Story by Rick Vacek
Photos by Ralph Freso
GCU News Bureau
Spiritual life in the 2021-22 academic year at Grand Canyon University will be remembered for its emotional rush.
As in students rushing the GCU Arena stage and forming a mosh pit of enthusiastic worship.
They raised their hands and sang and jumped again Monday morning in the final Chapel of the year, just as they had in the Ignite service that opened the fall semester.
It was another big crowd, like Ignite and so many other Chapels this year. And the music just kept reverberating.
"Great are You, Lord," everyone sang.
"Christ alone cornerstone."
"I surrender all."
Dr. Tim Griffin, Vice President of Student Affairs, Dean of Students and University Pastor, delivered a brief end-of-year talk, having examined the end-of-book writings of Peter and Paul in their New Testament letters. The trends he saw were encouragement, truth about their doctrines and what they planned to do next.
So he urged students to finish the year strong by offering encouragement or forgiveness to someone who needs it.
"Don't let the semester end without saying what you know you need to say," he said. "Let's be intentional."
He conducted a doxology, citing the last two verses of the Book of Jude as students raised their hands in worship:
To Him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you before His glorious presence without fault and with great joy — to the only God our Savior be glory, majesty, power and authority, through Jesus Christ our Lord, before all ages, now and forevermore! Amen.
Griffin also noted that it was the last Chapel for these Worship team seniors:
- Amanda Riffe
- Brandon Cruse
- Caden Tonkinson
- Connor Sawyers
- Edwin Lopez
- Tim Hesman
- Travis Fritz
- Westin Lewis
- Zoe Hunter
Griffin enjoyed the stage rush as much as anyone.
"These students love worship," he said later. "It didn't surprise me, but I wasn't expecting it, to be honest with you. You kind of think that they're tired and ready for the semester to be over and need to go back and do homework, but clearly that wasn't the case. It was pretty cool."
Below are more photos from an eventful hour:
