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Fall 2004
Highlights

Lemonade Stand Sets New Record

[8/25/04]  940 people slaked their thirst at the annual Lemonade Stand the first Monday and Tuesday of the Fall 2004 term.  38 gallons of lemonade and 68 pounds of ice were served while a campus baked in the hot sun.  As in previous years, passersby had a hard time believing that the lemonade was really being given away.  Numerous commercial outfits (most notoriously the credit card companies and record companies) offer "free" items in return for subscriptions.  Student clubs, including several other campus ministries, will give away a "free" item in return for signing a contact information form.  The Lutheran Campus Ministry at WVU, however, has adopted a policy of serving up the lemonade with no strings attached.  Prevenient grace has to be given freely before it can be requested or earned; otherwise it is not prevenient grace.  A special thanks to Pr. Brian Bennett or St. Paul Lutheran Church (Evansdale) who joined Chaplain Riegel at the Lemonade Stand.  Pr. Bennett is pictured with Cathy Jasper, a WVU staffer, who graciously assisted during her breaks.

Old Parsonage Renovations Continue

[8/27/04]  Floors were stripped and sanded.  Automatic door closures were installed.  Molding was trimmed and tacked down, and everything on the first floor received a thorough cleaning.  The future residents of WVU's first "Luther House" sacrificed their first weekend on campus to the Old Parsonage renovation project.  An estimated 250 man-hours were expended in one weekend.  Nick Hornbeck (pictured above) deserves special credit for recruiting to the workforce his parents and a small cadre of freshmen women.
Worship Attendance Totals
Week 1: 38
Week 2: 75

A Hot Festive Eucharist

[8/30/03]  The incense wasn't the only hot thing at Sunday night's mass.  Soaring temperatures made the Chapel of Christ the King an oven, and rising humidity from an approaching storm nearly made it a steam bath.  "Thank God, this will soon be over," remarked Chaplain Riegel.  "We only have to suffer through a few weekends of this before the fall sets in."

Just as the final hymn began, a sudden downpour fell upon the campus.  The sizable gathering of 40 (nearly all students) chuckled when Riegel expressed his hopes that the storm would drive away the line at the DQ so that he could get his ice cream faster when it abated.  An emergency supply of lemonade was served immediately after the service.

The "smells & bells" mass, celebrating the start of the 2004/5 academic year, featured special music provided by WVU students and wine made by a WVU staff member.  The Rev. Dr. Briane Turley, a WVU faculty member and an Episcopal priest, conducted the rite for the blessing of students and teachers, which included the laying on of hands.  The Rev. Brian Bennett, pastor of St. Paul Lutheran Church (Evansdale), preached.

Sacraments at The Blue Moose Cafe

[8/31/04]  "Let's talk about sacraments," demanded Amelia "Amo" Payne, kicking off another year of our most popular educational/fellowship program: Theology on Tap.

Meeting every Monday, at 9:30 PM, in The Blue Moose Cafe (located on the corner of Spruce and Walnut in the downtown), Theology on Tap provides a relaxed setting for civil theological conversation.  Usually no formal presentation is given.  Rather, participants are encouraged to bring their own questions and ideas.  No formal training is required.  All that is asked of participants is basic civility and theological reflection.  Let us know if you want to be on the Theology on Tap notification list.  For those interested in checking out some links for Theology on Tap readings, click here.

Luther House Gets DSL and Goes Wireless

[9/10/2004]  The Old Parsonage took a giant leap into the modern age early in the week.  Verizon activated our new DSL account, bringing broadband internet to the students residing in the early 20th century structure.  It wasn't long before Daniel VanVliet had the wireless network up and running.  What a pleasure to sit out on the front porch in the early evening and be connected at the same time!

Stanley Hauerwas Speaks at WVU

[9/17/2004]  Internationally recognized ethicist, Stanley Hauerwas, delivered the first Benedum Lecture of 2004, with a provocative speech titled, "Sacrificing the Sacrifices of War."  Following the lecture, compline was prayed in the Chapel of Christ the King as part of the regular weekly worship schedule.  The evening closed with a group of attendees heading for the Mountainlair to partake of Up All Night's food and drink and to discuss Hauerwas' lecture.

New Educational Offerings Begun

[9/20/2004]  Three new educational offerings were inaugurated in mid-September.

