Chapel at Cedarville
Chapel is a Cedarville University experience that students look forward to each weekday. It is a time in everyone’s day where we can gather collectively to worship the Lord. However, it isn’t just gathering to worship the Lord – so much more happens. We all walk out of chapel with new ideas and perspectives on certain topics, some students walk out of chapel saved, and others can use chapel time to pray and leave all their burdens and anxieties behind. Although the whole student body gathers at the same time, in the same place, we all take different experiences and messages from a singular chapel.
Dr. White and Psalm 119
Recently, on January 26, Dr. White delivered an amazing chapel message, highlighting Psalm 119. I know what you’re thinking … how was the entirety of Psalm 119 covered over the span of 50 minutes? Honestly, I’m still not entirely sure how it happened, but it did indeed happen! Now, most chapels are formatted in a specific way – we worship with the band, then move into introductions (if it is a guest speaker), then they begin their message, and we end with prayer. This specific chapel was formatted differently, but it was still just as moving.
Dr. White took us through the main idea and application of Psalm 119, and then segued us into worship. Since he highlighted the main takeaways of Psalm 119 prior to singing, the songs felt extra special and even more applicable. I felt like his message and the message of Psalm 119 radiated through the song choices for this particular chapel. One song in particular, “Firm Foundation (He Won’t)” by Maverick City Music, became more prominent to me during this chapel message. One of Dr. White’s application points was the following: “This is more than just reading to say you read. This is delighting in the law of the Lord and desiring to live by it.” This specific point very much correlates with the lyrics of the song “Firm Foundation.” Throughout the whole song, the artist is celebrating how he continues to put his faith in Jesus – that he is glad he lives by the Lord’s law, and he has never been let down. I think that idea is so important to note – instead of putting our faith and passion behind earthly comforts, we need to put that faith in Jesus because He truly will never let us down.
Psalm 119 From a Student’s Perspective
Although Dr. White did a wonderful job preaching through Psalm 119, I would like to share with you my takeaways and thoughts from Psalm 119 and Dr. White’s message. A major theme/thematic word throughout Psalm 119 is “delight.” I think that delight is used a lot when also describing earthly comforts – we might find delight when eating our favorite snacks or hanging out with friends. In those moments, we might feel as if that is the happiest we have felt, and will ever feel. Delight is defined as the following: “A high degree of gratification or pleasure; JOY.” If delight is such a strong and high degree of joy, how can we delight in anything other than the Lord? He is who holds the highest power. Throughout Psalm 119 the narrative changes tone. “I will obey your decrees” (Ps. 119:8) becomes “I will delight in your decrees” (Ps. 119:16). These phrases are found throughout this chapter, and I think they hold a lot of significance. When you think of “obeying” someone or something, it just feels like something that you must do. You must obey your parents, your teachers, your elders, etc. However, when it comes to obeying the Lord and His Word, it becomes so much more than just following orders. The fact that you’re able to not only obey God’s decrees and laws, but also delight in them speaks volumes about how great our God is!
A Quick Wrap-Up
There is so much to unwrap in Psalm 119, and I think Dr. White did a really nice job of covering pretty much every word of the chapter. So, I will link the Psalm 119 chapel livestream if you would like to have some background after reading this blog. Or maybe you’re just curious as to what Cedarville’s chapel experience is all about! Because chapel at Cedarville really is such an experience – there are so many amazing things that can come from a single chapel. If you are thinking about attending Cedarville and are still a little hesitant, then watch some of the chapel livestreams. You have 1,000 days at Cedarville, so you might as well enjoy them by delighting in the Lord!
Student Life Blog Manager
- Majoring in Communication with a minor in Writing for the Professions — Class of 2025
- Hometown: Cedarville, OH
- Coffee Order: BNC Mocha at Beans-n-Cream
- Favorite Bible Verse: 1 Peter 5:7
Tags: #chapel, #psalm119
Posted in: Campus Experience, Chapel