Tag: spiritual life

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Spiritual Life at Houghton

By Kat Wojsiat

Houghton University is a college founded on a Wesleyan faith in the Trinity, meant to be a community of believers pursuing academic excellence. As part of this institutional identity, spiritual life is an important focus on campus. Houghton offers numerous spiritual outlets to students, including chapel programs, worship sessions, daily prayer, and small group meetings. On paper, it looks like Houghton’s spiritual life is thriving, with lots of programs and events. However, a real look at Houghton shows the sadder reality here.

A year ago, I spoke with a friend of mine who was President of Mercy Seat at the time. Mercy Seat is an hour-long worship session open to all students that occurs every Monday-Friday night. He was having a terrible time finding musicians and prayer leaders to lead daily worship, and there were only one or two students actually attending Mercy Seat on any given night. He was so discouraged by the lack of student desire for worship that he purposefully gave Mercy Seat a one-semester break in hopes to give the students a chance to miss it. Since it returned last spring, attendance has been highly unpredictable, with anywhere from one to ten people on a given night. The current President, sophomore Jadyn Matton , said it is difficult to get people to attend, but when they are there, she has “definitely seen people uplifted and very excited!” People seem to enjoy their engagement with Mercy Seat and The Cry, but people just don’t often participate! In addition to this, a small few students utilize the daily prayer and communion, with only between one and six students there on a regular basis. 

The icing on the cake for me was Chapel on March 17th. Students had the choice to go to chapel 20 minutes early for extra praise and worship, but most students did not arrive until the usual start time. I got there after class at 11:05 and found that many students who were there already were sitting down or on their phones, as though this was not real worship and they were just waiting for the real part of Chapel to start. Worship is worship! We were given a chance to praise God with a little extra of our time, and so few people were actually excited to take advantage of this opportunity! The purpose of Chapel is not to just satisfy God with 40 minutes, but to practice honoring Him with all of our being; when there is worship going on, God wants you to join in! Even more, you should want to join in!

After worship ended, we had Houghton Alum Katie Allen (20’) come from Asbury Seminary to tell us about the Asbury Revival. It was a huge blessing to have a Houghton Alum right there experiencing this outpouring, and it was even more of an honor that we get to hear from her directly! She came all the way from Kentucky to tell us about this huge spiritual awakening that happened at Asbury! As she spoke about this revival, I sat in my seat feeling encouraged and warmed to hear about how God is moving in our country today. My heart was then broken when I looked around the chapel to see over half the students within my view on their phones and many more on their laptops. 

I am a student too, and I fully understand that sometimes you have to cram in your reading for your 12 o’clock class during Chapel; these things happen! But over half of our students just scrolling away on their devices while our speaker is telling us about spiritual renewal is just so discouraging. God is moving in the hearts of thousands in our society, but here at Houghton it seems like we are just pushing Him away. We see what God is doing in other areas of the world, and I know He can do it here at Houghton too! We just have to open our hearts and minds and put God first! After Chapel, worship continued, but very few students stayed. I want to encourage the student body to put down their phones, take out their earbuds, close their laptops, and rest in the sacred time chapel provides. Scripture firmly encourages taking a Sabbath, but I look around campus and see hundreds of students who never take a break. Chapel is a set time designed to allow us to rest in the Father’s arms and join in communal worship, and we should engage in the time we are given to do so. 

I pray that Houghton will see its own revival and that the Spirit will pour out on us. Our spiritual life has taken a beating since COVID, and we need to be renewed in our desire to seek God. There are plenty of resources; it is on us to utilize them. Participate in a Life Together group, dedicate one day a week to go to afternoon prayer, or make time to go to Koinonia each week! I hope that those who desire spiritual awakening will pray for Houghton to be renewed in the Spirit. I am not saying we need a two-week-long, nationwide, non-stop Revival. I just hope that each individual here at Houghton will take the step to make room for God in their lives, and I pray that God will move in this way here. ★

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Stories In Focus

Feature: Life Together Groups

By Anna Cathermann

Bible studies, book studies, and basketball are just a few of the opportunities that exist for spiritual life outside the Chapel doors.

“Life Together” groups began last semester as a way to support students’ return to in-person spiritual life activities after the COVID-19 pandemic. 