Catechesis for Collegians

Fourteen showed for the first session of Catechesis for Collegians.  Offered for the second year in a row at the request of the students, this class is a collegiate level version of confirmation class.  Five of those attending have stated a desire to be confirmed and/or transfer into the Lutheran Church.  Five others are life-long Lutherans looking for a refresher course or wanting to probe deeper into the tradition.  One plans to be confirmed in the Church of Canada (Anglican) but is doing her instruction with us on the basis of full-communion agreements.  The remaining participants are just curious.  Rather than using a prepared curriculum, participants are working through primary source documents.

"How to Read the Bible: The Old Testament"

Exceptionally heavy turnout for "How to Read the Bible" has forced Chaplain Riegel and Pr. Bennett to scramble for more copies of the textbook.  This Bible study is using Etienne Charpentier's text, How to Read the Bible (The Old Testament), a gentle yet thorough guide that introduces participants to history, form & genre criticism, and redacitonal theory.  Participants can attend either the 10:00 AM or the 7:00 PM sessions, both held every Tuesday at St. Paul Lutheran Church.  Team taught by Pr. Brian Bennet and Chap. Matthew Riegel, the course is jointly sponsored by the Lutheran Campus Ministry and St. Paul Lutheran Church.

Sunday School: Collegiate Class

A new Sunday School class for collegians has begun at St. Paul Lutheran Church (Evansdale).  Led by WVU student Nick Hornbeck, the class, titled, "The Seven Signs of John," is meeting every Sunday morning at 9:45 PM.

Work Crew Responds to Wheeling Flood

[9/27/2004]  Answering the call for work crews, eight left the Lutheran Campus Center early Saturday morning (9/26/2004) and headed to the Wheeling area for flood recovery duty.  Armed with buckets and shovels, the team attacked two residences, removing flood damaged possessions from basements, salvaging and cleaning what could be saved and carrying the rest to the ever growing debris piles lining the streets.  At a third residence, the team cleared walkways of several inches of mud, reerected a section of privacy fence, and assisted with yard repair.  Wrapping up work just before 5:00 PM, the crew stooped at Sarris' for refreshment before returning to Morgantown.

The Daily Athenaeum ran a front page story on the students on October 6.  In that article, Gretchen Russell, a master's student at WVU, mentioned a desire to start a standing disaster relief corps.  We are working on it.  If you are interested in joining such a team, please let us know.

Shed Erected

Nick Hornbeck and Sam Chamberlain spent Saturday, October 23, erecting a shed on at the Lutheran Campus Center.  The transformation of the Old Parsonage into a Luther House has necessitated shed.  Half of the Old Parsonage had been storage space.  With all this space being converted to residential use, plus the acquisition of new tools and construction supplies, something had to be done.  It also serves as a better place to store flammables.  The 11' x 7' structure occupies an under used section of the parking lot.

Luther House: A Scary Place

Late night pedestrians on Hough Street were greeted by a spooky sight just before Holloween.  Three glowing faces peered out from the Luther House porch (pictured above).  Luther House residents and some friends got into the Halloween mood by carving Jack o' Lanterns and roasting pumpkin seeds.  Blelow are two more photos.  Let us know which visage you think is scariest.

Reformation Daze! 2004: After Action Report

45 Attend German Mass
Forty-five people, a mix of students, members of St. Paul Lutheran Church, and some visitors attended the evening mass at the Chapel of Christ the King on Reformation Day, October 31, 2004.  Pr. Brian Bennett presided over Luther's 1526 German Mass.  Much of the service was actually in German although a few of the hymns were in English.  Chap. Matthew Riegel, preach in English, argued that the Reformation slogan, Semper ecclesia reformanda (the church must always be reformed), requires that Lutherans see themselves as a movement working for the reform of the whole church under the criterion of "justification by grace through faith apart from works of the law for Christ's sake."  Fourteen arrived an hour earlier to review the history of the German Mass and practice the music.

Seminary Prof Preaches
The Rev. Dr. Mark Vitalis Hoffman preached at St. Paul Lutheran Church (Evansdale) in the morning.  His dramatic impersonation of Martin Luther provided an overview of the Reformers life in his historical setting and the forces, personal and contextual, which sparked the Reformation.  Hoffman, a professor of Biblical Studies at Gettysburg Seminary, ended with a stirring echo of Luther's defense at the Diet of Worms, saying that we must stand firmly upon the principles "Scripture alone, Faith alone, Grace alone, and Christ Alone," crying out, "God, help us!"

