Spiritual Life

A mixture of logical debate strategies for pro-life arguments and anecdotes about the sanctity of human life highlighted GCU’s second annual Bioethics Conference, Human Dignity: Clash of World Views. One speaker refused to abort her daughter and refused to use stem cells from fetuses to aid her brain damaged son. Another speaker shared heartfelt steps to ease grief from the loss of a newborn.

Joni Eareckson Tada’s heartfelt talk Monday at Chapel was all about getting up and doing something for people with disabilities. “Christians are the agents of comfort and mercy,” she said, “and when you reach down and help the least and the last of the brethren, you not only give them the Gospel of friends, you’re becoming the Gospel to them.”

The second annual Bioethics Conference, titled “Human Dignity: Clash of World Views,” is scheduled for Monday, Sept. 20, at GCU Arena and the First Southern Baptist Church.

Having a song chosen for a Canyon Worship album is quite an honor, but it’s not at all like a competition for Center for Worship Arts students. The final story of the GCU Today series on the 2018 release, scheduled for Monday, focuses on the camaraderie in the Recording Studio. “It’s an amazing community. You can tell that God is the center of everyone’s focus within our friendships,” sophomore Chris Calderon said.

Writing a song isn’t a simple process, and the inspiration for some of the music for Canyon Worship 2018 happened when the student artists least expected it. Part 3 of the GCU Today series provides an inside look into three more of the songs on the Center for Worship Arts album, scheduled to be released Monday.

Canyon Worship 2018 begins with “Rhythm,” a song that “is just upbeat and makes you want to dance,” said Eric Johnson, manager of the GCU Recording Studio. Part 2 of the series on the album, due to be released Monday, looks at how Harrison Russell created “Rhythm” and “Come to Me” for the album and what into the songs of two repeat Canyon Worship artists, Katie Brown and Kristyn Marie.

The trend in Christian music is toward corporate (aka congregational) worship songs, and Canyon Worship 2018 has a lot of them. But the Center for Worship Arts student artists also came up with a variety of other sounds. “There are so many creative and talented students here,” said one of the producers, Geoff Hunker. On the album’s release date, Sept. 10, Harrison Russell will sing “Rhythm” at Chapel.

Ray Carawan’s path to GCU wasn’t without obstacles. This online student pursing a bachelor’s degree in Christian Studies hopes one day to be a pastor for people like him — people who have disabilities. “In our weaknesses, His glory is revealed,” Carawan says.

When everything is going great, you think you don’t have a care in the world. Oh yes you do, President Brian Mueller told Chapel on Monday morning. He urged listeners, especially students, to help people who are hurting. “We need to look for them. We need to care for them,” he said.

“I appeal to you, brothers, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree, and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be united in the same mind and the same judgment. For it has been reported to me by Chloe’s people that there is quarreling among you, my brothers. What I mean is that each one of you says, ‘I follow Paul,’ or ‘I follow Apollos,’ or ‘I follow Cephas,’ or ‘I follow Christ.’” (1 Corinthians 1:10-12) By Pastor Jim Miller GCU Corporate Chaplain Either/or.  Both/and.  I got to thinking about those distinctions over vacation. (Yes, this is what I do on my vacations!) In John 17, Jesus prays that his followers would be one, that they would experience the same oneness that Jesus and the Father experienced, and if they did then the whole world would know that they had been transformed by Jesus. Now that’s a pretty profound prayer! Paul has to have that in mind when he encounters this early church and, well, its dysfunction. Can’t you just hear him? “What are you thinking? You’re supposed to be one, to be unified, to be both/and kinds of people. This is how people will be attracted to […]