According to Chair of Religion, Associate Dean of the Chapel, and Adjunct Professor of Youth Ministry J.L. Miller, there was a lot of folklore surrounding small groups in the past. “There are a lot of small groups on campus” was a frequent mantra, but they often lacked publicity. The Life Together program was designed to bring these groups to the forefront of campus life as well as to provide an organized support system,with the chapel office providing counseling and publicity to leaders. 

These groups vary widely in membership and content: some are single-gender, others are co-ed. Morning, afternoon, and evening times are all available. 

Numerous Bible studies make up a large portion of the “Life Together” groups. Meeting in the Paine Greenhouse from 3-4 p.m. every Tuesday, led by Junior William Tormey. “Caring for God’s Creation” is a co-ed study for those interested in a Biblical look at sustainable living. 

All men on campus are welcome to study the book of Acts at Roth’s Bible study led by Junior Will Allen, which meets in the first floor lounge, Echo Base, from 8-9 p.m. on Wednesday evenings. On Thursday evenings from 7-8 p.m., the Ezra and Nehemiah Bible Study group led by Sophomore Matthew Foster also meets at Echo Base.

“Life Together” groups are more than just Bible study groups, though. There are also fellowship, support, and book study groups.

“Bible and Basketball” Co-Founder Isaac Little said the group is a “unique competitive fellowship that you cannot get anywhere else on campus.” 

From 7-8:30 p.m. every Sunday night, men and women come together in Nielsen for a brief devotional followed by a game of pick-up basketball. 

“Tea and Porn” is a small group of men that meets from 8:30-9:30 p.m. every Thursday in Echo Base. 

According to the group’s leader, Senior Adam McCutcheon, “Open and honest discussion of an issue which is largely associated with shame is a first step in helping us realize through the acceptance of our family in Christ that we are not alone and that we are accepted.” 

There are also two book study groups this semester. “The Garden City”, led by Seniors Isabelle Murch and Zoe Utterback meets in the main room of the Dining Hall on Thursday mornings from 8:30-9:30 a.m. Over breakfast, the group discusses “Garden City: Work, Rest, and the Art of Being Human” by John Mark Cohen. 

Women’s Area Coordinator Raegan Zelayaand Senior Arianna Zampella are currently leading a book discussion group that meets in the Gillette RD apartment. Around a dozen women are reading through “Sexless in the City” by Kat Harris. 

“There are a lot of different people with different beliefs and boundaries,” Zelaya noted. 

 They come together to discuss living lives of integrity in a world ravaged by the extremes of hypersexualization and purity culture. 

While the groups cover a number of different topics and interests, the program does have an overarching goal. 

According to Miller, “Life Together“ groups exist “to make sure we’re being intentional in creating spaces that people can experience discipleship in small groups.”★

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Opinions

A Holistic Approach to Balance

By Evan Tsai (‘22)

Almost all college students struggle with balance. In an environment that stresses productivity and involvement, there is always something around campus that can fill up your time. This semester I am taking an 18 credit course load, working an on-campus job, leading a new club sport, serving on a committee, planning for my career/grad school, and doing consulting work. At times it can feel overwhelming. However, as I reflect on my busyness, I am grateful for the opportunities that I have been given. The question then becomes, how do I maintain balance while striving for excellence in everything that I do?

When evaluating balance in your life, it is important to look at your personal health in multiple areas. Throughout this article, I will help you holistically evaluate your health in five different ways and provide tips for improvement. 

Academic: A unique part of college is the freedom to structure your work and study schedule around your personal habits. This is more flexible than the fixed schedule we had as a K-12 student or will have as working adults. However, with this new flexibility, it can be challenging to figure out how much time you should be spending on a class. If you find yourself spending more than 45 hours per week working outside of classes on a 15-credit course load, consider asking your professor for help, requesting a tutor, or consulting your classmates. Although you should strive for A’s in all your classes, sometimes it is important to acknowledge that a B is more realistic in a class that you are struggling with.

Sleep: Most college students struggle to develop healthy sleeping patterns. The National Sleep Foundation says adults should get around seven to nine hours of sleep. Although nine hours may seem very difficult, getting at least 6 hours of sleep is key for your ability to function. Loss of sleep can also lead to poor appetite, focus issues, and increased anxiety. If you are struggling with sleep, consider setting a consistent bedtime and wake-up time every day. It is also good to avoid screen time an hour prior to bed. Developing a night time routine that helps you to slow down and prepare for rest could include: taking care of your personal hygiene, reading, journaling, listening to music, setting out clothes for the next day, and making sure all your needed materials are in your backpack for class. Some of these tips have helped me ensure that I get enough sleep every night.