Diners Feast on Wurst
Thirty happy diners (a splendid mix of university personnel, students, and locals from St. Paul) downed knockwurst, sauerkraut, potatoes, apple sauce, and German chocolate cake to the stirring strains of Prussian marches during the third annual Wurst Dinner on Campus.  The Wednesday night gala was blessed to have the assistance of a real German.  We've learned invaluable lessons which are sure to improve future dinners.

The Pool Boys in Concert
Making a return appearance in Morgantown, The Pool Boys performed at St. Paul Lutheran Church (Evansdale) on Thursday night.  Following the concert, the band and some of the folks from the campus ministry hit a local restaurant for a late night repast and conversation.

Campus Ministry Departed Remembered at St. Paul Morning Mass
Morning mass at St. Paul (8:30 & 11:00 AM) featured a reading of the necrology and prayers for repose.  The Rev. Ed Vogelsong, a vicar of the campus ministry, Vaughan Suppa, a student of the campus ministry, and Decatur "Steve Jackson" Butler, a friend of the campus ministry, were rememered.  Chaplain Riegel preached and presided.

Pilgrimage to Pitt: "The best laid schemes o’ mice an’ men gang aft agley."
Our autumnal Road Trip Pilgrimage to Pitt was a well laid plan.  Meticulous timing was going to place us in Station Square with enough time for a leisurely dinner at the Cheese Cellar followed by a short jaunt to Pitt for compline at Heinz Chapel.  Chaplain Riegel even double checked the Cheese Cellar's website to verify Sunday hours and attempted to call for reservations in the middle of the week.  That no one answered the phone should have been a clue.  Upon arriving at Station Square, the pilgrims discovered that the restaurant had gone out of business only seven days before.  Without fondue, the pilgrims did the next best thing: the headed for the "Dirty O."  The Original Hot Dog Shop near Pitt is a local favorite and true taste of Pittsburgh.

After dining (in not quite the high style originally envisioned), the pilgrims strolled to Heinz Chapel.  Compline at Heinz Chapel is a ministry of the Lutheran University Center of Greater Pittsburgh.  This beautiful worship service set in the equally beautiful gothic Heinz Chapel richly set forth All Saints' Sunday themes.  Fifteen from the Lutheran Campus Ministry at WVU, attended the worship service.

Roofers Begin Work

Only 1/3 of the chapel roof has been replaced since the building's construction in 1968.  It has held up surprisingly well, but it is highly unlikely to survive another winter.  "We wanted to replace this roof three years ago, but have had great difficulty finding a roofer even willing to bid the job," said Chaplain Riegel.  Despite talking to at least eight different roofers, only two ever submitted bids.  "We anticipate spending just over $40k.  The project includes replacing damaged decking and new fifty-year shingles.  I don't want to have to do this again, and I don't want my successor worrying about it either," stated Riegel.  Burch Roofing and Siding began removal of the shingles today (Saturday, Nov. 13).  The roofers indicated that the 1968 shingles actually held up better than the replaced shingles.

LSM Meets with Pr. Bennett and Begins Reorganization

The Lutheran Student Movement at WVU met in the undercroft of the Lutheran Campus Center on Thursday night, December 2, to discuss reorganization and closer cooperation with St. Paul Lutheran Church, Morgantown.  Pr. Brian Bennett, St. Paul's pastor, was present at the invitation of the LSM.  Much progress was made.  The conceptual framework of three Lutheran institutions in cooperation for Lutheran ministry in Morgantown was promulgated.  An agreement to include the other institutions in each institutions weekly public prayers is to take effect immediately.  An affinity group composed of reps from LSM, St. Paul, and the campus ministry will be formed and meet before the end of the term to work on strengthening the relationship of the three institutions.  Shay McNeill, the newly elected LSM interim president, will visit St. Paul this Sunday to announce the reorganization at the late worship service.

In other business, interim officers were elected to serve until February 15, 2005: president, Shay McNeill; vice-president and communications officer, Dan Brayack; Alanna Hoyer-Leitzel, secretary; and Jason Felici, Treasurer.  All four will serve on the "Town & Gown Affinity Group."  It was also agreed to develop an LSM newsletter and re-register as an official WVU student organization.

