money, money, money i - duke chapel · peak experiences as a beacon of beauty and inspiration would...

Iby Sam Wells, Dean of Duke Chapel

I’ve been asked to answer a few questionsabout what Christians should do with theirmoney. So here goes.

How much should Christians give away?

It’s often said that life is about choices.People who get into trouble are often saidto have made “bad choices.” But a life basedon perpetual choice would be a nightmare.(I often panic going into a fast food outletthat there’s way too much choice and I don’tknow how to make a decision in zero time.)So we don’t make perpetual choices. Wedevelop habits. The point is, to developgood ones. I don’t use the term “give away.”I just call it a different kind of investment.Investing 10% of your income in yourchurch is a good habit. There may beperiods of hardship where we find we haveto make that 10% of net rather than 10%

Money, Money, Moneyof gross. But the point is, habit saves us fromperpetual choice. It’s freedom, in fact.

How much of what Christians give awayshould go to the Church?

I suggest Christians invest 10% of theirincome in their church. Again, that’s asimple habit and saves us from the torturedanxiety of choice. The Church is the wayChristians seek to model the life madepossible by the redeeming love of God inChrist. There simply isn’t anything moreimportant to invest one’s money in.

What about other good causes?

If one regards 10% as a minimum ratherthan a maximum, then other causes are nota problem. You simply set a figure that seemsrealistic – or, perhaps better, get a trustedfriend to do so for you, a friend who willface you honestly with your tendency to err

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New Book by Dean Wells 2

In Their Own Words 3

Æolian Reconditioning Beg ins 4

Walk the Labyrinth 4

Duke Tackles the Big Question 5

Sing ing in Spain 6

Spring Oratorio 7

Holding a Candle 8

Holy Week Schedule 9

Living Together as Lilly Fellows 10

Becoming a �Big Kid� 11

Funding Opportunities 12

F R I E N D S O F D U K E C H A P E L F I R S T Q U A R T E R 2 0 0 7 2

NNNNNew Bew Bew Bew Bew Booooooooook by Dk by Dk by Dk by Dk by Deeeeeaaaaan Wn Wn Wn Wn Weeeeelllll llllls fs fs fs fs fooooor Ler Ler Ler Ler LennnnntttttThis January, Chapel Dean Sam Wells’ new book, Power and Passion: Six Charactersin Search of Resurrection, was released in the United States.

Samuel Wells vividly paints the stories surrounding Jesus’ cross and resurrection.We see the weakness of Pontius Pilate and Barabbas, and the compromised charac-ter of Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus. We discover the subtle power of Pilate’swife. And in Peter and Mary Magdalene we find the true power of resurrection,bringing forgiveness and ending the stranglehold of death, thus transforming allhuman passion. Through close readings of the gospel texts, Wells demonstrates thesignificance of these characters for faith and life today.

In this book, structured with one chapter for each week of Lent, Wells guides usfrom the deathly power that put Jesus on the cross to the new power brought byJesus’ resurrection. The book offers opportunities at the end of each chapter forprayer and discussion. The Archbishop of Canterbury has selected Power and Pas-sion as his Lent book for 2007. –Zondervan Publishing

on the side of your own comfort. Butthe point is not to be sacrificial for a yearor two and debt-ridden for the rest. Thepoint is to keep a level you can sustainfor a lifetime and pass on as a principleto children or others whom youinfluence.

What about regular investments?

I have investments that I have inheritedfrom my parents. I try to do three thingswith them. I try to transfer some, perhapsmost (I’ve only just started), tocommunity development financeinitiatives such as the Latino CreditUnion in Durham. I try to keep the restin companies that I am not ashamed tobe linked with. And I try to sit downonce each year with a small group oftrusted friends and commit to givingaway a significant portion of the interestas a mutually-accountable team. In mylast job I earned $18,000 a year so thislatter conversation accounted for mostof my giving.

What about disasters?