Physical: Living in Western NY, it can be very hard to be motivated to exercise in the harsh winters. The CDC recommends a minimum of 150 minutes of exercise per week, which can be broken down to 30 minutes, five days per week. If you are an NCAA athlete, that can be easy. However, if you find yourself struggling like me, try planning three times per week where you can exercise for 30 minutes. This could be going to the gym to bike, taking a walk with a friend, or joining in on a recreational sport being played around campus. Physical activity can help with maintaining a healthy weight, preventing anxiety, and improving your energy level.

Mental: Adjusting to college life can bear a huge mental toll on many students regardless of their age and experience. According to the APA, over 40% of college students suffer from anxiety, and over 35% suffer depression. Missing family, feeling the pressure of academic performance, and navigating social conflicts are just some of the many challenges you may struggle with. It’s important that you are able to develop healthy practices to process and work through these issues. Although it’s intimidating to reach out for help, there are many great resources at college. If you are struggling with mental health, the Counseling Center, your RA, the Dean of the Chapel’s Office, and even some of your professors are here to help.

Spiritual: Even at a Christian college, it is easy to neglect your personal faith. Chapels, Bible classes, and other required spiritual activities provide a good way to grow in a corporate worship setting. Some people may think that is enough, but part of your walk with God is growing in your personal relationship with Him. Specifically, morning or evening devotions are a great practical way to do this. Take 5 minutes in your day to sit and reflect. Read a short passage and pray. These moments can be critical in aligning your heart with the Lord. When you are overwhelmed by the constant demands of college, being reminded of God’s faithfulness, goodness, and peace is important.

These five areas of personal health are relevant to the struggles of college students. I hope that you are able to gain some insight into balance, and I encourage you to pick an area where you can improve your balance. It’s ultimately an ongoing journey as we seek a balanced lifestyle while striving to be successful with all of our responsibilities. ★

If you would like to talk more about balance, you can email me at evan.tsai23@houghton.edu.

Evan is a senior Business Administration major, with minors in Communication, Economics, and Organizational Management.

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Opinions

Faith, Justice and Hope

During one of the CLEW services, Dr. Marvin McMickle referenced a gospel song sung in many African-American churches: “This joy that I have, the world didn’t give it to me; the world didn’t give it, and the world can’t take it away.” I thought back to a seminary friend, who used to sing it, an African-American friend who invited me into his church, his neighborhood and his life. In my ignorance, I thought of his neighborhood as impoverished, disadvantaged and frankly, “bad,” a neighborhood that I, on my better days, might help to save.

MikeJordanLittle did I know, that neighborhood, and that friend and that church, would help to save me.  When my friend took me to his church in his “bad” neighborhood, I met the warmest, most hospitable Christians I had ever known. I met people who had less than I had, but shared more; people who society had pushed to the margins, but who welcomed me into the center; people who had known more suffering than I, but had more joy.

That experience recalibrated my spiritual life. I had to wrestle with the obvious fact that I had, in the end, very little to offer these fine Christians. I had more money and possessions, certainly; and yet, in the presence of these good people I realized that these were more liabilities than assets to the spiritual life. My friend’s church exemplified the fruit of the Spirit in a way that I did not. I was stuck in an anxious pattern, unable to discern God’s gifts in my life, and they knew genuine and obvious joy.  While I frittered and worried about finding God’s call on my life, they lived with bold confidence that they were God’s people for this time and place. While I gritted my teeth and tried doggedly to save the world (to embarrassingly little effect), they were joyfully operating as the hands and feet of Christ in their community.

MJThis reality makes me especially excited for this year’s Faith and Justice Symposium, with the theme “Stories of Hope.” We sometimes imagine that people who have been through war and armed conflict are incapable of hope. Places like Somalia, the Ukraine, Iraq, the Sudan (and other nations like Rwanda and Ethiopia before them) become bywords, shortcuts we use to approximate otherwise unimaginable suffering. “There can be no hope there,” we say, “unless those of us who follow Jesus bring hope to the hopeless,” and in so saying we honor not Jesus but ourselves.

