COVID-19 Updates: Chapel

Westmont ceased holding on-campus Chapel due to COVID-19 beginning March 16 through the remainder of the spring 2020 semester. The Westmont community was encouraged to join Campus Pastor Scott Lisea on Instagram (@westmontpastor) as he hosted live "mini" Chapels every Monday, Wednesday, Friday at 10:30 a.m. when we would normally have Chapel. We encourage you look through the archives and recorded Chapels in the past. 

 

Latest Updates

Beloved Westmont, 
 
I hope you are healthy and finding strength and creativity to face whatever this day is presenting to you. I pray for you daily, and miss you hourly. 
 
One of Jamie and my favorite writers is Carlo Carretto, who was an Italian priest who became an activist, who became a hermit (and writer). His insights into Christ and life often take us into deep water. 
 
I am sending along an introduction to one of his books, In Search of the Beyond, we are reading aloud. I find it interesting and stimulating given our current campus conversation, as well as our global situation. I hope you are encouraged and challenged. I hope you are drawn to Christ, to love, to action,  and to prayer.
 
Blessings,
 
Scott Lisea
Campus Pastor 
&
 Assistant to the President for Church and Community Relations

 

Dear Westmont community,

 

Since I don't have normal chapels to plan music for, I have to find creative ways to fulfill my music ministry duties... So I've created another Spotify playlist for you, to follow the playlist I made for Holy Week—a playlist for the Easter season

 

If you're experiencing joy, may this be an added encouragement to you. If this is a difficult time for you, perhaps listening to these songs of hope and joy can be an act of protest in the face of the powers of sin and death, whose ultimate demise was secured when Christ rose from the dead, with "the keys of death and Hades" in hand (Rev. 1:18).

 

Yours in Christ,

Eben

 

Beloved Westmont, 
 
Here is a Holy Saturday reflection, as well as a Good Friday reflection for you.
 
Missing and blessing you.
 
Scott Lisea
Campus Pastor 
&

 Assistant to the President for Church and Community Relations

 

------------------------------

Dear Westmont community,

 
Our office has put together a Tenebrae service to help us observe Good Friday (description below). Here is a link to the YouTube, which can also be found on our chapel YouTube page. Please feel free to share this with friends and family. We suggest having a candle with you, to help you participate in a more tangible way from home. 
 
Yours in Christ,
Eben
 
The service of Tenebrae, meaning “darkness” or “shadows,” has been practiced by the church since medieval times. Once a service for the monastic community, Tenebrae later became an important part of the worship of the common folk during Holy Week. We join Christians of many generations throughout the world in using the liturgy of Tenebrae. Elinore Ford (’22) will read the passion narrative from the Gospel of Matthew. There will be song responses led by Eben Drost, and reflections by Scott Lisea. This service is best observed in the evening, with low lights and candlelight.

-- 
Eben Drost
Worship Team Director
Beloved Westmont,
 
First, forgive my movie-making error in yesterday's installment. Apparently the whole file was a hot mess and did not deliver. Oh well. Back to film school for me.
 
Second, welcome to Maundy Thursday, one of my favorite days in this Holy Week. Here is today's Maundy Thursday Holy Week reflection
 
Be blessed,
 
Scott Lisea
Campus Pastor 
&
 Assistant to the President for Church and Community Relations
Beloved Westmont,
 
Here is a Holy Wednesday Reflection (Don't be alarmed when it says "missing file." It will still play...). 
 
I am praying that this week, strange as it is for all of us, will be an intentional time of seeking God as we prepare our hearts for Good Friday and ultimately, Easter.
 
Blessings,
 
Scott Lisea
Campus Pastor 
&
 Assistant to the President for Church and Community Relations
Beloved Westmont,
 
Here is a brief Holy Tuesday video reflection for your journey through holy week.
 
Blessings,
 
Scott Lisea
Campus Pastor 
&
 Assistant to the President for Church and Community Relations
Beloved Westmont,
 
Here is a brief reflection on this Holy Monday during this Holy Week, or as they say in Ensenada: "La semana santa."
 
Here, also is yesterday's video for Palm Sunday.
 
Blessings,
 
Scott Lisea
Campus Pastor 
&
 Assistant to the President for Church and Community Relations
Beloved Westmont,
 
I will be sending out brief Holy Week reflection videos each day this week. This is for Palm Sunday. 
 
 
Blessings,
 
Scott Lisea
Campus Pastor 
&
 Assistant to the President for Church and Community Relations
Beloved Westmont, 
 
I offer this Lenten liturgy for us today. Perhaps, with whomever you are with, you can take a moment today and enter into this together. If not, in the solitude of your own space today, pray through this in solidarity with the Westmont community.
 

From the Covenant Book of Worship

 

The landscape of worship varies; the expanse of it knows no bounds.

In the days and weeks of Lent, God moves us to worship with exploring spirits.

