Some students have acceptable excuses for skipping chapel. One might be: “The work at my job must be accomplished, so that I may prevent the starvation of my young children.” A second acceptable reason for skipping chapel: “Alas, I’ve fallen prey to the flu. I must sleep on this bed, lest I perish.” A third excuse students could use: “Woe is me! I must skip chapel to avoid failing my final examination.” But too often I feel like we have excuses for skipping chapel that are sorrier and far less sophisticated.
I’ve known people who have skipped chapel to take a nap. I’ve even been guilty of that crime! I’ve heard my friends on my hall in the dorms playing video games, instead of attending chapel. People might even be tempted to watch TV or movies, instead of attending chapel. People have given me the sorry excuse: “I just didn’t feel like going to chapel today.” It breaks my heart when people have these silly reasons for skipping chapel, because they’ve allowed themselves to miss out on the blessing God has for them.
Last year, CIU tried to regulate chapel attendance by having students put check marks on “official chapel attendance” sheets of paper to designate that they attended chapel. When this didn’t work, CIU turned chapel into a class that we have to register for and attend in order to graduate. Now, instead of filling out those “official chapel attendance” pieces of paper, we put checkmarks on a piece of paper that is taped to our RA’s door. But I don’t know how that really changed anything. We still depend on the honor system.
It’s up the students of CIU to have the honor and integrity to attend chapel faithfully. I believe in our ability to do this. I know that we can overcome our silly reasons for skipping chapel. I pray that we’ll attend chapel faithfully, so that we we’ll grow closer to Christ through connecting with friends, through worshiping, and through the messages of chapel speakers. How can we be propelled toward fulfilling our desire to know God and to make Him known? Attend chapel. That is the answer.
-Aaron Sobey