- Chaplain's Notebook: Point of CROSS-ing - Serving Others During Spring Break
3/14/2008
On campuses all across America this time of year the wonderful, energy-producing days of Spring Break hit the college calendar. Thousands of students will head home for a few days to sleep, eat home cooked meals, and "see the fam." It is no different here at Olivet. As I write this note, the campus is beginning to empty out. We finally have a couple of days of blue sky, which adds to the excitement. Most everyone I talk to - faculty, students, staff alike - are ll ready for some time off. - Chaplain's Notebook: Happy Birthday, Olivet!
11/12/2007
What a birthday party! We could not have scripted a better Homecoming weekend than we experienced the first weekend of November at Olivet's Centennial Homecoming. Large crowds, beautiful weather, winning sports teams, lots and lots of friends we haven't seen for a while, and wonderful, inspirational times of worship. - Chaplain's Notebook: Holy Spirit, Rain Down
8/22/2007
Having failed to empty my rain gauge for the last few days, I note we've received nearly six inches of rain over the last week or so. I woke up today to flash flood warnings during the "weather on the eights" portion of the Weather Channel. There's no complaining here, however. Just two weeks ago I was tired of the browning of my lawn. Now, all is verdant and the grass is long. I am in need of a yard trimming. - Chaplain's Notebook: A Sweet Idea
5/7/2007
From time to time, there are stories that I am made aware of that are so very touching. Let me report one of those to you. - Chaplain's Notebook: Lessons From the Seasons
2/19/2007
When I first heard it, I thought he was nuts! Our provost, Dr. Gary Streit, has this quirk: He doesn't wear a winter coat until after New Year's Day. "Why is that?" you ask. "Because it makes the winter so long," he retorts. - Chaplain's Notebook: A Serendipitous Moment
12/7/2006
We recently concluded an event that will be one of the highlights of the semester: the Missions Fair. I believe this fair will become even more popular in the coming years, perhaps becoming a perennial favorite. - Chaplain's Notebook: Quenching Your Thirst: Confession
11/30/2006
Our recent chapel guest, Robert Mulholland, reminded us that spiritual growth into wholeness is not an exclusively private or individual issue, but is corporate as well. He was trying to get us to focus on our need of others in order to process our brokenness and failure in the very best way. Yes, confession is, in part, a very private matter between you and God. The Reformation underscored this: "there is ... one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus" (I Timothy 2:5). Yet, confession is a corporate discipline, for we are a fellowship of sinners before we are a fellowship of saints. We are not alone in our sin. It is only pride that keeps us from acknowledging our need. In mutual confession, we release the power that heals. - Chaplain's Notebook: Quenching Your Thirst: Worship
11/16/2006
Dr. Henry Blackaby eloquently reminded us in chapel this week that worship is a transformational event. "Worship is a transformation encounter with God" and we are never the same again. He is acknowledging that mankind is destined to become whatever she or he gives themselves to. This is no less true of worship. In fact, it may be more true of worship. "A person will worship something; have no doubt about that. We may think our tribute is paid in secret in the dark recesses of our hearts, but it will out. That which dominates our imaginations and our thoughts will determine our lives, and our character. Therefore, it behooves us to be careful what we worship, for what we are worshipping we are becoming." -- Fosdick - Chaplain's Notebook: Quenching Your Thirst: Bible Study
10/27/2006
One must always remember that we are to obey God’s message to us, not simply hear the message and let it pass -- going in one ear and out of the other. "If you don’t obey, you are only fooling yourself," writes James, "for if you just listen and don’t obey, it is like looking at your face in the mirror, but doing nothing to improve your appearance."i Listening and obeying is the sequencing that is taught repeatedly in Scripture. The discipline of Bible Study has as its goal that exposure to the Word results in application. - Chaplain's Notebook: Quenching Your Thirst: Compassion
10/18/2006
True happiness begins in the area of expectation. If you believe that your life is your own and that it is up to you to get the maximum comfort and experience the minimum pain, you will be miserable. That underlying assumption is flawed. If you are a Christian, your life is not your own. "You were bought with a price," Scripture says. When we understand this and are captivated by its implications in our lives for compassionate service and servanthood on behalf of Christ, true happiness will abound. - Chaplain's Notebook: When Did We See You Thirsty?
