To pray, to learn, and to reflect

There are a lot of wonderful ways to participate in worship at Muhlenberg. For Protestants, chapel services on Sundays are great. For one hour, students and Allentown community members participate in chapel services; they turn off their phones, check their worries at the door, and come to have a peaceful time for worship.

The services always start with a disclaimer that everyone is welcome, religious or not. This part is more important than it may seem. Letting everyone know that all are welcome is an incredibly important part of worship, especially within a religiously diverse community like Muhlenberg. Often, people want to experience chapel just to see what it’s like, without participating fully, and that is totally allowed.

The great thing about Chapel is that it respects all religions and does not belittle them or claim to be the best, which is often found in organized religion. Following that sentiment is the lighting of candles, a process that unifies the community around Jesus and helps everyone feel like they are playing a part in the service.

One of the best parts of any chapel service is the music. Often, “Rejoice!” will be performed by the Gospel Choir, which is always fun to hear. Their harmonies are incredible, and their music is always reflective and inspiring. The music within the service is great as well. Everyone stands up and sings, which is another way of unifying the community around a single purpose. After music, Callista Isabelle, the College Chaplain, gives a reflection. Her reflections flections are always very powerful, and they provide the people something to think about for the coming week and to reflect on for the past week. She always says exactly what I need to hear. Sometimes during the reflection, there is a special guest or event. A few weeks ago, an artist visited and created a thought-provoking painting to music.

Another time this semester, Callista invited two missionaries who shared their experiences working in Hong Kong. This is one of my personal favorite things about chapel. Every service is different, and each time I learn something completely new. Callista also makes sure that we get the most well-rounded and diverse worship experience possible, which is really important for anyone who is working on strengthening their faith.

Once the reflection is finished, there is a time where everyone can stand up and go to two different stations, one to write prayers for others or requests, and the other is to thank God. This part is really important because it brings the problems of the community not only to God, but to the people as well.

Hearing everyone’s concerns really strengthens the community. Thanks are also significant, in that we hear and understand the good things about people’s lives, which are just as important as the bad. This unifies the community while allowing people to get stuff off their chest, which is a huge part of any chapel experience.

Finally, at the end of the service, the church offers Holy Communion, which is really significant, especially for people who practice at home and need that feeling of communion weekly.

“For me, Chapel is a welcoming place that allows me to take a step back and reflect on my week,” reflects Haley Szenczi ‘19, a leader in Chapel Core. “Going to Chapel every week allows me to connect with my faith, but at the same time be surrounded by some of my closest friends who I know will always support me no matter what.”

Chapel is a great way to spend your Sunday evenings (5:00 p.m. to be exact); it either will make you feel like you’re home again or it will allow you to experience a different or new religion without any pressure.

Whatever your reason for going, getting an hour of total peace during the week always feels amazing.