously moves around the school grounds and provides girls of all ages with a quiet place to ponder and pray.
Currently decorated as a beach, complete with sand and sunrise, by Singaporean student Elle Soo, the mobile chapel is also covered with inspirational song lyrics that the girls have chosen and chalked up on the walls, along with thought-provoking news articles from the week.
Sherborne Girls’ chaplain Rebecca Ayers-Harris said: “The school has traditionally had no chapel of its own, so the God Pod provides the girls with a chance to reflect on what a sacred space means to them, both personally and as a community. The girls have also been using the space to record their reflections on a video camera, which are then regularly made into mini films that can be sent to all members of the school community. More metamorphoses are planned for the God Pod in the run-up to Easter.”
Says student Grace Longman, 14, who has been visiting the pod regularly: “The God Pod has been a great place to go when I’ve wanted space to think and a little time away for some quiet worship. It’s nice to have a cosy corner of the school where you can reflect on what’s going on, not just within your immediate circle of friends but in the wider world. It’s not every school that has a mobile place of worship – and although it obviously looks fun and quirky as it travels around the grounds it does fulfil a serious function in our lives. ”