Which disasters happen is usually asurprise, but that disasters happen is nosurprise. It’s best to keep a percentage of

one’s “other causes” pot available fordisasters that make huge emotionalappeals but not mix that up with thehabits that should be oriented tosupporting lasting change.

What about rainy days, retirement,long-term care and college fees?

This is where giving becomes adiscipline. If we giveaway our first 10%(rather than our last)then other thingsfall into lineaccordingly. It’snot wrong to saveup to helpchildren throughcollege. But it’smore important toleave one’s childrenan example ofgenerosity and living as afree child of God than toleave them a large financial war-chest.The question to ask oneself is, am Isaving money because I don’t trust myrelationships to survive in the face of mypossible future infirmity? The Christianmust always be inclined to invest inrelationships over independence.

What about Duke Chapel?

I am imagining that the great majorityof Friends of Duke Chapel are eithermembers of a congregation in the placewhere they live, or, if regular Chapelattendees, members of the Congregationat Duke Chapel. Either way, I assumeyour “habitual” 10% would go to your

regular congregation, and Iwould hope that Duke

Chapel would be fairlyhigh on your list of

“other causes.”

Jesus said “whereyour treasure is,there will yourheart be also.” Itshould be the casethat we spend

money on thethings we pray for. But

in practice it’s moreoften the other way around.

My prayer is that each person readingthis letter experiences the freedom thatcomes from making the investment ofyour money a matter of habit rather thanchoice.

It should be the casethat we spend moneyon the things we prayfor. But in practiceit’s more often theother way around.


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In their own words...S h a r i n g t h e C h a p e l ’s p r o f o u n d i n f l u e n c e

I have had quite a few profound experiences in the Duke Chapel. The inspirationof the sheer beauty and grandeur caught my eye when I first visited Duke. Iwould often visit the Chapel after studying in the library just to hear the harmonyof musical rehearsals or meditate on theology and psychology. Listening to apractice session of Mozart’s Mass in C Minor this year brought a tingle to myspine as the choir’s notes seemed to vibrate to the heights and back down again.Taking the journey through the Labyrinth while gazing at the colors of thestained glass symbolic of the Logos was a moving meditative experience. Climbingthe stairs in the new Divinity School wing and seeing the small chapel with itsnatural woodlike setting and feeling the cloister effect of the stairwell with artculminating in the representation of the Holy Spirit in stained glass at the topof the steps is an amazing prelude to visiting the inside of the Chapel.

Sharing the wonderful experience of the Chapel with other visitors and tellingthem the story of the African-American architect who designed the buildingwas thought provoking. Going over music with the chapel organist David Arcuswhen planning a wedding and listening to pieces of great masterworksculiminating in Bach’s Toccata, Adagio and Fugue in C Minor was a breathtakingexperience. To say the chapel has had a profound influence on my experiencewould be an understatement. To say that the Chapel provided me with manypeak experiences as a beacon of beauty and inspiration would be right on.

–Kevin Springman , Graduate School 1988

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We had attended the Chapel since 1990, off and on, and joined the Congregationabout 3 years ago. I’d say that we have been drawn closer to God because of the sightsand sounds within the Chapel. Some of the moving sights: seeing a nearly full Chapelweek after week; seeing a processing choir of 100 or so; seeing the long lines waitingto partake of the Body and Blood of Christ; seeing illumined or darkened Chapelwindows; seeing a darkening Chapel at a Good Friday service; and seeing a few candlesmaking their way through darkness down the center aisle on a winter’s late Thursdayafternoon service in the Memorial Chapel.

Some of the moving sounds: a full Chapel singing hymns old and new; the choirsinging; the organ preludes and postludes and accompaniments; a vocal or instrumentalsolo that haunts the soul; sermons that prick our comfort zones; and the non-soundof silence, as one sits with his or her thoughts and feelings.

All of the above have blended together to draw me closer to God and His Son Jesus.

