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Worship Principles

As an institution affiliated with the Presbyterian church and rooted in the Reformed and evangelical heritage, we believe that corporate worship is an integral part of our community's commitment to honor God, follow Christ, and serve humanity. Our worship reflects:

Our identity as God's people

  • As we worship together, we are reminded that we respond to the triune God personally but always in the context of a community of those who seek to follow, know, and serve God.
  • Participation in worship gathers us as a community across roles, departments, and other differences to remind us of our unity in Christ.
  • Through the power of the Holy Spirit, worship unites us with the saints who have gone before and with the universal church to which we belong.

Students sing and take part in a chapel event on campus.

Our identity as an institution

  • Worship gives us the vision to see God's hope and presence in our midst.
  • Worship humbles us. As we worship together we are reminded that we are God's, and that before God we are all equally needy recipients of grace.
  • Worship furthers the university's educational mission and offers acknowledgement that meaningful learning must be wedded to our deepest spiritual commitments.
  • Worship gives expression to our identity as the body of Christ across differences in background, ethnicity, culture, gender and calling.

Our identity as a worshiping community

  • Worship is rooted in the Word and Sacrament, and must reflect theological integrity.
  • Worship is oriented toward enriching our relationships with God and with each other.
  • Worship is participatory.
  • Worship reflects both God's transcendence and his immanence.
  • Worship is reverential and joyful.
  • Worship should allow for a variety of expressions.