Yet, of course, the reality is different, and far more joyful: God is already at work in all of these places. There is already hope there because God is there. And it is not merely a bud that one day might flourish, but often amid the poor and war-torn there is a more genuine, a more lasting hope; because it is a hope that quite obviously does not depend on everything being just right, or on the absence of war, or the presence of physical peace, or on stable government or riches. It depends only on God to give it: after all, the world doesn’t give it, and the world can’t take it away. That kind of hope was in short supply in my life before I met my friend. I had a fairly hopeful approach to life, but was always worried about something going wrong, or running afoul of God’s will. In the end, I guess I hadn’t known what it meant to truly hope, to hope without the nagging fear that something could go wrong and, in the process, take my hope and happiness away.

Usually, events like this symposium challenge us to get involved and work for justice.  And ultimately, I hope you do that. But before you sign up to help, before you run off to bring Jesus’ light to a dark world, listen to these stories of hope; hear that God is already there, amid all of His children caught in war and conflict, bringing hope to the oppressed. And above all, I pray that you allow yourself to learn from these stories of hope, to learn what real hope is, a hope that might just be sturdier than whatever you call hope today: because the world didn’t give it and the world can’t take it away.

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News

Conversations About Race Continue

In response to the “Shades of Black” incident that took place in February, and in order to further campuswide education on the topic of race, Student Life and Spiritual Life will be hosting several dinner discussion panels before the end of the semester to continue the conversation on race at Houghton. According to Rob Pool,vice president of student life, the intent behind the events is for students to come to a fuller understanding of “where people are coming from individually” in order to help “shape a better community picture” on Houghton’s campus.

Screen Shot 2014-03-01 at 12.06.30 PMMike Jordan, dean of the chapel, stated that while it would be difficult to coordinate too many events before the end of the semester, “we’d like events to continue into the fall.” Jordan also said that he was “working hard to bring in speakers to chapel next year who will be able to speak to the realities that divide white Christians and Christians of color.”

According to the Community Covenant, which all students sign, the Houghton community pledges to “seek to be a community of inclusion… [and] joyfully celebrate one another, rejoicing in our uniqueness, diversity, environment, heritage and calling.” The Covenant also condemns “discrimination and prejudice (whether of race, gender, ethnicity or socioeconomic class).”

After the Shades of Black display, which showcased the stories of African and African-American students of varied backgrounds, was vandalized in February, Student Life took action to identify the person responsible—an alum of Houghton. That evening, Greg Bish, Director of Student Programs, gathered students who had been involved in planning and who were featured in the display for a discussion. One of the key pieces of information that emerged from this dialogue, according to Pool, was that “those who were victimized should not be the ones tapped to help solve or address it” but that “it really needed to be an institutional response.” The diversity events that will be occurring are a direct response to those prior events/

Pool stated that while it is “the student’s responsibility to learn, to grow, to discuss, to grow and to change,” the college has “a major role” in planning events and providing resources and forums at which education on race-related topics can occur. Jordan echoed that concern, stating that while the college is seeking to be “very open to student input, especially the input of students of color,” the college is simultaneously trying to avoid making students feel “if anything’s going to get done, they have to do it”. Spiritual Life’s role in this process should extremely important as well, because “Making room for each other, listening to each other, not jumping to conclusions, finding ways to live peaceably together–these are essential [Gospel] things”, Jordan said.

The defacing of the Shades of Black was described by Pool as “eye-opening” to a “lack of understanding among some of our students,” as the person responsible was an “an outgrowth of the experience here in this community” while other students responded with “gross ignorance” to the fact of the privilege white students experience.

Jordan stated that one of the important things he learned was “how very important it is to mourn with those who mourn.” Jordan also said that that when someone has been deeply hurt “the Gospel doesn’t call us to defend ourselves, nor to lecture the person about why their pain is illegitimate.” As a Christian liberal arts college, it is important that we have continue to explore “each other’s stories about what the Gospel does for us; and students from a dominant white culture need to listen attentively to the stories of non-white Christians even when it’s a bit jarring to them,” Jordan said.

For those not personally affected by the incident but who condemned it and the attitudes who produced it, Pool recommended continuing to speak out in support of their fellow students who were hurt. He commended those who responded with “with genuine, visible expressions of support” for their fellow students and friends after the defacing of the Shades of Black display. Jordan called for bravery on the part of white students who may have been “reluctant or unwilling to see if they actually had something to learn from the experience,” saying that the Houghton community needs to have “the humility to listen to others’ pain and examine our own hearts.”

