Chapel: why bother?

Not many people come to chapel at Union-PSCE. There is a good crowd on Wednesday, when the service of Word and Sacrament is followed by a community lunch. But the Monday and Thursday services are sparsely attended. In the 20s.

And not many people care to lead chapel. I know because I'm the chapel coordinator. This means that in addition to running to Montana Gold Bread Company and buying two loaves of challah bread for Wednesday services, I get to recruit people to lead chapel. It ain't easy. If it weren't for the fact that "guest stars" and academic departments cover most Wednesdays, and the Intro to Worship and Preaching Class covers one of the other worship services every week, we'd have been in a world of hurt this year.

So what does it mean that corporate worship isn't a high priority for an academic institution that, by and large, is educating people to be future worship leaders?

I hear, and this is second-hand, that the mentality in some quarters is, "We're an academic institution, and for spiritual nurture, everyone needs to look to their own congregation, not the seminary community." God knows I resent how parachurch and fraternal organizations replace congregations as the focus of people's worship and service, so at one level I can sympathize with this reasoning.

But in the end, I believe that a seminary ought to be about formation, not merely information. It's my sense that our seminary excels at forming people to be thoughtful and compassionate. Classes are rigorous, and the institution actively encourages good works (our annual Service Day, internship opportunities in social service agencies and inner city ministries). But I think the seminary is not so effective in forming prayerful, worshipful future clergy.

This is a shame. I can say with the wisdom of experience that all the exegetical skill, theological knowledge and eager-beaverness to set the world right isn't enough to survive in the ministry. In the end, if you are not plugged into a source of power higher than your own cleverness and sense of righteous indignation, the parish will eat you alive. 

It can't merely be a matter of, "I don't have time," or, "I don't get anything out of chapel." You have time for the things you make time for. And if you don't get anything out of it, well, just you wait until your first call and five to fifteen people leave your church because they don't get anything out of your sermons/youth group meetings/Sunday School classes.

It's really a question of institutional ethos. Are we merely informing students or forming them, and if that latter, into what?

Comments

[Sarah]

Interesting. Attendance here still generally steady, 4x a week. Yes there are ebbs and flows, but there is also that senior requirement to lead chapel - in teams - that helps. And having student groups and faculty/staff sign up ahead of time -managed by the dean of student's office. Lots of variety, good opportunity to experience different worship approaches/formats/orders. It's been a key spiritual discipline for me for going on 10 years now. Rarely miss it. You make very good points - hope some folks who might influence change take heed. peace, friend.

[Jonathan Marlowe]

In the end, if you are not plugged into a source of power higher than your own cleverness and sense of righteous indignation, the parish will eat you alive.

Amen to that!

[John Hinkle]

If you pay for my flight I will preach.

hinkle