Chapel of the Abiding Presence

As a student at Texas Lutheran College (now University...sorry I can't say it...doesn't sound right) we had the opportunity to attend chapel at 10:30 a.m. every Monday, Wednesday and Friday. As a theology major, I was kind of expected to be there...and I was, every Monday, Wednesday and Friday. It was a 25 minute service with scripture, song and a meditation by the campus pastor. The pipe organ was played by a rotation of sacred music majors. Then we would all pour out into the gathering area just outside the front door of the chapel and eat doughnuts and drink coffee till we finally didn't want any lunch. Some of us had class right after chapel and stuffed pastries into our backpacks and filled our mamoth refillable coffee cups from the Sack and Save before running off to Greek or Philosophy in Literature or Business or Ethics or Homiletics. It was interesting. It wasn't just the theology majors in chapel...most of my friends were Biology or Chemistry majors...and there we all were, worshipping together. Ah...college. The best place I can think to receive that really rude awakening that everyone isn't just like you. Believe me, I was shocked...actually more pleasantly surprised. I don't know if that was glimpse of what I might be doing later but as I look back, I accidentally had people coming with me to chapel. People who told me later that they never would have believed that given a choice between a quick toes up or chapel they would have chosen chapel.

Ah...Evangelism. Another great equalizer :)