Chapel focuses on prayer

Our chapel theme for the past two weeks has been on Prayer. The story of Gideon from Judges 6 and 7 shows him seeking direction from God in a variety of ways. During these two weeks, we explored some ways to experience prayer.

Sierra Cheney started us off on the theme of Prayer on Monday, October 14 with talking about what prayer is and telling several stories of people’s prayers and how they were answered in amazing ways.

Tuesday’s chapel time was in small groups.

On Wednesday, Mike Wagner led us in a prayer practice of listening prayer through music. He spoke of how music is important to him as prayer and then played a recorded piece of music with instructions for how to listen prayerfully.

Thursday’s chapel featured a panel of 4 teachers who talked about the variety of ways they engage in prayer. Dwight Gingerich talked about being in a literal closet to pray and how that developed into a more figurative closet. Bryn Hovde spoke of using drawing as a way to prayer, Bryan Neuschwander talked about how he prays through journaling, and Mike Severino Patterson talked of how being in the natural world connects him with God.

On Friday, Sierra led in a prayer practice time in which could engage with one of the ways of praying that we had talked about thus far. There were different stations for prayer depending on the practice that students wanted to do.

On Monday, October 21st, we had a time of gathering in prayer circles for people to volunteer to sit in the middle of a circle and ask for prayer for themselves or someone else. The prayers were led by the chapel committee faculty members.

Wednesday’s chapel featured Hans Shenk from Rosedale Bible College in Irwin, Ohio. Hans shared about how maps can help give us direction. The person and life of Jesus gives us a map for a life lived for God.

Thursday’s chapel was a reflective chapel for what we had talked about over the last two weeks on the subject of prayer. We first discussed with our small groups and then shared with the larger group about what was meaningful for us.

The Hillcrest Praise Band wrapped up the week with leading in worship through song.