Spiritual Life

The Celebration of Life service Tuesday night was filled with happy memories, the kind of memories that make you smile. That fit the theme of the evening — the nine GCU people who died in the last year were known for their smiles and laughter. “Clearly, you have been impacted by those that we have remembered this evening, and what you do with what you experienced by your relationship with those that we have just referenced will be a tribute to them when you leave,” said Dr. Tim Griffin, Vice President of Student Affairs, Dean of Students and University Pastor.

The Spring Songwriters Showcase went off without a hitch Monday night. No surprise there — the Recording Studio is more than capable of presenting the livestream. But the list of performers did have some surprises, such as Yoo Jin “Gabby” Kim, who had to fully learn English when she came to GCU from South Korea three years ago, and freshman Briseyda Payan, who converted to Christianity only a year and a half ago.

Singing together at Chapel is a unifying experience, and it was especially so for the senior members of the Worship team who took the stage for the final time Monday. “Everyone was so full of joy but also somber, like, ‘Man, that was it,’” electric guitarist Joseph Vaught said.

Photos by Garrett Ohrenberg GCU News Bureau The final Chapel of the 2020-21 academic year featured music by the seniors on the Worship team and a brief talk by Dr. Tim Griffin, Vice President of Student Affairs, Dean of Students and University Pastor.  

The wide range of creativity among Chapel speakers was on display yet again Monday when Todd Clark of Slingshot Group showed how the word “should” can impact our lives in negative ways. Yes, there are good “shoulds,” Clark said, but too often the “shoulds” weigh us down with burdens that Jesus came here to lift. “The ‘shoulds’ are so sneaky,” Clark said.

The correlations are there, everywhere we look. We can be like the Good Samaritan, GCU President Brian Mueller told Chapel on Monday morning, and make it our mission to help other people, or we can be like the priest and the Levite and look the other way. There’s no question that GCU will seek to be like the Good Samaritan under his leadership, and he had a lot more to say about how the story applies to having a career.

Following Jesus isn’t easy. It’s a frequent message at Chapel, but Luke Simmons had some interesting things to say Monday about why Jesus’ followers found it so difficult — and sometimes we do, too. For example, he equated following Jesus to get what you want to marrying someone for their money. “… That’s not how Jesus wants to be approached, and yet so many of us, that’s what we do,” Simmons said.

Chapel was turned over to the twentysomethings on Monday, and they were more than up to the task. After nine GCU alumni performed more than a half-hour of inspiring worship music, Nick Ely (class of 2014) delivered an equally impactful message urging students to inspire older generations by living a life of faith. “With all of the reasons that people have to look down on you, if you are a follower of Jesus it is possible for you to live in a way that will make them look up to you,” he said.

Homecoming will have a different look this year, and not just because of the pandemic. It’s being combined with Family Weekend, which had to be canceled last fall, and will start Monday with a special Chapel featuring GCU alumnus Nick Ely, Lead Pastor of Christ Church Central Phoenix. There will be online events available for alumni and GCU friends to view all week.

Talk about fired up: Chris Brown brings the heat when he speaks. He is energy in motion — and emotion — as he takes his audience on a trip through a biblical story. Monday, he had a lot to say at Chapel about Jesus’ encounter with the Samaritan woman at the well, and it filled his student audience with a lesson they won’t soon forget: Don’t just seek forgiveness for your sins, seek freedom from them.