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Spring 2007
Highlights

Chapel Hosts IV 24x7 Prayer

InterVarsity held "24x7 Prayer" in the Chapel of Christ the King (a.k.a., the Lutheran Campus Chapel), beginning 6:00 PM, Feb. 18, and ending 6:00 PM, Feb. 25.  During that time, the Chapel remained open for anyone that desired to walk the prayer stations, which a small team of InterVarsity set up around the perimeter of the sanctuary.  Using PVC piping and sheets to separate the prayer stations from the center of the nave, the sanctuary began to look a little more like a cathedral with perambulators ringing the space.  This floor plan allowed regular services as well as the Ash Wednesday service to be held simultaneously with the prayer station event.  Participation the first part of the week was slow, but, as the week progressed, more and more students started to make use of the prayer stations.  Thursday, Friday, and Saturday nights were especially busy, with several students using the occasion of the prayer stations to gather in Christian fellowship for conversation and recreation well into the wee hours of the morning.

Fastnachts!

February 20 was Fastnacht Day at the Lutheran Campus Chapel.  The little lumps of heaven hit the hot lard shortly before 11:00 AM.  For the second year in a row, Fastnacht Day was moved inside as a luncheon event.  A truly festive event, there was much laughter and more than a few comments about arteries crying out in distress.  The most amazing thing of the event this year was the front page coverage in the Dominion Post, Morgantown's local paper, which the event received.  Featuring a full-color, above the fold picture of happy fastnacht munchers, the DP explained fastnachts tradition, interviewing many of the participants.

Lenten Pilgrimage to Pitt

The annual Lenten Pilgrimage to Pittsburgh was held on Invocabit Sunday (the first Sunday in Lent), February 25.  As always, the highlight of the trip was compline at Heinz Chapel with the Pittsburgh Compline Choir at 8:30 PM.  Prior to the service dinner was had at Fat Heads Saloon.

Chaplain Leads Midweek Worship at Mission Congregation

Shepherd of the Hills Lutheran Church, a mission congregation located at Deep Creek Lake, Garrett County, MD, entered pastoral vacancy in Fall '06.  The congregation ask Chaplain Riegel to lead midweek Lenten, Ash Wednesday, and Good Friday services.  Students are invited to join Chaplain Riegel when he goes out on such assignments.  "It's important for campus ministry to remain connected to congregational life," explains Riegel.  "It is all too easy for campus ministry to become a student ghetto.  Parish life is just as important to the revitalization of campus ministry as campus ministry is to the revitalization of parish life.  We learn from each other and support each other."

Mary Folkemer, Requiescat in Pace

Mary Folkemer, alumna of the Lutheran Campus Ministry at WVU, was translated by death into the Church Triumphant, Friday, February 16.  Her funeral was held, Tuesday, Feb. 27, at Christ Lutheran Church, Gettysburg, PA, with Chaplain Riegel co-officiating with Pr. Steve Herr.  Memorial gifts for Mary have been designated by the family for the Lutheran Campus Ministry @ WVU.

Brot und Bier: The Heresies of Palm Sunday

In an exciting and adventurous Brot und Bier, The Rev. Elliot Kennel led those gathered in the Lutheran Campus Chapel undercroft in an exploration of Ethiopic Enoch in comparison with canonical Old Testament and apocalyptic Scriptures.  Titled, "The Heresies of Palm Sunday: The Prophet Enoch Speaks," the topic provoked lively conversation.

Barb at the H. Katrina Memorial

Back from Biloxi!

The Lutheran Disaster Response Collegiate Corps returned from its Spring Break deployment in Biloxi, MS.  This was LDRCC's third time in Biloxi, assisting with continuing H.Katrina recovery work. We took lots of pictures and collected plenty of stories.  To get a fuller idea of LDRCC's work over the week in Biloxi, read the "Posts from the Field" for this deployment posted on the LDRCC webpages.

Chaplain Assists Anglicans

Chaplain Riegel was called upon to assist with Sunday morning masses at St. Thomas a Becket Episcopal Church, Morgantown, WV, several times this semester, as her Priest in Charge, Fr. Tony Calvier, struggled through chemotheraphy.  "This has been a very positive experience," said Riegel.  "We're building relationships and paving the way for greater cooperation in campus ministry."

Schola's Latin Compline Well Received

103 attended compline services held in the Chapel of Christ the King (a.k.a. the Lutheran Campus Chapel) during the first three weekdays of Holy Week.  What set these services apart from others was the decidedly retro approach of using Latin and Gregorian chant.  "The music really wasn't the hard part," explained Chaplain Riegel.  "The compline service in the Lutheran Book of Worship uses plainsong a great deal.  Some of the melodies are even identical.  So, for regular attendees of our semiweekly English language compline, it was somewhat familiar.  The challenge was wrapping our tongues around the Latin."  Still, many did rise to the challenge.  The services were not presented as a concert.  They were a fine example of participatory worship, marked by strong singing on the part of the gathered assembly.  Some came to the pre-service crash course on Gregorian chant led by Vogelsong Kapellmeister Jonathan Neiderhiser.  All were provided an order of service with parallel translation.

