A new phase of Blogging: Round Deux

As I said in the previous entry, I have begun a new phase of blogging. I call it "Actually Blogging". We'll see how often I am able to put these out; these letters were written in a class, but I wrote them about topics I cared about. So, without further adieu, this letter was originally written to the Dean of Chapel, the great Steve Lennox but passed on to you for your feedback. Let's hear it. What do I miss?

I have been a member of the IWU community since the fall of 2003, and since that time, I have faithfully attended every Summit week. As I write this, I am unable to attend this evening’s service due to an athletic competition from which I am returning. To my knowledge, today is my first day failing to make it to Summit though as I pointed out, my absence is involuntary.
I was in attendance for both sessions yesterday, and after pondering the experience, I have a few questions. The services yesterday were certainly moving, and the speaker communicated a heartfelt message about convictions and their impact on our lives. But, for all my appreciation, the emotionalism of the service seemed awkwardly familiar. Obviously, the purpose of Summit week is always to refresh and refocus, therefore the services aim to produce similar results. Yet, as my friends and I discussed Summit ‘this time around’, I realized that I wanted more.
In fairness to the speaker, I should mention that he addressed the very issue I initially wanted to criticize—he discussed the importance of finding friends to go through life with. That point has been conspicuously absent from all the previous Summit speakers we’ve heard. On another evening, we prayed together, as students and as friends. And what a blessing it was! Still, all of these things took place in a very ‘Summit-like’ atmosphere, with voice inflection and finger picking on an acoustic guitar in the background.
I’m reminded of Oswald Chamber’s warning in My Utmost for His Highest: “Beware of a surrender which you make to God in an ecstasy; you are apt to take it back again.” Emotion is central to our functioning as human beings, and it can certainly be used (and is used) to mold us and break our hearts back in tune with God’s. The correct place of emotion in worship is not an issue which I wish to solve; however, I feel that a concerted effort should be made to find a Summit speaker who is willing to forgo powerful, emotionally driven messages of rededication. These are effective and serve a noble cause. But what a blessing it would be if the Summit week could be a time for quiet, determined journeys into discipleship! I wonder how many students would cease to be confused and discouraged in the following days as the emotion departs and the grind recommences. Let’s bring in a speaker who is less a speaker and more a teacher. Let’s bring in a teacher who is primarily concerned about whether we grow, not how we feel.

Thank you for lending your ear to a concerned soul,

Sincerely,


Luke Helm