Vespers Committee works out their faith at JSC

The Vespers Committee, a group of students who oversee the planning of Vespers worship sessions, sat down Tuesday to discuss the results of their trip to the John Sevier Center on Sept. 23 and possibly plan another. The tentative date for the next trip is Nov. 4.

The John Sevier Center (JSC) is an apartment building where residents are able to rent rooms at low rates. At the JSC, Vespers attendees had a small, intimate worship service with the residents and afterwards went outside to have an ice cream social in the parking lot.

The theme for this year’s Vespers services is “Work Out,” taken from Philippians 2:12-16, which says to “work out your salvation with fear and trembling.” While considering the theme, the Vespers Committee felt the need to really live up to the verse and start doing something off campus. Sophomore Tyler Ross, having heard Rich Gorman speak on this kind of ministry, suggested taking a group of students to the JSC to build relationships with them. After speaking with Gorman and his wife Dory, the committee decided to take on the task.

When asked about the student response to this call, senior Josh Stephens said he was “blown away by student attendance.”

To the committee’s surprise and delight, approximately 40-50 students participated in the trip. With new experiences come awkwardness, such as the initial reluctance to enter the circle of chairs, but as time went on students and residents warmed up to each other and began striking up conversations ranging from life in general to stories about the past.

“Ice cream helps to ease the tensions,” junior Autumn Pruitt said.

The committee also explained that this work, if one could call it that, is not so much a “service project,” but rather a “service relationship” to the residents of the JSC.

The committee has seen an overall increase in enthusiasm, rather than a large increase in attendance. The committee commented that people seem to really want to come, rather than just coming for the sheer fact it is the only thing on campus on Sunday nights. The committee has high hopes that students will be drawn deeper into what it truly means to “work out” one’s faith.