Daniel VanVliet with Thurible"...lift up holy hands always..."

Worship & Spirituality
& Lutheran Campus Ministry at WVU

Lutheran Campus Chapel worship is a celebration of God's love known in Jesus Christ, which is communicated through the Gospel ministry of Word & Sacrament.  We are committed to multiple weekly worship offerings when the university is in session and a reduced, variable schedule when the university is not in session or in summer session.

Regular Worship  |  Seasonal & Festival Worship  |  Current Worship Schedule  |  Other Notes

Regular Worship Offerings

While many have asked about our "regular" worship schedule, it should be noted that our worship schedule changes year to year (sometimes semester to semester) to match the ebb and flow of the academic year and the spiritual needs of those we serve.  To review an up-to-date worship schedule, click here.

Among our regular offerings you will find...

Sunday Mass No need to crawl out of bed before noon!  Our principal worship service...this is a full high mass (smells & bells) which includes preaching and the administration of the Sacrament of the Altar (Holy Communion).  Throughout the fall and spring academic terms, nearly every Sunday evening features this worship service at 7:00 PM.
Compline A contemplative close to the day.  A.k.a., "prayer at the close of the day,"  this liturgy lasts less than fifteen minutes.  This brief prayer office brings a restful and contemplative end to the day through short Scripture readings, simple chants, and moments of silence.  This liturgy is prayed Sundays, 9:00 PM, and Thursdays, 9:45 PM.
Wednesday Sext A Midday Respite.  A.k.a., "noon prayer."  Lasting less than 10 minutes, this very brief prayer office is drawn from the Benedictine tradition.  It includes a hymn, psalm, and reading of a brief Scripture.  It is a midweek, midday moment of silence and serenity in the midst of a noisy and hectic campus.  We pray sext Wednesdays, 12:30 Noon.
FCI Mass One Saturday each month, the Lutheran Campus Ministry visits the Federal Corrections Institution in Morgantown and offers the Sacrament of the Altar to the inmates.  As this is a prison setting, those interested in prison ministry or related fields should contact the chaplain.  Background checks require two weeks to process.

Among our seasonal and festival offerings you will find...

End of Term Compline Since "prayer at the close of the day" is a wonderfully restful and contemplative service, what better time to do it than dead week and exam week.  Prayed every weeknight during those weeks at 9:45 PM, we offer spiritual refuge and nourishment in the midst of one of the most stressful times of the term.
End of Term Sext
The same is true of midday prayer.  Prayed every weekday throughout dead week and exam week, it provides a much needed opportunity to recenter and refresh.
Minor Offices Terce, sext, and none are known as the minor offices.  Lasting less than 10 minutes, these brief prayer services are drawn from the Benedictine tradition.  They punctuate the day, encouraging an integration of prayer and work.  We pray these offices on days of special observance.
Festivals &
Commemorations
As much as practical, we observe the various lesser festivals.  In most cases, we celebrate mass.  In other cases, we use various rites and rituals of the church, e.g., service of healing, corporate confession and forgiveness, vespers, matins, etc..
Seasonal Liturgies We observe the liturgical calendar with appropriate liturgies, e.g., Ash Wednesday imposition of ashes, Tenebrae, Triduum liturgies, Lessons & Carols for Advent, All Souls' Requiem, etc..  When practical, these liturgies are offered in conjunction with St. Paul Lutheran Church and/or our ecumenical partners.

Alternative liturgies...

While we use the normative liturgies found in the Lutheran Book of Worship and the Occasional Services, we also use other liturgical resources theologically and liturgically consistent with the Lutheran movement.  Some occasions call for particular liturgies, e.g.,... By offering such liturgies, we not only worship in an appropriate manner, we also teach the greater tradition of our Lutheran Movement and liturgics in general.
Music
Music is an important part of Lutheran worship, and, believing that music is a divine art, we encourage it.  Those interested in providing music on a one-time or recurring basis, should contact the chaplain.  Instrumental and vocal music is welcome.  Soloists and ensembles are welcome.  Forms from chant through modern are welcome.  The chapel has an Allen digital organ and an upright piano, but we welcome other instrumentations.  The acoustics of the space are superb.

Those interested in some extra-curricular instruction in church music (e.g., liturgical form and considerations, seasonal and lectionary based music selection, roles and relationships, etc.) should contact the chaplain.

Participating in worship leadership...

Those interested in should e-mail Chaplain Riegel or call the office (304-296-5388).

Schola Cantorum

Founded in 2005 under the direction of DMA candidate Jonathan Neiderhiser, the Schola Cantorum specializes in early music, beginning with Gregorian chant.  Visit the Schola Cantorum website to learn more about its work and opportunities.

Worship Committee

From time to time, we've found it helpful to have a Worship Committee to help plan and execute the liturgies of the Chapel as well as shape and direct the the devotional life (private and public) of the campus ministry.  If you are interested in such a group, let us know.

Other matters...

If there is something you would like to see (but we are not currently offering), please contact us.  Ask, and it may be granted.

Also, should you like to be kept informed (i.e., receive notices) about worship offerings, please contact us.

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