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Weekly Worship
Every Sunday at about quarter to five, the members of the Protestant Chapel Community Steering Committee disband from their weekly meeting and begin to setup for weekly worship services. Although this simple ritual could be seen as mundane, setting up for worship can be a memorable experience. Despite constant battles with the slide projector of doom, and having to resist the overwhelming urge to sing Broadway show tunes during microphone checks or pound out Stairway to Heaven on the organ, the PCC always manages to prepare for a peaceful service. It’s Sunday evening at the end of what has inevitably been a long week, and the PCC students need renewal in more ways than one.

Although worship setup can be fairly chaotic, once the service begins, a marked change can be seen. As the students file into the chapel from the cold outdoors, pickup bulletins, shed heavy jackets and find somewhere to sit, their relief from finally having time to sit down for a peaceful, spiritual renewal is easy to see. From the first few notes of the opening hymn to the final Amen, PCC worship services provide a time for tranquility and rest as students let out their worries in prayer or give thanks to God for the blessings of the week past.

Despite the fact that services take only an hour or two out of the busy college week, worship is an incredibly important aspect of students’ lives. It gives them a time to step back from their hectic day and spend vital time at rest with God.

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Dinner Dialogues
Throughout high school, I had always envisioned college as a time during which I would greatly expand my knowledge in a wide variety of subjects. I had planned to dabble in many fields, and to take classes in many areas, including science, philosophy, political science, languages, art, and religion. Now, three semesters into my college career, I have not yet taken any courses on language, art, or religion. Fortunately, last year I discovered the PCC’s weekly dinner dialogues to satisfy my want of theological discussion. Every Wednesday evening, we meet in the chapel for soup (a welcome change from campus dining) and discussion on a variety of topics regarding Christianity. We have exchanged ideas on the existence of Hell, the point of prayer, God’s omni benevolence, and other perplexing issues. By listening to each other’s views, and to Laurie’s ideas based on her knowledge of the Bible’s content, history, and various interpretations, our minds are always being stretched. Every week, dinner dialogues provide all of us with a welcome break from school work when we can freely express our opinions, eat a good meal, and enjoy each other’s company.

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Volunteering at Blessed
Sacrament Soup Kitchen
On the second Thursday of every month, the Protestant Chapel Community volunteers at Blessed Sacrament Soup Kitchen in the city of Rochester. The PCC has been volunteering with them for approximately the last eight years, making it a fairly longstanding tradition. Since seven or eight students are able to come along each Thursday there is an opportunity for every student member of PCC to attend.

I’m almost halfway through my junior year at University of Rochester, and since freshman year volunteering at Blessed Sacrament has been one of the most rewarding experiences of my time spent with PCC. Working at the soup kitchen brings you outside the UR community and is a reminder that life is not always as clean and cultivated as living on a college campus. It’s rewarding to know that you can help the community off campus as well as on.

Working at the soup kitchen is also a good way to get closer to other students. Some of my best friendships at PCC started while washing dishes at Blessed Sacrament. As time goes on, we at PCC hope to bring more people into our small community within the larger community of the UR campus and the even larger community found in the city of Rochester, and volunteering at Blessed Sacrament is an extremely effective and rewarding way of doing so.

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Community Dinners
Every fourth Sunday of each month, the Protestant Chapel Community’s members attend a community dinner. The dinners thus farhave been a good way for old members to get to know new members and to welcome others who are interested in joining the community. In the past, we have welcomed other groups to join us, such as the Quest Group from the Lake Avenue Baptist Church in Rochester, who moderated a discussion about contemporary issues in Christianity. This year, we hope to invite local high school youth groups who are interested in talking to our members about what it is like to keep and challenge one’s faith on a college campus.

PCC members enjoy the community dinners, because they are a nice way to socialize with friends over homemade food and to take a short study break. In early December, we will have a Christmas themed dinner, with homemade Christmas cookies and caroling. We anticipate that it will be a fun time for all, and we hope to continue the success of our dinners.

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