10/6/2006
Jesus taught us that the two great commandments were to love God and to love our neighbors. It may well be the very teaching behind the ancient saying which reminds us that life is lived on two wings: personal piety and community charity. Our fall chapel emphasis, which connects the hunger for a deeper spirituality with a working knowledge of practical spirituality, should have two results. First, it should result in inward transformation. But it should also result in outward fruit. - Chaplain's Notebook: Quenching Your Thirst: Prayer
9/27/2006
To help our students develop a sound, practical, working theology of the spiritual life and its disciplines, we have developed an interactive site on the University’s internal student Web page called "Quenching Your Thirst."- Chaplain's Notebook: Quenching Your Thirst
9/4/2006
College and university students entering school this fall report high levels of spiritual interest and involvement.- Chaplain's Notebook: Assessing Spiritual Growth
8/24/2006
I read recently where the former president of Moody Bible Institute once asked a student from China if the believers back home would be pleased with her education. Her response was both interesting and challenging. "They will assess my spiritual growth," she replied, "by listening to me pray."- Chaplain's Notebook: The Imago Dei
5/16/2006
The 2006 edition of the Aurora, Olivet’s yearbook, was unveiled during the last chapel of the school year. The unveiling of the new yearbook is always a time when the campus is buzzing. Kudos to Sarah Parisi and the yearbook staff for their work. Under their direction the ninety-third volume of the Aurora focuses on the unique creation of man and woman as the crowning glory of God’s creation: the Imago Dei.- Chaplain's Notebook: The Da Vinci Hoax
4/27/2006
The postmodern age, a time in human history when truth doesn’t seem to matter, renders society peculiarly susceptible to trickery. The success of Dan Brown’s book, The Da Vinci Code, has shown that truth and fiction can be deliberately blurred. The market that he has found is one that has trouble distinguishing fact from fiction. You can be sure that when the film is released next month, interest in the book’s ideas will soar.- Chaplain's Notebook: Relationships are important
4/12/2006
The chapel series on relationships has been receiving many positive comments. From our end of things in the chaplain’ office, we are very pleased. We have prayed for God’s guidance in both setting the theme and in the selection of speakers and programming. So, you can understand our pleasure to receive comments like:- Chaplain's Notebook: Spring Break Missionaries
3/14/2006
“Whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.” These are the words of Jesus, spoken to let us know the priorities of the Kingdom: service and care to others. Over the days of spring break several of our students took serving others very seriously and were involved in a pair of mission trips.- Chaplain's Notebook: Just believe
12/22/2005
As is our custom at Olivet, our president brought his annual Christmas message for the closing of our chapel season this semester. Using the Christmas story found in Luke’s account of the Advent of the Christ child, Dr. Bowling spoke of six very important words in this story that, if we’re not careful, may be overlooked. “For nothing is impossible with God.”- Chaplain's Notebook: Advent and Finals Week
12/13/2005
As I write this note we are half way through the Advent season. As I prepared to lead our campus community during these important days I was reminded about an e-mail I once received. Apparently, a student was going over the chapel speakers for the coming week and saw that we had scheduled “Advent” for the Wednesday and Thursday following Thanksgiving. Not sure what this was about, the student wrote, inquiring: “Who is Advent and why is she preaching twice this week?”- Chaplain's Notebook: A salute to Jill Stanek
12/2/2005
Recently Jill Staneck spoke in our chapel at Olivet. It was an incredibly powerful chapel with few dry eyes in the room. Her message to us was not only very moving but it also forced us to think beyond the idealisms we so often imagine in a world like a University campus where there is a certain type of sheltered living.- Chaplain's Notebook: People of passion
11/21/2005
There is such a huge difference in language that the various generations are using today. Using the wrong terminology – meaning one thing when the students mean another – happens to me more than I wish.- Chaplain's Notebook: Coming home at Homecoming
11/3/2005
Homecoming weekend on a university campus is about as good as it gets. We just enjoyed one of our best. By definition, Homecoming is a festive annual event held by a college or university for its alumni. This year’s annual event did not disappoint; it was a great time to see so many of our Olivet family.- Chaplain's Notebook: Jesus is the reason
10/26/2005
How many times do you think you’ve heard the mission statement of Olivet? “Education with a Christian Purpose ... We seek the strongest scholarship and the deepest piety, knowing that they are thoroughly compatible… where not only knowledge but character is sought.”- Chaplain's Notebook: A Charted Course
10/20/2005
In any journey, there is a planning stage and a traveling stage. I like the planning of a trip nearly as much as the trip itself. I like to plan the route, going over it time and time again to make sure that I have covered the details. I am a “map-a-holic.” When I take a trip, I get the maps out a day or two early and I begin to study my route. Even on trips I take so often that I could point my truck and it would head “back to the barn,” I still use maps. I keep the maps open and within arm’s reach, referring to them often as I cross a different highway. I want to know which towns are north or south of the interstate I’m on and which highways are running parallel to my route.- Chaplain's Notebook: "I will pour out my spirit"
