Despite Addition of Liturgy to Chapel, Wheaton College Strives to Maintain its Evangelical Protestant Identity | The Odyssey Online
Start writing a post
Lifestyle

Despite Addition of Liturgy to Chapel, Wheaton College Strives to Maintain its Evangelical Protestant Identity

By not preaching on the liturgy

42
Despite Addition of Liturgy to Chapel, Wheaton College Strives to Maintain its Evangelical Protestant Identity
Wheaton College

Wheaton College instituted a liturgical plan for its mandatory school chapels for the 2016-2017 school year, of which on Mondays, students will hear a reading from the Gospel, on Wednesdays a reading from scripture in a chronological attempt to go through the entire narrative, and on Fridays, a Psalm. This may seem like an attempt to leave the Low Church evangelical tradition and drift into High Church, but by no means is it in any way, for at its core, Wheaton College is Evangelical Protestant, and maintains that by not having preachers who preach on the readings, but preach on whatever they want.

Although some of the chapel speakers have heavily alluded to the reading of the day, they use it to craft the message that they had already intended to give. It is more like they are using the Bible passages there to get back up the message instead of preaching the direct message from the Bible passage. A few speakers have not even acknowledged the reading of the day, and just quoted other Scriptures in their sermons an acknowledgement of the absence of a commandment that dictates that they must preach on the readings.

When asked about this, a student said, “We’re Evangelicals after all. Why preach simply what the Bible says when we can instead just preach what we want? Let’s teach the students what we think is right by comparing such and such to Bible characters. We’re Protestants, so we protest.”

When asked about what he made of the liturgy and preaching in chapel, another student said, “Oh, I was doing homework and not paying attention. I’m saving up my skips for the end of the year.”

Another student said, “I was more in the mood for what scripture the speaker wanted to talk about than the scripture that was actually read.”

There are many speculations that this trend will continue, especially when it has been personal testimony and lively story orientated sermons that have made Wheaton College chapel Wheaton College chapel. However, students will either be attending or skipping chapel anyway without any thought of whether or not the sermons align with the liturgy.

Report this Content
This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.
Adulting

18 Things I Want To Do Now That I'm 18

I'm technically an adult, so I'm legally required to live a little, right?

1360
Happy Birthday Cake

For the entirety of my high school career, I was always seen as the goody-two-shoes. I never got in trouble with a teacher, I kept stellar grades, and when I wasn't doing extracurricular activities, I was at home studying. Even when I did go out, it was usually with a bunch of fellow band geeks. The night would end before 11:00 PM and the only controversial activity would be a fight based on who unfairly won a round of Apples-to-Apples when someone else clearly had a better card (I promise I'm not still holding a grudge).

Now that I'm officially an adult, I want to pursue some new things. I want to experience life in a way that I never allowed myself to do prior to entering college. These are the years that I'm supposed to embark on a journey of self-discovery, so what better way to do that than to create a bucket list?

Keep Reading...Show less
Featured

10 Life Lessons from Christmas Classics

The holiday classics that shaped my life

819
10 Life Lessons from Christmas Classics
Flickr

The holiday season is full of stress, debt, and forced conversation. While we rush through the month of December, it's important to take a step back and enjoy the moments before they're gone. Most families love to watch Christmas movies, but these beloved films provide more than entertainment. Here are 10 life lessons that I've learned from the holiday classics we watch every year.

Keep Reading...Show less
Featured

15 Mind-Bending Riddles

Hopefully they will make you laugh.

199992
 Ilistrated image of the planet and images of questions
StableDiffusion

I've been super busy lately with school work, studying, etc. Besides the fact that I do nothing but AP chemistry and AP economics, I constantly think of stupid questions that are almost impossible to answer. So, maybe you could answer them for me, and if not then we can both wonder what the answers to these 15 questions could be.

Keep Reading...Show less
Entertainment

Most Epic Aurora Borealis Photos: October 2024

As if May wasn't enough, a truly spectacular Northern Lights show lit up the sky on Oct. 10, 2024

20745
stunning aurora borealis display over a forest of trees and lake
StableDiffusion

From sea to shining sea, the United States was uniquely positioned for an incredible Aurora Borealis display on Thursday, Oct. 10, 2024, going into Friday, Oct. 11.

It was the second time this year after an historic geomagnetic storm in May 2024. Those Northern Lights were visible in Europe and North America, just like this latest rendition.

Keep Reading...Show less
 silhouette of a woman on the beach at sunrise
StableDiffusion

Content warning: This article contains descriptions of suicide/suicidal thoughts.

When you are feeling down, please know that there are many reasons to keep living.

Keep Reading...Show less

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Facebook Comments