Cedarville Magazine, Spring 2019

love to hear the 15-second clips of their favorite hymns. Families love the opportunity to daily connect with their Cedarville students on Facebook Live.” Much like Matson, who took notes for chapel recaps in the radio days, Gump takes notes each day for online distribution, one more hand in the many-faceted body responsible for the chapel experience so many enjoy today. “I attend chapel each day,” she explained. “And my role is selecting a single quote that summarizes the entire message.” She described that task as both “a challenge and a delight.” CHAPEL IN TRANSITION On November 16, Bortel opened his sermon on Joshua with an illustration of what his father used to say to him and his siblings during times of transition, such as moving from terminal to terminal in a busy airport. “Boys,” his dad would say, “this is a moment of transition. Stay close.” As Bortel speaks, two stories of packed chapel seats rise up in front of him. His image — curly hair and an eager smile, a Bible in hand — is projected onto big screens behind him. On stage sit a handful of guitars in their racks. A white light shines on a red drum set. Somewhere in that dark auditorium, Brock’s eyes and ears look for angles while video streams through wires and the automated channels set up by hours of work by Mazelin and others. Students’ families from the other side of the planet watch, too, sharing in the experience. Somewhere in the audience, Gump is taking notes. Bortel goes on to give a sermon about what to do during moments of transition. Like God urged the Israelites, the takeaway is to be faithful in the moment, and leave the results up to God. His Word, simply spoken, will not come back void. As he closes, as he always does with a poem of his own, inspired by that day’s passage, it causes one to reflect on the history, transition, and growing reach of Cedarville’s chapel, a stage from which God’s Word has been read for many years. The opening lines of Campbell’s poem seem a fitting end: When there comes a transition, a future so daunting And there’s doubts in suspension, floating and haunting God speaks to His leader, comfort and command Be strong and be a reader, Joshua, My promises still stand. Andrew J. Graff is Assistant Professor of English at Cedarville University. He received his M.F.A. in creative writing from the University of Iowa.