9/23/2005
There is a fresh blowing of the Holy Spirit on our campus this year. We first began to notice with the arrival of freshmen students a few weeks ago. A new class is always exciting, as is the returning students from the summer break. But there is a marked difference in the student body this year. A leavening of our campus is happening.- Chaplain's Notebook: “Between Sundays”
9/2/2005
We kicked off our semester chapel series for the fall: “Between Sundays.” We are focusing on the workplace implications of 1 Jn 2:6. “Whoever claims to live in Him must walk as Jesus did.”- Chaplain's Notebook: Move In Day
8/19/2005
On our calendar at Olivet we have August 27th listed as “Move-In Day”. It is one of the best times on our school calendar. Returning and freshmen students will spend the day lugging boxes and clothes, computers and carpet into their home-away-from-home for the next nine months. We can hardly wait. When that day arrives, the staff at Olivet will have spent many intense hours preparing for our family to return. The housekeeping staff, buildings and grounds, and the maintenance teams will have worked countless hours to be ready. The staffs of resident directors and resident assistants have again committed themselves to the work of being surrogate moms and dads. Chapels have been planned. From admissions counselors to zoology faculty-- we’re ready to go.- Chaplain's Notebook: Putting Away Childish Things
6/3/2005
“When I became a man, I put childish ways behind me,” Paul wrote to the young church at Corinth. He understood that being like a child was different than being child-ish. Jesus calls us to a child-like faith. There is no place in the stuff of adulthood for childishness and negligent immaturity. Unfortunately, the stuff of adulthood is being downplayed in our culture.- Chaplain's Notebook: Returning Gifts
5/20/2005
What do you get if you mix: one ex-con, a neighborhood where gang fights and gun fire abounded, hundreds of young kids with absentee or non-existent fathers, one man committed to living out the implications of his “new life in Christ”, sixteen weeks of summer and several dozen baseballs?- Chaplain's Notebook: Regional Celebrate Life
5/13/2005
The campus is filled this week with nearly two thousand students from around our educational region: Wisconsin, Illinois, Michigan and Indiana. They have descended on the campus for Regional Celebrate Life. Although I have been associated with Olivet as University Chaplain for three years, this is my first summer to be around for the annual event. I must say, I’m quite impressed.- Chaplain's Notebook: The Divine Mandate
5/6/2005
The ninety-second Baccalaureate and Commencement exercises for Olivet Nazarene University are just completed, launching the Class of 2005 onto a brand new beginning. Whatever safety has been provided in this University setting, it will be no more for them. The “now-graduated” Class of 2005 must begin to shoulder, as we all have to shoulder, their portion of the divine mandate: “Be fruitful and multiply; to subdue the earth”.- Chaplain's Notebook: One Week To Go
4/29/2005
A personal privilege, please.- Chaplain's Notebook: “Live Life Big”
4/22/2005
This week’s chapel services included the annual “Senior Chapel”. It was not only an excellent senior chapel, but a powerful service in its own right. In many ways, it was the result of God working through the executive council of the senior class officers, nearly all of whom have served in leadership capacity for four successive years. That’s pretty rare.- Chaplain's Notebook: “Run Like Jesus”
4/15/2005
All alumni of the same school, they had gathered in February in a warm climate for fellowship, for fund-raising, and, most important of all, to golf five days in the dead of winter. The school sent their chaplain to give morning devotions. The way some of them played, they needed God.- Chaplain's Notebook: Heather Wagoner—A Credit to God’s Kingdom!
4/8/2005
The Olivet campus community was deeply saddened by the death of one of our brightest, Heather Wagoner, of Avon, Indiana. Heather was one of four students involved in an automobile accident last Friday in New Lenox, Ill. Three other students were treated and released from the hospital. The accident was caused when their car was rear-ended and pushed into oncoming traffic and was hit a second time.- Chaplain's Notebook: Inhabited Praises
4/1/2005
It has long been a promise that God’s people have both experienced deeply and, therefore, have relied upon. It is the belief that God inhabits the praises of His people. What God-followers have noticed is that they can be tired and frustrated with some things, not sure about how problems will be resolved, but as they begin to worship they experience a spirit of peace and calmness.- Chaplain's Notebook: Taking a Break
3/25/2005
It’s that time of year when most students are thinking “Spring Break.” For many parents, those two words strike fear and raise anxieties. For the students, it is the opposite reaction. Their eyes brighten, they begin to smile and they lose focus during the last few days of class before break actually begins. - Chaplain's Notebook: Quenching Your Thirst
©2008 Olivet Nazarene University
One University Avenue • Bourbonnais, IL • 60914-2345
Phone: (800) 648-1463 • (815) 939-5011
Recommend This Page to a Friend