Gospel Choir offers students chance to practice faith

By Julie Gwiszcz
Collegian Staff
November 15, 2006

Students often go away to school and become so inundated with classes, work, activities and parties that their spirituality and faith tend to drop on their priority list. I myself have at times been so caught up in all my obligations that I lose sight of what is really important and, because of this, God takes the backburner. Not many people come to college to renew their faith or generate a closer relationship with God. This is why I think people don’t always take advantage of the wonderful spiritual opportunities on campus. To be fair, I have noticed an increase in attendance at the Sunday night liturgies in the chapel, but after sitting in on a rehearsal of the Gospel Choir, I realized that praising God and our spirituality go beyond the Church and weekly mass.

To be honest, I had high hopes of becoming a member of the Gospel Choir myself this year, but due to schedule conflicts, I unfortunately was unable to do so. After sitting in on one of the rehearsals and speaking with the director, the president and some of the members, I truly regret not being able to become a part of such an amazing organization. With about 25 members, this “multicultural and Christian organization” preaches the word of God and celebrates Christ’s ministry through the gift of song. According to President Celeste Nicholson, the mission of the Gospel Choir is “to praise the Lord in song and service in a way that motivates all who see and hear, and to further develop a relationship with our fellow members and God the Father.”

Through prayer and worship, the Gospel Choir seeks to promote Christianity and faith around the campus by organizing various programs and performances. These include a Fall/Winter concert in November, a Spring concert and revival service in March and a mini tour in April, along with other engagements within the school and various churches and colleges.

What makes this organization stand out from traditional music groups is that the Gospel Choir challenges not only its group members, but the entire community of La Salle, to look deep inside itself and make an effort to practice its faith and worship by promoting the Christian values of the University. This unique organization gathers together for nearly three hours at least once a week to celebrate its love for God. Now that’s dedication.

The group opens its arms to all followers of Christ, regardless of race, gender, ethnicity or denomination. Their rehearsals are more than just practicing songs for an upcoming concert; they are guided by the spirituality of each one of its members, and the director leads his choir in prayer, psalms and reflection in the midst of their singing. Each individual takes all their cares and worries into their rehearsals and offers them up to God, praising Him with such love and sincerity. When sitting in on their rehearsal, I too felt moved by the presence of God and couldn’t help but lift my hands in honor of Christ, and sing with shouts of joy along with the rest of the choir. I may not have known all the words, but I felt an undeniable sense of unity, genuine love and gratitude for the Lord, and a connection with each one of those present.

I also had the opportunity to speak with the director of the Choir, Minister of Music Richard White, Jr., while waiting for the rehearsal to begin. White spoke so passionately to me about his mission and devotion to his ministry. In his eyes, the Gospel Choir goes beyond the music. As I mentioned earlier, spirituality is everything.

“You need to have devotion in your heart to understand what praising God truly is,” White said. He pointed out that we all become “so caught up in the formality of worship that we lose the heart of worship.” Thus, the Gospel Choir seeks to break the traditional idea of worship as this mundane, ritualistic practice in which people lose sight of the meaning behind the words they recite and the hymns they sing.

To White, “worship is your lifestyle.” It should be a part of everything we do. We don’t need to be a part of the Gospel Choir to practice worship in our own lives. We can live it each and every day just by saying thank you for the many blessings and gifts God has granted us, and by celebrating life even when it seems like the world has turned its back on us.

A final comment White made to me that I will always remember was in the form of a question. “If there was one thing you desire most in life, what would it be?” he asked. He confided in me that after struggling with this question and praying over it, he realized that the one thing he desires most in life is to “seek after and to dwell in God’s house all the days of my life. God’s presence is all I need.”

I now pass that question on to the rest of you. What one thing would you choose to desire most in life? Wealth? Love? Success? Or would you choose God? I’m so glad I had the experience to witness what true worship is through the Gospel Choir, and I most definitely recommend you all to go see one of their concerts. Believe me, even if you’re not spiritual, it will be well worth your time.

gwiszczj1@lasalle.edu