–Ernie Ruckert

BEBEBEBEBEHHHHHOOOOOLLLLLD TD TD TD TD THHHHHE STE STE STE STE STAAAAARRRRRby Ernie Ruckert, while attending with staff

and students from Oxford Orphanage

The star that shone thenContinues to light our way.It was the Jesus star,And people came from afarTo offer praise.

We join in praise songs today,Joining the centuries of voicesThat echo the sublime refrain -Jesus comes!

To share your story, please email [email protected].


Cby David Arcus, Chapel Organist

Contract negotiations between DukeUniversity and Foley-Baker, Incorpo-rated, were finalized last September topave the way officially for Duke Chapel’sÆolian organ to undergo a 2.2 million-dollar restoration. The Æolian organ wasused for the last time during the morn-ing worship service on Sunday, January21. The week of January 22, organ cu-rator John Santoianni began cuttingcables to prepare for the organ’s removalin February. A removal crew from Foley-Baker arrived February 1 to begin the ar-duous task of taking the organ out of thechambers.

Over the next 18 months, the reservoirs,chests, and flue pipes will be in Foley-Baker’s Tolland, Connecticut, shop forrepair, reconditioning, and cleaning.Reed pipes will be sent to Broom andCompany, Windsor Locks, Connecticut,for cleaning and repair as necessary.

Some components of the key/chest ac-tion will be replaced, but the majority ofthe organ that resides in the chamberswill not be altered substantially.

Richard Houghten of Milan, Michigan,has agreed to supply a new console toreplace the current one. After severalmonths of examination, this original con-sole was determined to be worn past thepoint of being repaired and retained inany form. This allows for a more com-plete conversion to solid state relay, aswell as incorporation of new standardsfor console appointments. The new con-sole and its updated appointments main-tains the Æolian’s primary role as an ac-companiment to the Chapel Choir andvarious Chapel worship services, but alsoprovide an enhanced role in teaching,recitals, and concerts.

The organ will be out of service for 18-20 months. Following extensive refur-bishing of the organ chambers, compo-

Reconditioning Beg inson the Æolian Organ

nents will return in several phases, withthe final voicing and tuning expected towrap up around November of 2008.

Duke University Chapel is grateful to allwho have contributed toward the ÆolianOrgan Project. We are particularly grate-ful to those whose repeated generosity hasbrought the prospects of a complete or-gan restoration to fruition.

On December 5,2006, we reachedour $2.2 million goalfor the re-conditioning of theÆolian organ. Weare truly g ratefulfor the support ofall the Fr iends whomade this possible.

Workers from Foley-Baker lower a pipe.After removal, the pipes will be driven to

Connecticut for reconditioning.

Walk theLABYRINTH

“Worshippers are invited onto thewinding pathway to silently trace thesorrows, joys and challenges of theirspiritual lives”

–Sally Bates, Divinity School

On Tuesday, March 27, from 11:00am to 6:00 pm, visitors are invited towalk the Labyrinth in Duke Chapel.Admission is free.

The labyrinth is a forty-foot circlecontaining a winding path. All arewelcome to come and walk thecurving path, to follow the twists andturns in the spirit of prayer andmeditation. The labyrinth is self-guided, and normally takes 30minutes to an hour to complete.


TDuke tackles the big question

By Dawn Baumgartner Vaughan for theHerald-Sun

The dean of Duke University Chapel hasposed an unsettling question to deans atthe university: Is it possible to do any good?

The first in a series of talks grappling withthe issue began Wednesday afternoon withSandy Williams, dean of the Duke Schoolof Medicine.

The public beyond the university commu-nity was invited to bring a lunch for thehour-long session at Hock Plaza. Severalof the 30 or so inattendance sportedwhite coats, DukeIDs or backpacks.

The Rev. CanonSam Wells, chapeldean, asked leadingquestions of Will-iams that garneredcandid responsesabout the medicalschool dean'sthoughts on hisown path to medi-cine as well as his views on the state ofhealth care in the U.S.

