A Generation Who Worships Beautifully: Cathedral Restoration Echoes Renewed Faith
By Keith Jagger and Carlson Wakefield
January 12, 2024
In his letter to the early Roman church, the Apostle Paul addresses the foundational issues of worship that stand at the heart of the human condition. The cry, which is seen in Romans 7:24 NIV, “Who will rescue me from this body of death, wretched man that I am?” seems to begin back in Chapter 1, where Paul diagnoses the root of human sin: the human tendency to worship God’s beautiful creation rather than God Himself.
“Since the world’s creation, God’s invisible qualities — his eternal power and divine nature — have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse. Although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened.” (Romans 1:20-21 NIV)
In sin, our affections turn to idols; iniquity flows from deep problems with worship. It was true then, and even in light of the powerful accomplishment of the cross, it remains today.
But God is not weak; God is not detached. The power of the cross works among us still.
Starting in February 2023, we witnessed an undeniable worship movement of God’s Spirit across the campuses of our country. Student leaders stood up with great humility and led unusual outpourings of worship and prayer. Many of us who lived through it wondered what the summer of 2023 would bring. Would the excitement of late-night praise on campuses die down? Would we see any fruit of revival after the subsiding of emotions? Would the enemy sift student leadership? These were natural worries of human concern.
However, students came back from summer compelled. Many had been developing plans and a strategy to see through for what they had been hoping. They did not want revival to be an emotional high. Students wanted spring 2023 to have changed their lives.
Twice a week, students at JBU have organized ongoing impromptu worship — 16-minute worship, usually as an 8:30 p.m. break from homework. They have prepared this space and shown up twice a week for 17 weeks straight — most often, gathering on the Walker Student Center balcony. The crew is usually 20-people strong. Sometimes, as many as 50 to 70 students take a break from homework to wash their hearts with adoration of the Father. While most head back into the library, the gym or dorm rooms afterward, many linger. This is a picture of sustainability and God addressing the human condition with its proper antidote: true worship.
At the risk of overinterpreting the work of God, I think we can make some confident observations.
Rev. James Choung, D.Min., researcher and vice president for strategy and innovation with Intervarsity, has claimed that distinct from preceding generations, young people in the West today hold as their central spiritual question: What is beautiful?
As they question the meaning of their lives, they are drawn to find their purpose and identity in aesthetics and that which can be calculated. While not inherently sinful, the pursuit of beauty can easily lead to idolatry. Seeing young people faced with the most potent social technology the world has ever seen, with its allure and endless visions of a beautiful life, we rightly fear for the soul of a generation.
However, at the heart of their question, God is up to some brilliant work in the face of such cultural power. Without dismissing the beauty of his creation, God seems busy rescuing and restoring a generation through worship and for worship.
We know the cross offers freedom from sin and provides power for the restoration of the heart: “Thanks be to God that though you used to be slaves to sin, you have come to obey from your heart the pattern of teaching that has now claimed your allegiance” (Romans 6:17 NIV). We are watching this happen anew in real-time.
During midterms, the informal student leadership team, in the heart of the semester, organized and covered one week with 24 hours of constant prayer, capped by a worship and testimony night. We feel an intangible vibrancy in chapel worship. We have seen many baptisms and are watching handfuls of extra prayer groups pop up around campus, which ring with a common theme — “God, you are welcome on our campus, in all corners and in all groups.”
Despite the power of media, God is rescuing a generation – showing them that he alone is the source and giver of all beauty and that they can love beauty without worshipping beauty. He uses beauty to help turn their eyes to him, validating their questions and lifting them out of their attachments and loneliness through corporate praise.
God is accomplishing something only he could — freeing a generation of digital natives from the worship of beauty and, in place of their former enslavement to powerful images, he is working out loyalty and love.
And here we see a poetic parallel occuring: in the same way that we have witnessed a spiritual renewal among our student body, the spiritual heart of campus, the Cathedral of the Ozarks, will receive some needed restoration and repair work.
The Cathedral of the Ozarks has become an iconic piece of architecture in the Northwest Arkansas region. Construction began in 1945 by John E. Brown Sr. The building features a limestone exterior, ornate stained glass windows, handmade pews and beautiful woodwork. Brown intended the design to be reminiscent of the rolling hills of the Ozarks. The sanctuary seats approximately 1,000 people, where students, faculty and staff gather for chapel three times a week. It also hosts events year-round, such as Christmas Candlelight Services, concerts, renowned lecturers, weddings and memorial services.
While the exterior received attention in 2008 with the addition of the originally planned limestone cladding, the interior has remained untouched since 1991. Recognizing the need to restore and preserve the historic building for future generations, JBU is embarking on a $1.5 million interior renovation project. Work will begin in May 2024 and conclude by August of the same year, in time for students’ arrival for the fall semester.
The renovation plan addresses critical aspects of the aging facility — notably, the refinishing of the woodwork, which has remained untouched for nearly 70 years. Artisans will restore the beautifully crafted dark wooden pews made by JBU students in the campus furniture shop in the 1950s. Additionally, the plan includes replacing worn and stained ceiling tiles and fixing failing wall plaster.
Workers will remove the permanent risers to increase the functionality and flexibility of the stage, allowing for a more versatile use of the sanctuary. Installing a new soundboard will ensure the Cathedral remains a dynamic venue for student worship and events like Mock Rock and the Talent Show.
The entryway will also undergo updates to provide a more inviting entrance for visitors. In keeping with students’ pursuit of what is beautiful, digital displays in the lobby will feature images of works of art that correspond with the scriptural foundations of the current chapel messages.
These updates allow JBU to carefully and respectfully steward the history and craftsmanship of the Cathedral, maintaining its original majesty while upgrading features that will enable the building to continue serving the JBU community for many more years.
The Cathedral of the Ozarks holds a special place in the hearts of many alumni and community members, so the university has provided an easy way for people to get involved, specifically in restoring the pews.
Individuals, family groups or organizations who donate $1,500 to the project will get a personalized plaque displayed on the end of the pew. (See next page for details.)
As the renovation project unfolds in the coming months, the Cathedral of the Ozarks will transform and continue to be a source of beauty that points students to a creative God who desires and is deserving of their worship.
For more information on the Cathedral project, visit jbu.edu/steadfast-faith/cathedral.
