Chapel...

Well, I'm back. Professor Honeydew wasn't kidding when he talked about the tyranny of maintaining a blog. Let's see if I can keep things a little more up to date this time.

I spoke in chapel yesterday, for the first time in something like four years. I joked that the last time I spoke the topic had been love and sex - and hence my protracted absence from the stage (which was partially true - actually, it was the second to last time :o)

Truth be told, I was surprised by how much I took in during the presentation. I've always thought of myself as a high self-monitor, and I carry on an internal dialogue (yes, I am crazy) fairly regularly. Yesterday I found myself actually looking at many of the faces in the crowd, which for me is unusual. Typically I tend to keep sweeping the room without actually "seeing" the people - but this time things were different.

It made for an interesting internal discussion. While my mouth was talking about stewardship as presented by Jesus in Luke 16, my brain was assessing various individuals, seeking to determine whether I was engaging them... whether they were bored... whether they cared at all or were merely seeking to avoid a fine for missing the requisite number of chapels. I'm not sure I really drew any conclusions, but the whole event did make me think about chapel, and what we (i.e. ABU) seek to accomplish by them.

Is chapel a place to come and to meet with God? To be edified and encouraged in the faith? To be challenged to evaluate personal beliefs? Yes, some say. But if that is true, then why all of the laptops, ipods, and textbooks? Ahh, you say, these are those who are compelled to come under threat of financial loss. If that is the case, then, their presence is at best distracting and at worst disruptive - ergo they should not be compelled to attend, a view that is held by many individuals with whom I have spoken.

If, however, we do not compel chapel attendance, will anyone come? Is the community of faith committed enough to show up? And what of the bored and indifferent - will they be impacted by this Christian community in any meaningful way outside of the classroom? If so, by whom or by what?

Perhaps there is no clear answer at this point. Perhaps what is important is that we continue to "live in the tension" as the VP Academic is wont to say. All I know is that one young lady spoke to me after I finished and told me that she thought my talk was funny, interesting, and that she actually learned something. For now I'll settle for that :o)