Williams was an undergraduate studentstudying public policy in the late 1960swhen his questioning of the government'schoices in Vietnam -- and an interestingbiology class -- led him to pursue medi-

cine because it was a“cleaner” way to serve soci-ety.

What he knows now, he said,is that medicine is not aclean business.

“Our system of providinghealth care is so flawed as tobe fundamentally wrong,”said Williams, who alsoworks in Singapore. Whathe has seen there has ampli-

fied the socialjustice dispar-ity in U.S.health care.

“For example,Singapore provides free medi-cal care of high quality to ev-ery pregnant woman. ... Ratesof maternal and fetal death inSingapore are nearly zero.That does not happen inDurham County,” he said.

Instead, health care in theU.S. is determined by eco-

nomics, he said, and level of care correlateswith economic status.

By and large, Williams said, people whoenter the medical field are well-meaning.The possibility of doing harm rather thangood comes when they become part of thesystem, he said.

“The economics ofmedical practice aredriven by procedures,”he said.

Delivering that technol-ogy is the way to makemoney. There is a driveto use high-end proce-dures when an alterna-tive approach -- or noth-ing at all -- could be usedas well, he said.

“The cynical view is

Director of University and Community RelationsGaston Warner introduces the Deans

that, to a person with a hammer, every-thing looks like a nail,” he said.

Williams also pointed out that most re-sources are spent on the last days of aperson's life, not their entire life. But pre-ventive care -- seeing a doctor when notsick -- has been a major change in medi-cine over the past few decades.

Wells has noticed the change in societalplace of clergy versus health professionals.

“My profession used to be the big one, backin the Middle Ages. People believed we hadthe keys to heaven and hell,” Wells said.

He asked Williams if yesterday's priests aretoday's doctors, and yesterday's cathedralsare today's hospitals.

“In the secular age we live in now, we havecome to make health a religion. Bodies arethe temple of our souls,” Williams said.

Power now may reside in the hands of bio-medical scientists, he said, and the risk isfalling prey to arrogance.

Williams thinks the biggest societal chal-lenge in health care for the future is whowill receive innovative care -- and why.

For dates of upcoming Dialogues, and to listen to or view past Dialogues,

visit www.chapel.duke.edu.Deans Sam Wells and Sandy Williams discuss how to do

good in the field of medicine

Williams also pointedout that most resources

are spent on the last daysof a person's life, nottheir entire life. But

preventive care has beena major change in

medicine over the pastfew decades.


by Amanda Swearingen, T‘08,Chapel Choir Vice President

Thursday & Friday, December 28-29: Asthirty fellow Chapel Choir members andI were readying for the trip to Barcelona,we were sure it would be an exciting, un-forgettable experience. The excitementwaned during the two layovers, rushing andwaiting, a quick dash to catch our to-be-delayed flight from Munich to Barcelonaand an arrival that was almost the same hourwe started out on, but one day ahead. Wearrived with just enough time to shower andchange before rehearsal and dinner.

However, once we breathed in the Spanishair, fatigue and frustration dissipated. Werallied for a productive rehearsal, and thenwe set out for the Restaurant Tablao delCarmen for dinner and a flamenco show.The flamenco dancing was spectacular, fullof color and vibrancy, vivacious and pas-sionate, and very loud. Flamenco is anAndalucian tradition involving a flamencoguitar and singing. The dancing is a com-bination of rhythmic stomping and grace-ful hand gestures. Although it was a veryfestive evening, it was also the first peek ofthe stomach and intestinal virus that wewould later call “las ramblas,” named for awalkway in town known for pickpocketers.

