Written by Emma Myhan
In its century of existence, Harding University has dedicated itself to building an institution based on the biblical principles of the Christian faith it claims to uphold. Since 1924, the University has done this in many ways, one of which has been its attentiveness to the needs of its students generationally. Each semester, Harding welcomes a new culture through new hearts, minds and worldviews. These changes occur in areas like updated classes or modernized dress codes. Currently, the student body is witnessing a shift in one of the core elements of Harding: chapel. Structural changes like the introduction of a praise team, the absence of projected sheet music and the end of chapel live streams were followed by changes in content like videos, worship chapel and more holistic uses of the arts. The discussion of said changes should not exist on the basis of conservative or progressive beliefs, nor should it revolve around the specifics of what elements should be changed or not. There are places for those conversations, but an opinion piece is not one of them (neither is social media).
The root of the conversation regarding chapel lies in the purpose behind its existence. To discuss chapel, we must ask, “Why chapel?” Without the why there is no unity in purpose, and without unity in purpose there is no unity in practice. The purpose behind chapel at Harding University is to create a unified community where the message of the gospel can be mobilized across and beyond campus. When viewed with this motivation, I believe the changes made to chapel achieve this purpose.
Shorter chapel reduces disengagement during devotional. The introduction of a praise team lets everyone hear their part during worship, which increases participation, making singing a unifying experience. The decision to stop streaming chapel to those outside of the auditorium makes chapel solely for the benefit of the attending faculty, staff and students, which in turn creates a valuable shared experience. Incorporating the arts into select chapel programs empowers students from different departments to use their gifts as tools to educate and encourage the student body.
Moving forward, it is important that we, as a student body, not evaluate chapel based solely on our preferences but instead prioritize the objective of chapel and the unification of our hearts around the gospel. After all, Jesus did not call us to love our practices. He did not petition us to love our podiums, our slideshows or our livestreams. Jesus asked us simply to “love the Lord” and to “love our neighbor.” It seems to me that these two tasks Jesus deemed most important should not be asked to compete with our opinions but should be the foundational as we seek unity around practices as valuable to the Harding’s mission as chapel.