Photo of Dr. Eric CrumpSystematician Talks about Generosity and Communicative Ethics

Dr. Eric Crump, Associate Professor of Systematic Theology at the Lutheran Theological Seminary, Gettysburg, shared his thoughts about economics and sexuality with diners at the Lutheran Campus Center at WVU on Saturday, December 4.  Beginning with economics, Crump explored generosity as an alternative to the more common use of justice as the rubric under which economics is discussed by the church.  The notion of gift as the starting point of the human experience vis-a-vis the Divine surfaced, and the equally interesting question of an economy of benefaction wove in matters of justification, thanksgiving, and sanctification.  Students also pressed Crump to discuss his work in human sexuality, allowing Crump to spin out his thoughts on communicative ethics as an arena for thinking about the many issues which currently trouble the church.

Earning his Ph.D. from Chicago University in 1989, he is interested in the history of nineteenth and twentieth century theology and in contemporary systematic theology, especially concerning the question of theological method and hermeneutics and the intersections between philosophy, theology, and culture for a theological understanding of human being and doing. He is also presently pursuing the import of aesthetics for an understanding of the relation between Word and Spirit and attending to social and political philosophy for the development of an ethics of communication and communion and its ecclesial implications for the life of the congregation as the locus of "mutual conversation and consolation."  (Click for CV)

Gretchen and Zach Shop-Vac water.
Tarping the sanctuary.

Rain Pours through Chapel Roof

Over an inch of rain fell on Morgantown between Wednesday afternoon and Friday noon (17-19 November).  Unfortunately, much of it fell inside the Chapel of Christ the King (a.k.a., the Lutheran Campus Chapel.)  "Roofers had removed half the shingles," explained Chaplain Riegel, "and, when the rain came, it came right through the roof."

Chaplain Riegel and twelve students furiously mopped and shop-vacced Wednesday evening in an attempt to get ahead of the problem.  Water build-up in the sanctuary was already overflowing into the lower level mechanical room and lounge when Riegel arrived to check on the facility soon after the rain began.  Tarps and plastic sheeting were erected by the volunteers, creating catch basins.  Furniture was moved and water sensitive items were dried off.

Immediately identified losses are slight.  The organ, paraments, vestments,  hymnals, and other valuable items were on the other side of the room.  The electrical and HVAC systems, however, have not yet been examined.  There is still an outstanding question as to the condition of the wooden ceiling/roof.

Roofers have since tarped the roof, but chapel personnel continue to monitor the situation.

"Despite the frustration of this set back, there are some positives," said Riegel.  "First, we are entering Thanksgiving recess; the chapel was slated for closure anyway.  Second, immediate looses were limited.  So long as the utilities are in good shape and the structure itself isn't damaged, we only have a cleaning job to worry about.  Lastly, the Luther House proved its worth to the ministry.  Without the Luther House residents and their friends, we would have been in real trouble."

On this last point, it should be noted that Riegel, as soon as he discovered the problem, walked next door to the Luther House, stuck his head inside the door, and said, "I need some help, now.  We have a flood in the chapel."  Immediately two of the residents and a friend went to work.  Within a few moments two more showed up.  Shortly after that, one of the residents, an officer in the WVU Outdoor Adventure Club, left for a scheduled meeting.  He soon returned with several members of that club ready to work.  Another student, coming to the chapel to study, also went to work.

Here we see one of the intangible benefits of the Luther House.  A on-site residential community committed to the campus ministry is a ready work force at such times.  It is doubtful that any other model could have responded as quickly and effectively.

Despite the tarps, mops, and general disarray of the santucary, compline was still prayed in one corner of the sanctuary on Thursday night.

Tarp basins
Students create retaining basins		 Sam & Zach
Sam and Zach take refuge under the umb.
Kevin checks ceiling tiles
Kevin inspects and removes damaged ceiling tiles in lower level. 		Sam & Riegel vacuum
Sam and Chaplain Riegel work as rain pours through ceiling. 		Nick looks heavenward
Nick looks at the ceiling after tarping sanctuary, wondering, "Will the rain ever stop."

Phi Mu Alpha Cleans Sanctuary

Trading in their instruments for mops, brooms, and rags, the men of Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia, the men’s music fraternity, cleaned the sanctuary Thursday night of exam week.  Sixteen brothers labored two hours to clean up the worst of the mess created by the roofing project.  The campus ministry has helped these fellows out a couple of times, and Phi Mu Alpha’s president threatened to fine any brother that didn't return the favor.  What a blessing!