Special guest officiants were present from the ecumenical community.  Fr. Kirk Haas, rector of Trinity Episcopal Church, led the office on Holy Monday.  Fr. Leon Alexander, pastor of St. Francis de Sales Roman Catholic Church, led on Holy Wednesday.  Dr. Ted Walton, member of St. Thomas a Becket Episcopal Church served as confessor and assisted as one of the cantors.  Neiderhiser and Riegel, both of the Lutheran Campus Ministry, rounded out the liturgical leadership.  For more information about the Schola, contact Schola@LutheranMountaineer.org or visit the Schola webpage (click here).

Interior Design presentationInterior Design Students Reimagine Undercroft

The Independent Study Group of WVU's Interior Design Program have taken up the challenge of redesigning the Lutheran Campus Center's chapel building.  This team of talented young women presented their ideas on the undercroft to Chaplain Riegel on April 18.  Clearstory windows, new paint scheme, new furnishings, and more were featured.  "This is fantastic," raved Riegel.  "I'm glad that I asked the artists," referring to the team, "to take this on.  There is no way that I could have come up with anything close to this on my own."  This presentation was phase one of the redesign of the entire facility, which will be designed by students for students.

Daniel Rogers & IconsIcons: "Windows into the Kingdom of God"

The Rev. Dr. Frederick J. Schumacher, noted Lutheran scholar and iconographer, blessed our campus with three nights of lectures on iconography, running April 18-20.  Schumacher set up a display of sixty icons, some which he wrote, in the sanctuary of the Chapel of Christ the King.  Daniel Rodgers is pictured examining some of the icons. The brilliant golds of the icons and their seemingly luminous nature were are welcomed addition to the sanctuary.  They were especially inspiring at Thursday's candlelight compline.  It is our hope to acquire additional icons for the sanctuary, adding to the witness provided by the Christ the King Icon.

Schumacher also joined Chaplain Riegel on a tour of campus and for HSC Thursday luncheon.  For a detailed schedule of the lectures and a biographical sketch of our presenter, click here.  The Family of Fr. Edward Vogelsong underwrote the lectures.

LDRCC Helps LYO and Serves Spaghetti

The Lutheran Disaster Response Collegiate Corps was busy the weekend of April 21.  1stPlatoon, under the command of Nick Hornbeck, was in Pendleton County, assisting the WV-WMD LYO (Lutheran Youth Organization) with its Habitat for Humanity weekend.  On Saturday, Hornbeck and team members Laura Pfeifer and John Zettelmoyer lead devotions for the the LYO.  Throughout the day, the three served as crew chiefs, directing LYO members in the construction of a house.  2nd Platoon, under the command of Zach Kochy, was at Zion Lutheran Church, Wheeling, WV, where it assisted at a spaghetti dinner fund raiser for LDRCC sponsored by the congregation.  Over $1200 was raised by the congregation; with a Thrivent matching grant, the total will be over $1600.

The LDRCC was preparing for deployment to flooded areas in the southern part of the state, but relief agencies there had not yet completed needs assessments.  Deployment to those areas is being considered for next weekend and/or the weekend after exams.

VT Shootings: A Day of Memory on the Octave

On Monday, April 23, the octave (eight day or one week anniversary) of the Virginia Tech shootings the Lutheran Campus Ministry held "minor offices for the dead" at 9:30 am, 12:30 pm, and 3:30 pm.  Each liturgy lasted a little less than 10 minutes.  Then, at 9:45 pm, compline, the night prayer office, was prayed.    Sunday's 7:00 PM mass will included a requiescat prayer for the VT victims.

WVU held an official memorial service on Wednesday night.  While the LCM@WVU was prepared to hold a service the night of the shooting, another student group announced its plans for a time of prayer.  In deference to that group, the LCM@WVU shifted gears, aiming for the octave.  Chaplain Riegel did not participate in the interfaith memorial held on Tuesday night.

Midday on the last day

Here's snapshot of life at WVU taken from Chaplain Riegel's post of the day.
Today's update is being written in the early afternoon of the last day of exams.  This morning, the leadership team of the InterVarsity Christian Fellowship put in two hours cleaning the chapel.  We are grateful for the help as we begin to transition the building for the summer hiatus.

We've prayed our last scheduled sext (midday prayer) of the term, and only compline and ten-chow remains for the evening.

Already things are quieting down.  Students have been stopping in the last two days to say goodbye for the summer.  A few have come by to make plans for summer lodging in the Luther House, as they set things up for summer term classes.

During the last two weeks of the term, we have held twice daily prayer offices each weekday, praying sext at 12:30 PM and compline (night prayer) at 9:45 PM.  Ten-chow, a time of food and fellowship, has followed.  While attendance at these services is unpredictable and fluctuates day to day based upon individual student needs for study and work, the overall participation has been slightly better than past years.  We are particular pleased to see how well the students did managing things the first three days of exam week.  Chaplain Riegel was away on seminary business, and the students lead all but one prayer office and arranged for all the evening meals.
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