The weekend of Jan. 23 was full of snowy fun across JBU: sledding, snow ice cream and pictures in the snow. However, the 8 inches of snowfall stopped many local churches from holding services that Sunday. Despite the snow halting the usual services, it didn’t stop students at JBU from congregating to spend time in worship and fellowship. Unrelated to each other, students from Mayfield, J. Alvin and the townhouses each held worship gatherings on Jan. 25.
The service held in the Mayfield basement was put together the day before, and news quickly spread via Instagram stories and on notes left throughout the residence hall on Post-its and whiteboards. It was conceptualized and planned by Mayfield residents Claire Jagger, Kirsten Higley, Kaira Missing, Alyssa Bader, Avery Alexander, Malorie McRostie, Olivia Bond and Aleigha Bailiff. Later additions included Lauren Blackman, Mackenzie Pollard, Alexa Austin, Abilene Skelton and Charise Stegall.
“It all started with Claire wanting to do a worship night,” Bailiff said.
Although the group was mostly composed of Mayfield students, a couple of students came from J. Alvin. They crowded in the basement before beginning with a time of worship.
“I was honestly shocked by how many people showed up. I thought it might have just been our friend group! I think that gatherings like this really show the heart and the beauty of JBU — that so many people still want to gather and worship the Lord no matter the circumstance,” Alexander said.
Higley opened with a liturgy for the first snow from “Every Moment Holy,” which was followed by the worship set led by Bader, Alexander and Austin. Psalm 136 was read responsively by Missing, and Bailiff led the congregation through a prayerful reading and contemplation of John chapter four.
“We were in the kitchen the night before and had heard rumors of others that were interested in doing a church meeting like this, because our local churches had been closed due to the weather. Many of the students who have attended JBU before this have done such a good job in showing us how to gather, worship and pray in unity,” Jagger said.
That morning in the J. Alvin atrium, Jack Sampson, a chaplain intern, led a reading of Psalm 90 organized by Caleb Trippe and ColinGraham.
“The intention behind the selection was to remind us ofGod’s incredible faithfulness despite our brief time on earth compared to his eternal existence. I hoped to convey this as an encouraging message that we would live differently as a response to God’s consistent character of grace,”Sampson said.
Worship was led by Trippe, John Martin and Max Asbeck.
“I estimate there were at least 30 men from J. Alvin there, and a few guys from Walker pulled up, too,” Martin said.
Finally, a group of students from Redeemer Presbyterian held a time of worship or “Hymn Sing,” in the townhouses. This was a time of acapella worship, led straight from a hymnal, which Joshua Freeman first encountered while studying abroad in Ireland.
“I invited the group over to the townhouse expecting maybe 12 of the Redeemer students to show up. I assumed the rest would take advantage of church being cancelled and sleep in.Instead, nearly every student from Redeemer came, and brought their friends too,” Freeman said. “By the end there were 32 people crammed into the common area leaning over each other’s shoulders as we shared 10 hymnals. It was a highlight of the semester so far to see so many gathered to praise God in a humble way.”
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