Saturday, December 30: After a tour of theGothic Quarter of Barcelona, the choir re-hearsed in the Iglesia del Pi, the SpanishGothic church where we would perform ourfirst concert in Spain! Before more guidedtours of the metropolitan city, a number ofthe singers and I set out for a traditionalSpanish lunch with Chapel Choir directorRodney Wynkoop. This was our first op-portunity to discover the difference inbreaking for lunch in Spain from the UnitedStates. While we knew lunch as a break ofabout 45 minutes, it seemed that our res-taurant would have us stay longer. We wereleft to very broken Spanish-English requestsand explanations that just turned into a se-ries of hand gestures.

After lunch, we took a tour of the city thatincluded a view overlooking the city atMontjuïc (the Mountain of the Jews) and

Singing in Spainconcluded with the Poble Espanyol (Span-ish Village) where the Tablao del Carmen islocated. Originally built for a 1929 exhibi-tion, the Poble Espanyol was maintained asa site for civic pride and tourism. The struc-tures remain today, filled with shops sellingeverything from clothes to jewelry. After along rehearsal, we returned to the Iglesia delPi for our first concert in Spain. We sang amultitude of carols that demonstrated theimmense talent of various soloists, followedby three choruses from the Messiah, includ-ing the Hallelujah chorus. We were pleasedwhen the crowd in Barcelona received usgraciously.

Sunday, December 31: Sunday began witha tour of the architecture of Gaudí: “LaPedrera”, Casa Milà, “Casa Batlló” and cul-minating in the Templo Expiatori de laSagrada Família, under construction sincethe 1880s. The late morning light reflectedspectacularly from the stained-glass win-dows onto the huge interior pillars. Thetemple, reminiscent of an ominous and sin-ister sand castle, is the most visited place inBarcelona.

The rest of New Year’s Eve was at our ownleisure. Some ate grapes each hour leadingto the stroke of midnight. Some visited thepier, climbed the huge statue of Christo-pher Columbus, walked along the famouspedestrian walkway “las ramblas” (famousfor its pickpockets), while others spent theevening with our MCI tour managers. Ei-ther way, the Chapel Choir had an unfor-gettable celebration of the New Year inBarcelona. Feliz Año Nuevo!

Monday, January 1: After late night celebra-tions, the Chapel Choir spent the majorityof the next day on buses transferring fromBarcelona to Madrid. Our bus transfer wasa string of boredom busters: sleeping, a lineof backrubs, the never-ending game of 20questions, the blasting of “Sail Away,” and45 minute breaks every two hours.

Tuesday, January 2: We had a brief time totour Madrid, so we saw as much of the PradoMuseum as we could. We saw works fromthe best Spanish painters, namely Ribera,Velasquez, and Francesco de Goya, and vis-

ited the Royal Palace, still in use today. Itwas lavishly decorated and had an impres-sive collection of Stradivari violins and cel-los.

After touring the city, the Chapel Choir ar-rived in a small town outside Madrid calledEl Escorial, and explored the large monas-tery until the concert that evening. Locatedon the central mesa of Spain, El Escorialwas one of the coldest places we visited.Churches in Spain are not heated. Despitethe cold, the Chapel Choir turned out agood concert.

Wednesday, January 3: The Chapel Choirfell instantly in love with the small, wind-ing, city of Toledo. It is located high up,almost like a fortress, overlooking a moat-like river. While in Toledo, we visited anArtesania de Toledo. Famous for their steelsword making and gold embossed jewelry,Toledo is rife with artisans.

Afterwards, we toured the city and visitedthe Cathedral and the Church of St. Tomé.The Cathedral was a beautiful white, gran-diose masterpiece that seemed to radiatelight. Inside the Sacristy, the Cathedral ex-hibited a small pinacoteca with an amazingcollection of paintings, including worksfrom Titian, El Greco and Caravaggio. Wealso visited the Church of St. Tomé in or-der to see El Greco’s masterpiece The En-tombment of St. Orgaz.

