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A personal devotional life is always a blessing. At the Chapel, we're ready to help you maintain your present devotional life or make a fresh start on one. Here are just a few resources that are available to every member of the University commmunity.
Residential Ministers
The Chapel’s Residential Ministers are students who are present to serve new students from the weekend they first arrive. Residential Ministers provide a welcome and a connection with the Chapel and with students who already know the campus and the people. Through the year in each freshman hall, Residential Ministers will organize regular meeting times for prayer and Bible study. They’ll work with students to organize other activities as well. The groups are a way for you to meet new people and form spiritual friendships here at Valpo. Your residential minister knows where the Bible studies and prayer groups are. Talk to them to find out the rich devotional opportunities right in your building.
Daily Morning Prayer
The single most frequent worship opportunity is Morning Prayer at 11:15 a.m. each class day. Worship styles change from day to day, season to season, with music ranging from ancient to contemporary. Morning Prayer is a time for students, faculty, and staff to gather as a community of faith, share space in the pew, hear God’s word, pray, and give praise. Coffee, lemonade, or hot chocolate also make the time just before and after Morning Prayer an occasion to connect with others. Sure, it's not exactly private devotions but just like a gym full of people on stationary bicycles, there's nothing to help keep you going at it like a room full of people in prayer.
New Prayer Book
In celebration of Valpo's 150th anniversary, a new prayer book is now available to members of the campus community. In Thy Light We See Light: The Valparaiso University Prayer Book includes prayers from Valpo's outgoing and incoming presidents and traditional campus events such as Advent Vespers, as well as prayers related to faith and learning, stress and struggle, giving thanks, relationships, and sorrow and loss. Also contained in the book are examples of varied ways of praying and how one can practice these different approaches. Each faculty and staff member is invited to pick up a free copy from the Office of Church Relations in Kretzmann Hall. Copies also will be available at the 150th Anniversary Campus Kickoff Aug. 31st at the welcome booth. Additional copies are $10 and will be available for purchase at the University Book Center or online at valpo.edu/bookcenter.
The prayer book will be supplemented by an online community in which members can post prayer requests, meet prayer partners, learn about ways to pray and view prayer resources. All are welcome to join the community at pray.valpo.edu.
Prayer Chapels
The Chapel works with Residential Life to maintain prayer chapels in each of the residence halls. These are places for prayer and mediation, song and art. Talk to your residential minster if you have a special need.
Spiritual Retreats
The Chapel offers a series of retreats through out the year that lead participants in the disciplines of prayer and spiritual discernment, especially in the area of life vocation.
Some Thoughts on Silence
Every Thursday Morning Prayer is an opportunity to learn the blessings of reflective silence as part of our Taize Prayer Around the Cross service.
Silence has been highly prized as a Christian discipline because as one attends to God’s voice, spoken during private prayer, worship service, the proclaiming of scripture, in solitary walks, etc., one’s inner being becomes focused and intent on receiving life, blessing, and spiritual riches from the One who is the source of life.
One needs to grow used to being in silence, for we tend to become uncomfortable when there are no sounds to distract us. Many of us struggle to still the chatter in our minds in order to pray and to create a space to receive God’s word to us in prayer.
Silence may be considered simply a peaceful attentiveness to God’s presence, a time to be quiet and let your soul breathe deeply once again. It may be a time for reflection on the words and music heard, a time for personal prayer and confession, a time to rest in God’s peace from the busyness of life. Silence can be a means of being in touch with feelings and thoughts, as well as an invitation to discern with God’s eyes and ears what needs to change in us for us to better reflect the image and likeness of God in whom we have been
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