Looking forward to another year of 'The Gathering'

Today was the the first chapel to open the 2010/2011 Hope College school year.

I love to attend the first chapel and the Sunday evening "Gatherings" that follow.

My main reason is to watch Scott on the drums with his worship team. (I am convinced that Josh Banner and the worship team is why Scott was 'led' -all be it the long way- to Hope College.)

The other reason is that there is nothing better than entering Dimnent Chapel (dedicated in 1929) on a Sunday morning, it's already 80 degrees outside which means it's 90 degrees in Dimnent, and the chapel is packed...standing room only (the fire Marshall would not like it). Parents and kids are packing the place to worship and hear God's word. The kids are so excited to start a new school year. Many parents are eager to see them off after a summer home.

Then there are the incoming freshman and their parents. It is all new to them. To the kids, this whole chapel thing is an eye opening experience. It may be very different from what 'church' was like for them at home or it may be similar, but it is still part of a whole new world. The beginning of so many choices they will make...good and bad and hopefully all learned from.

And then there are the 'freshman' parents. There may be any number of circumstances involved. It may be their first child to leave home and go away to college, it may be a last, it may be a child who has struggled or whom they have struggled with...no matter what the circumstances, it is never easy for a parent to 'leave' a child at college. Even though it may be what a parent wants for their child, it is still a huge life change for each and every one.

I stood behind a mom during chapel today who could not stop crying. I wanted to reach out to her and say it would all be "OK", but I also knew she needed to go through this 'grieving' process and that I could not make it "OK" with my words. I know, because I have been there.

I told all my boys when they went off to school that we had given them a faith foundation, now they needed to investigate it and choose if they would make it their own. I did not want them to 'go to church' or 'be a Christian' just because we said that they should. It is so much more than that...it is about at personal relationship. No one can tell you that you have to have that. You have to want it and work for it.

Now I am happy to see my son thriving and growing in so many ways in this college environment. Hope College may not be for everyone, but it was the place for my son Scott. I am thankful for the institution that is Hope College and for the way they have accepted the call of God to give kids the opportunity to worship their God, to be challenged, and to grow in their faith.

The opportunity is there...the choice is theirs. That is a beautiful thing!

~bekuyps