According to Pool, the freshman class this year has the highest percentage of racially diverse students in Houghton’s history; at present, the incoming first year class for the fall is set to surpass that record.

 

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News

Lipscomb Seeks New Perspective on Chapel through Blog

Courtesy of thedoubleusee.wordpress.com
Courtesy of
thedoubleusee.wordpress.com

At the start of the spring semester, Professor Benjamin Lipscomb, philosophy, began a ritual of not only attempting to attend every chapel from now until the end of the school year, but also of  documenting each experience via online blogging.

When asked what he hopes to achieve from undertaking such an intentional challenge, Lipscomb said, “It’s several things; it’s wanting to be more gratefully receptive to the work of my colleagues who put the chapels on, the students, the chapel deacons… it’s partly just seeing what it’s like or what it might do for me; partly to get a better sense of the value or lack of value of it.”
Though the blog’s origin and ultimate subject is Houghton College, Lipscomb aims towards a broader audience by minimizing the use of names and allowing chapel lectures to lead him to more broadly relatable topics.

He said, “I try to keep it anonymous in some small ways.  I don’t use the name ‘Houghton’; I edit comments if they use the name ‘Houghton.’  I never use the name of anyone on campus.”
Lipscomb establishes his goal for such anonymity by saying, “It’s something that also maybe makes [the blog] more widely accessible, as something that someone might be interested in who’s not a Houghton person.  I try to make it about a certain kind of experience that’s recognizable in a number of evangelical communities or evangelical colleges.”

Courtesy of houghton.edui
Courtesy of houghton.edui

 

Professor David Huth, visual communication and media arts, and friend of Lipscomb, said, “The blog certainly isn’t ‘about’ the chapel events, or the chapel program, or even Houghton College. If you read his posts, you can see that all of these things are simply jumping-off places for reflections and questions in his mind. The structure and schedule of Houghton’s chapel programming (and general subject matter of religion and community) are providing prompts for Professor Lipscomb’s thinking.”

Lipscomb’s interest also resides in the exploration of the idea that a mandated chapel schedule serves as a shared, communal experience.

In the first entry of his blog, he wrote concerning this aspect of chapel, saying, “I think it’s supposed to contribute to the formation, both of the spirituality of individual community members and of a communal ethos.  And I’m not being formed in whatever way that is, or not much.  I wonder too what difference it might make in my interactions with students if we had this experience in common.  Would it become a topic with us, a point of connection?”
As the college requires regular chapel attendance of students, and faculty are encouraged to do the same, chapel acts as a point of intersection, which tends to elicit interaction or common conversation amongst chapel attendees.

When asked more about this idea of exploring the effects of such a shared experience, Lipscomb said, “What do I hope might come of it?  I hope more conversation about chapel – not only critical; not even principally critical… We’re a college; we’re a community of intellectual conversation. The more I can cultivate or provoke people to talk about what they’re experiencing, what they’re listening to… the happier I’ll be.”

Thus, Lipscomb views his goal of faithful chapel attendance as not exclusively an act of self-discipline, but rather an act of community.

While discussing such an idea, Lipscomb went on to say, “I’m joining in the community in a way that I haven’t been required to… It seems to me it heightens the sense of community, it makes some more community than there would be otherwise, between the students and myself.  It gives me a chance to see how chapel functions, or whether it functions in that way.”
Since Houghton College refrains from requiring faculty members to attend chapel lectures like it requires of its students, Lipscomb’s new habit also functions as a deliberate act of self-discipline.
Lipscomb plans to explore the students’ chapel requirement in light of the faculty’s lack of requirement.

He said, concerning Houghton’s current chapel practice, “It’s coerced.  Sometimes coercion ends up working for our own good; sometimes it’s just coercion… there are times when we are coerced to do things that are for our good and we’re glad in the end that we have been.  I almost wonder whether the choice should be, ‘We will coerce this of our students and of ourselves as the rest of the community, or we won’t do either.’”

By willingly placing himself in the position of Houghton students, who are required to attend two-thirds of all regular chapels offered, Lipscomb hopes to relate to such an experience while simultaneously analyzing its purpose.

As Lipscomb muses in his blog, “The students living under the requirement–they’re busy.  They make the time; they have to.  What would it be like for me, I wondered, if I did too?”

To read Lipscomb’s blog go to http://thedoubleusee.wordpress.com/