Letters to the Editor

Slide and glide comes down to integrity

I would like to write in response to last week's letter to the editor regarding �slide and glide' at chapel. I have no desire to take issue with the particular student, for I am sure that her sentiments in some ways represent those of many. Nor do I want to debate whether or not chapels are all/mostly/occasionally/rarely meaningful/perfect/properly edifying.

I would like to address the question of �spiritual formation' as discussed in the letter. The author is quite concerned for her spiritual formation. That is truly laudable. So much so that she feels it is appropriate to leave any chapel that is not going to meet her spiritual formation needs as she sees them or to not even attend, but to get credit for attending.

The question I have is: what kinds of things, in reality, play into our spiritual formation? Certainly many things. Worship, sermons, personal time spent in prayer and scripture, service to others and the world, spiritual reading. I would like to add two. Cultivating integrity and self-discipline.

I spent a couple decades coaching distance runners in track and cross country teams before coming to GFU. A lot of kids would come out for the team with a desire to be �winners' or �champions.' What relatively few were initially interested in, however, was the day after day cultivation of habits and work needed to get to those goals. Much of what makes a champion athlete is similar to what fosters spiritual formation. Primarily, the ability to stick with habits over the long haul. In the times when rewards are obvious and immediate and in the times when they are not. In the Midwest where I coached, the state meet was in the glorious late spring warmth of May. Championships, however, were won getting out the door to train in the below zero temps of January or the overwhelming humidity of August.

The point relative to sliding and gliding? Whether or not chapels are ideally meeting students' spiritual needs is a great conversation to have. Students ought to communicate to the Spiritual Life dept. the issues and ideas they have for chapel. That said, I would raise this question: What �spiritual formation' happens when a student who came here knowing that chapel was required and choosing to come anyway, walks up to the doors, slides his or her card and then walks away? Has that act positively contributed to the development of character or Christ-likeness? In taking credit for something that they have not done, and doing so willfully, are students forming themselves after the heart of Christ?

I fully encourage students to look at the chapel schedule and determine speakers and topics that they feel will edify them and attend those. You needn't attend all to meet the standards asked of you. At the same time, I attend most every chapel, often walking in with minimal expectation of how

God will meet me in that time. I often leave surprised at how I have been met. Above all, I encourage students to have integrity. If you choose not to come, then don't take a credit for that day. If you take the credit, come and stay the entire time with an open heart to the Spirit of God.

Steve Sherwood
Asst. Prof. Religious Studies Dept.
George Fox University

Chapel worship: Listen to the lyrics

Recently in chapel we sang the song "Here I am to Worship," which isn't uncommon, but this time I began to really think about some of the lyrics. I love the part about bowing down, though I wish more people would actually bow at that point. I also believe that God is lovely, worthy, and wonderful to us, and should be told so very often. However, I think it's strange that we would tell God that we'll never know how much it cost to see our sin upon the cross.

I would put the word �never' in the extreme category with �hate' and �always.' I generally try not to use them too often because they're extreme. It seems like a strange word to use when we, as finite beings, are talking to God, an infinite being.

"Now you're fighting over words!" you might say, but you'd be mistaken. Scripture says, "As a man thinketh in his heart, so is he," (Prov. 23:7 KJV) which in this case is to say, "If you say you'll never experience something, you won't." It's almost like we're telling God that we don't want to know how much it cost, or worse, that He can't explain or let us experience how much it cost. Neither one is great, but the latter borders on playing God. Acting as God is not good. So, what to do?

I suggest we sing "I want to know how much it cost to see my sin upon that cross." Why? It will change our lives. To know Christ in His suffering will lead us to knowing Him in His glory, and because godly sorrow leads to repentance. I pray that you would experience the sacrifice that Jesus made in order to be justified.

John B. Sullivan
George Fox junior

ARC move leaves many questions

I was disappointed to read the article about President Baker's office being moved to the current location of the ARC. I, along with a few other seniors, began questioning why the administration felt that the most beautiful location on campus should be changed from a room serving 900 students and faculty per year to an office that will receive far less foot traffic.

While I do not intend for this to be a critique of President Baker, I did not feel the explanations given within the article fully justify this move. I understand that our school needs to prepare for future growth, but I would like to hear more detailed explanations on how these decisions benefit both future and current students. While I recognize that students' complaints are often shortsighted and that there are no easy solutions to these problems, we deserve better than the shallow excuse of "university growth." It is starting to feel like the growth of this school is coming at the expense of the students who attend it now.

I would like to issue a challenge to the current leaders of our university to convince the students and faculty that we are receiving your full attention and that you are taking actions to respond to our concerns. If current students will be asked to make more sacrifices for future growth, remember that we at least deserve a good explanation.

Ben Ulrich
George Fox senior