That evening, we performed once again ina freezing church, St. John the King. Al-though we were all tired, cold, hungry (andsome of us sick) this performance stood outfor us as a brilliant turning point. We pulledtogether and gave all the energy, vitality andtalent we could give. Feeding off of Rodney’senergy and enthusiasm and the improve-ment in the orchestra, we operformed thefirst half of Handel’s Messiah. The standingovation lasted so long that we sang an en-core of “God be in my Head.” I have to saythat we rocked Toledo!

Thursday, January 4: It took the majorityof the day to travel to Granada in order toperform our final concert in Granada Ca-thedral. Fueled by our performance in To-ledo, we were determined to finish well. Be-


2007 Spring Oratorio to Feature Music from Russia

OOn Sunday, April 22 at 4 pm in Duke Chapel, Rodney Wynkoop will lead the Duke Chapel Choir and Chorale in Rachmaninof f�sAll-night Vig il, a piece of stunning beauty and power. The a cappella work features a wide array of colors and moods f romintense, quiet ref lections to ebullient expressions of praise. The choir will sing the work in the orig inal Church Slavonic.

While Rachmaninof f is pr imarily known as a composer for the piano, the All-night Vig il, or Vespers, as it is sometimes called,held a special place in the composer�s heart. He asked that the Nunc Dimitis, the f ifth movement f rom the work beperformed at his funeral. Rachmaninof f�s f luidity within the idiom of Russian choral music is clear throughout this work, andthe listener wonders at the imag ination of the composer as he continually c reates new voice combinations and ef fects. Atthe same time, his care in setting the Slovanic text infuses the whole work with a sacred power that few works can match.

In addition to the All-night Vig il, the Chapel Choir will present the premiere of a new edition of Joseph Achron�s SabbathEvening Service. Achron�s Hebrew setting features subtle and powerful harmonies, as well as infectious, folk-like melodies.Achron was one of the leading composers of the Jewish Russian school of composition, which f lour ished in the seconddecade of the last century.

Tickets will be available for the concert starting March 15 at the Duke Box Off ice: www.tickets.duke.edu or 684-4444

cause we entered the churchfrom the back, we wereshocked by the enormity of thevenue that received us and thehuge, 1000-person audience aswell. With the help of theamazing organ (and DavidArcus’s talents), we turned outa beautiful performance andended with a bang!

Friday, January 5: On Friday,we visited Alhambra, the fa-mous Muslim palace and for-tress complex. We saw theCourt of the Myrtle Trees,and the carved fountain in theCourt of the Lions, as well asthe preserved mosaics inrooms such as the Hall of the Two Sisters.It was a breathtaking experience to see his-tory so well preserved.

Afterwards, we were set free to experiencethe city of Granada. The city center wasbelow the Alhambra, so we spent a goodpart of the morning working our way downthe hill. Inside one guitar and violin shop,we learned about the tradition of flamencoand types of guitars.

For dinner, we decided to try pastry andtea. I had a chocolate croissant that was thebest pastry I have ever had! As we left themeal, we found ourselves in the throng of aparade for the eve of the Epiphany or la Dia

de los Reyes Magos (the Day of the WiseMen). People lined the street and stood outon their balconies, while confetti and candywere dropped from the sky.

Saturday, January 6: After a 5 a.m. wake-up call, the Chapel Choir set out for Sevilleto perform in the 11:30 a.m. Mass in theRoyal Chapel of the Seville Cathedral.While the church itself was quite beautiful,the Chapel Choir seemed more impressedby the modern bathrooms.

The mass was lovely, though much of it wasin Spanish. Because of the translating skillsof Sonia, we received a sincere and cordial

thank you from the presiding priestfor our participation. Following theMass, we were taken to the tomb ofChristopher Columbus, which wasraised up high above our heads. Thisis due to Columbus’ wishes that henot be buried in Spain, and so he israther buried “above” Spain.