We enter this season as though exploring a wilderness place; there are subtle movements around about us, soft sounds new to our hearing, rugged stretches testing our strength.

In the company of one another, may we perceive the Spirit’s movement, hear the calls of faith, and grow strong in accepting the guidance of God.

 

“It is written, ‘One does not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.” Jesus said, “Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.”  Matthew 4:4, 10b

 

Just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in him may have eternal life. For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life.  

John 3:14-16

 

The hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father seeks such as these to worship him. God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.  

John 4:23-24

 

Prayer

O God, you are our only true refuge, our steadfast shelter. We seek you and need you and yearn for you. Even when we run from you; even when we wander long and far from your heart and squander our blessings and talents; even then you continue to call us home. We want to come home to you, O God, and to each other. Show us the way; be the path; return us to the calm and peace of resting in your love. Amen.

 
I love you.
 
Blessings,
 
Scott Lisea
Campus Pastor 
&
 Assistant to the President for Church and Community Relations

March 19, 2020- 9am

Beloved Westmont,

I miss you.

I was reading a Lenten devotional this morning and was struck by how appropriate this reflection from Steve Bell is for such a time as this:

So, the gift on offer at this time is that of humility. We do not choose our birth or our death, for we are indeed dust. Ultimately, these things are in God's hands, and Ash Wednesday encourages us to join our voice to that of Jesus' humble resignation on the cross: Into your hands, I commend my spirit." Oddly, there is a beautiful relief in letting go of what is not ours to command. In exchange, we gain a trust in the One whose word creates and recreates eternally. Imagine the creative energy and resources that would explode out of a society that quits trying to not die, and instead gives itself to the mutual fullness of life while it is in our hands. We need not fret about death, but rather may live in the fullness of the wellspring of life, which is our ultimate destiny. We have the hope of resurrection."  Pilgrim Year: Lent, Steve Bell

One of the last times we were together, we were placing ash on one another, and were reminded that "From dust, you came, and to dust, you shall return."

We did so as a symbolic act. Now we find ourselves acutely aware of our fragility. My encouragement to us this morning is to embrace all the hope of the resurrection, all the confidence in the Lord, and all the presence of the Holy Spirit that is eternally available to you now.

There is a relief--even a joy to be discovered in surrendering your life entirely to God

Peace be with you, in you, and through you.

P.S.

See you tomorrow at 10:30 AM PDT for our next Instagram live mini-chapel (follow westmontpastor). My close friend, Lindsay Parton (Class of 1975) and recent host to our elective senior chapel will join us and share an encouragement in Christ. If you don't participate live, you can observe on our website--we post it within 24 hours there.

Blessings,

Scott Lisea

Campus Pastor & Assistant to the President for Church and Community Relations

March 18, 2020- Noon

Dear Westmont,

Thank you for joining  us on our Instagram Live mini Chapel with Bart Tarman this morning. Bart read a poem that we wanted to share with you in case you missed it, and so we have pasted it below. May the God of peace be with you. 

Pandemic

What if you thought of it

as the Jews consider the Sabbath—

the most sacred of times?

Cease from travel.

Cease from buying and selling.

Give up, just for now,

on trying to make the world

different than it is.

Sing. Pray. Touch only those

to whom you commit your life.

Center down.

And when your body has become still,

reach out with your heart.

Know that we are connected

in ways that are terrifying and beautiful.

(You could hardly deny it now..)

Know that our lives

are in one another’s hands.

(Surely, that has come clear.)

Do not reach out your hands.

Reach out your heart.

Reach out your words.

Reach out all the tendrils

of compassion that move, invisibly,

where we cannot touch.

Promise this world your love--

for better or for worse,

in sickness and in health,

so long as we all shall live.

--Lynn Ungar 3/11/20._,_.___

March 17, 2020- Noon

Beloved Westmont, 

I want to let you know that our first live mini chapel on Instagram live worked just fine yesterday, and we are going to continue to offer them as an offering to keep our scattered community together. 

All Westmont is invited--past, present, and future. Just follow westmontpastor on Instagram, and join live at 10:30 AM PST. The sessions last about 20 minutes and consist of 1 or 2 worship songs, live interactive prayer, and a brief message of encouragement from the Scripture.

Tomorrow, Wednesday, we will hear from Bart Tarman, who was the Chaplain at Westmont when I was a student.

You can also watch these or share these with others after they are done. They will be housed with our other chapel services at Westmont Chapels.

I remain available to you to Facetime with you, pray with you, or whatever you need. Let me know how I can be praying specifically for you.

I want to remind you to consider the corporate practice of reading Psalm 91 each day during this current challenging time, and to consider pausing at 5PM each day to pray for our Westmont community specifically in regards to how the Lord can lead and teach us all as a community as we navigate, grow, learn, and change as a community committed to equity and reconciliation.

I love you. Jesus loves you more.

Blessings,

Scott Lisea 

Campus Pastor & Assistant to the President for Church and Community Relations