Nov 4

Chapel this year at North Park Seminary has a particular weekly rhythm structured around the essential worship tasks of GATHERING, COMMUNING and PROCLAIMING.  Three days a week we meet at 9:30am for roughly 30 minutes of worship: each service centers on one of these three primary points of orientation for worshipers.

On Mondays we meet for a service of GATHERING in which we celebrate the goodness of God and the faith of God’s people via musical expression.  One of the premises of this service is that most of us heard at least one strong sermon on Sunday at our own faith communities.  This service, we hope, sets a tone of gratitude and gladness as we enter into a new week together.  The style of music varies from classic hymnody to contemporary to gospel to bluegrass.

Tuesdays our services culminate with our COMMUNING at The Lord’s Table.  The sacraments of the church provide another essential point of orientation.  The focus of these services is constant with a communion homily pointing to Table as preparation for receiving the gifts of God for the people of God.  Bread and Cup are distributed in a range of ways:  Examples this semester include a liturgical service from the Episcopal tradition as well as a service from the Thai tradition.  On three occasions teams of students from Dr. Michael Van Horn’s Foundations of Worship class will have planned and led these Tuesday morning worship experiences.

Thursday chapel services are ordered around the PROCLAIMING task.  The preached word is another of the primary points of worship orientation:  These services are built around biblical witness offered by a diversity of voices as far as race, gender, students, faculty and guests.  Two weeks ago, for example, University Provost Joseph Jones was our preacher.  Last Thursday our new denominational President Gary Walter preached.

This post was provided by Assoc. Prof. of Ministry and Director of Field Education Tim Johnson