Sunday,January 7: Our last day inSpain was spent in Cordoba andAranjuez. We visited the Mezquita(Mosque), famous for its halls withhorseshoe vaults painted with redstripes. Unlike any other mosque,the Mihrab does not face towardsMecca. There are many theories forthis, but no definitive answer. Whilein Cordoba, I also experienced my

first Spanish hot chocolate. Unlike ourAmerican creamy milk version, Spanish hotchocolate is much thicker and richer; it’s likea melted chocolate bar.

Finally we arrived in Aranjuez for a shortrest and then our farewell dinner at LasCuevas del Vino, a Spanish winery. Weended our trip with everyone together en-joying Spanish food and traditional wine(except David who sadly came down with“las ramblas”).

Monday, January 8: The last leg of our tripbegan at the wake-up call of 3:30 a.m. Af-ter about fourteen hours of traveling we re-turned safe and sound, although some hadleft over rumbles of “las ramblas.”

Students in the choir under an archway in Seville.


Aby Abby Kocher, Community Minister

A small group stood gathered in a circle,each person holding a candle whose flameflickered with the breezes of the night air.Some shed tears, others held hands, andstill others stood quietly without speaking.After every homicide that takes place inour city of Durham, a simple vigil takesplace at the site where the murder occurred.Family, friends, neighbors, and supporterscome together to lament the deaths thatoccur due to gun violence in Durham. TheReligious Coalition for a NonviolentDurham makes contact with the familiesand sponsors the vigils. If there is one thingthat has continued to make headlines inDurham in recent years, it is concern abouthomicides that take place in our city. In2005, there were 31 deaths due to gun vio-lence in Durham; the majority of thesedeaths are young African-American males.The vigils are not a statement about guiltor innocence, nor are they about takingsides. Standing alongside the family andfriends of those in our community whohave lost a loved one due to gun violenceis a way of affirming that our God whocreated all life shares with all creation a lovethat is deep enough to redeem all life.

One evening as we stood in a circle andbegan to pray, a young boy from the neigh-

borhood walked toward the group. He wasabout eight years old. Someone handedhim a candle and made space for him inthe circle. During the vigil, there is timefor those gathered to share their memoriesof the person who died. The little boydidn’t say anything, and when the vigil wasover, he left quickly. I wondered who hewas and what had brought him into the

circle on that particular night. As I stoodtalking with friends and family membersafter the vigil, a woman came up to ourgroup. She said, “I want you to know whatyour presence here tonight meant. Thatlittle boy lives down the street, and he wasa witness to the murder that took placewhere you’re standing. He hasn’t been ableto walk this far up his own street since July

when the murder took place. Because youall were standing here, he experiencedsome healing in his life that you can’t evenbegin to understand.” And we hadn’t doneanything but hold candles in the dark andpray together as brothers and sisters infaith. As Duke Chapel seeks ways of be-ing present in Durham, particularly in theplaces where folks are struggling and suf-fering, we are learning that there is greatpower in simply standing beside someonein the place where they hurt.

On an evening in late December as Christ-mas drew near, I stood in another circleagain holding a candle. It was about aweek before Christmas. We formed a largecircle that evening, as the man who hadbeen killed was blessed with loving familyand friends. There were many children atthe vigil, and the ones who were oldenough to walk milled around safely in themiddle of the circle. It was also evidentthat several women in the crowd were ex-pecting soon the birth of a child them-selves. And several adults in the circle heldsmall infants in their arms. After the pray-ing and sharing had taken place, we sang“Silent Night.” The words were indeedpowerful that evening: “Silent night, holynight. All is calm. All is bright. Roundyon virgin mother and child. Holy infantso tender and mind. Sleep in heavenly

HOLDING A CANDLE

...we are learningthat there is greatpower in simplystanding beside

someone in the placewhere they hurt.


peace. ” I am accustomed to singing thishymn on Christmas Eve while holding acandle in a quiet worship service. Butthat night I sang “Silent Night” holdinga candle on the side of a street in one ofDurham’s poorest neighborhoods, stand-ing at a place where someone had died.There was night, and silence, and chil-dren, and mothers expecting children,and children gently asleep in parents’arms. All the ingredients of Jesus’ com-ing into the world were there, in a placewhere we might least expect it, a placeon the margins of our society.