Under Roof at Last!

Help Pay Off the Roof
You can help to keep us dry (and worshiping in our sanctuary),
by contributing to the roof fund.
Click here to contribute.
The Chapel of Christ the King has a new roof!  Roofing crews finished their work on December 23, more than a month after beginning work on the 1968 structure.  "2/3 of the roof was still original to the construction," stated Chaplain Riegel.  "It was past time to do something about."  Riegel explained that over a three year period eight contractors had been asked to submit bids, but only two had ever done so.  "The high bid was $98,000 to start.  We went with the low bid, but it was still not cheap."  Final cost on the roof will be just over $60,000.  $15,000 of that was repair to rotted wood, damaged gutters, and complications arising from early attempts to patch leaking sections.  "The roof is unusual in its design.  Its parabolic shape probably scared a lot of contractors off.  Furthermore, it is constructed entirely of 4.5 inch beams." said Riegel.  "This expense was much more than we expected.  We had originally hoped to do the roof for $20-30,000."  About $10,000 of the increased expense is attributable to using 50-year shingles instead of 25-year.  The hope is not to have to tackle this project again for many years. The roofing project put a crimp in the campus ministry's life as well as putting a dent in the bank account.  Massive roof leakage, resulting from the reshingling of the chapel roof, required the placement of tarps throughout half the sanctuary the week before Thanksgiving recess.  The leaks then moved to the other side of the sanctuary.  Sext had to be prayed in the basement most days, and evening services were relegated to whatever dry spots could be found.

Art Show: Megan Bruning Exhibits

The term closed with an art show.  Senior art major Megan Bruning exhibited her sculptures in the chapel.  Over sixty attended, most first time visitors to the chapel.  Many of the art students commented on the appropriateness of the venue, expressing interest in future art shows.  In many of her works, Bruning used sausage casings!  We hope to have pictures for you soon after the recess ends.  Bruning very graciously donated one of her works to the chapel, a beautiful eight-foot piece of looped dark wood and red sausage casing spheres.

End of Term Activity hits 252

As usual, student activity increased the last few weeks as they sought divine intervention before exams and holy consolation after.  This year, in addition to our increased final fortnight worship schedule of daily sext and compline, we held nightly 10-Chow, a post-compline time of food and fellowship.  Hot soup and spaghetti were welcome treats on the colder nights.  Combined activity attendance was 137 for each of the last two weeks of the term.  This despite severe limitations on the use of the sanctuary due to roofing problems.

Tara Branham Recipient of the B.B.Maurer Prize

Tara Branham, a senior nursing student at WVU, received the B.B.Maurer Prize for 2003/4 in recognition of her studies in Parish Nursing.  Branham just completed her rural rotation at Emmanuel Baptist Church, Charleston, WV, where she received high praise for her involvement in the congregations Parish Nurse program.  Parish nursing combines traditional nursing with a strong emphasis in health and wellness.  This emphasis takes seriously religion and spirituality and recognizes that the parish is an excellent societal structure for health ministry.  WVU offers the only accredited parish nurse certificate program in the state.

"Dr. Maurer would have been pleased with this award, I believe," stated Chaplain Matthew Riegel of the Lutheran Campus Ministry.  "In his last years, Dr. Maurer thought deeply about matters of health care and wellness."  The Rev. Dr. B.B.Maurer established the prize which has been used to encourage students to think about faith, religion, academics, and campus life.
Support the BB Maurer Fund
If you would like to support the BB Maurer Fund, click here.

Branham (second from right), pictured with her preceptor, Janet Caruthers (left), Chaplain Riegel, and Dr. Debra Harr, director of the WVU Parish Nurse Program, received the $100 cash prize at the December graduation exercises of the WVU School of Nursing.  [Photo by Alison Korte]  

Chaplain Gives Invocation at USAF Commissioning

Chaplain Riegel was privileged to give the invocation at the United States Air Force commissioning ceremony conducted by the WVU USAF ROTC detachment, December 18.  Three cadets received their commissions as 1st Lieutenants in the USAF.  Commandant of Cadets, Cpt. Rocco Blasi, made the invitation.  "I was honored by the invitation," said Riegel.  "I've enjoyed every experience I've had with both ROTC detachments and their respective staff and cadets.  The Lutheran Confessions hold that bearing the sword is an necessary and honorable Christian vocation, and I'll support these ROTC programs any way I can."
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