Several of us from the Chapel regularlyattend the vigils. From time to time oneof us is asked to lead. Recently, I led oneof these vigils in the neighborhood whereI now live. Any and all ages are welcometo join. For the Christian church, keep-ing vigil has long been a way that we praytogether through the dark nights. At thesevigils throughout Durham, family andfriends pray in lament, joined alongsidebrothers and sisters of the Durham faithcommunity who gather around them.Keeping vigil is one way that we can praywith those in our city who live on the mar-

Participants gather in a Durham neighborhood.

gins, whose pain and suffering is hardly vis-ible to most of us. It is one way to be withthem, to stand beside them in the placewhere they hurt. So we form a circle, lightcandles, and lift prayers to God for our city,hoping that these families find some bit ofhealing knowing that they do not grievealone.

Rev. Abby Kocher is Duke Chapel’s Commu-nity Minister. She lives and works inDurham’s greater West End neighborhood. Ifyou’re interested in learning more, contact herat [email protected].

HOLY WEEK SCH EDU L ESunday, April 1 at 11:00 a.m.

Service of Worship, Palm SundayThe Rev. Canon Dr. Sam Wells

Sunday, April 1 at 7:00 p.m.Sunday Night Worship,Goodson Chapel, Divinity School

Monday, April 2 at 12:00 noonHoly Week Service of Worship

Tuesday, April 3 at 12:00 noonHoly Week Service of Worship

Tuesday, April 3 at 5:15 p.m.Service of Prayer & Communion

Wednesday, April 4 at 12:00 noonHoly Week Service of Worship

Thursday, April 5 at 12:00 noonHoly Week Service of Worship

Thursday, April 5 at 5:15 p.m.Choral Vespers

Thursday, April 5 at 6:30 p.m.Footwashing Service (Crypt)

Thursday, April 5 at 7:30 p.m.Maundy Thursday Service

Friday, April 6 at 11:30 a.m.Procession of the Stations of theCross (begins on Chapel steps)

Friday, April 6 at 12:00 noonService of Good Friday

Friday, April 6, 1:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m.Meditative Organ Music

Friday, April 6 at 7:30 p.m.Service of Tenebrae (Darkness)

Saturday April 7 (time TBA)Easter Vigil

Sunday, April 8 at 6:30 a.m.Easter Sunrise Service inDuke Gardens

Sunday, April 8 at 9:00 & 11:00 a.m.Service of Worship, Easter SundayThe Rev. Canon Dr. Sam Wells

Sunday, April 8 at 7:00 p.m.Sunday Night Worship, Goodson Chapel, Divinity School

F R I E N D S O F D U K E C H A P E L F I R S T Q U A R T E R 2 0 0 7 1 0

WWhen I first found out that I had beenaccepted as a 2006-07 PathWays Lilly Fel-low, I was excited. I finally had a concreteanswer to give during the end of my se-nior year at Duke when everyone was ask-ing, “What are you doing next year?” Yetas the date to start the fellowship ap-proached, I felt an increasing sense of ap-prehension. Here I was, just graduatedfrom college, all of my closest friends hadmoved away and now I was about to livewith, essentially, four strangers who wereto become my community.

We began the year with a polite and pleas-ant friendliness, learning more about eachother’s backgrounds and taking note of dis-tinct living habits. Gradually, we began toget a sense of each other’s personalities anddeepen our friendships. Even though I wasenjoying the process of building relation-

ships with myhousemates, just asin all meaningful relationships, there comemoments of difficulty. Surprisingly, theplace where I first felt the struggle of livingtogether was not in our daily worship timeor communication styles, but in somethingas simple as grocery shopping.

Initially, we were to move into our currentresidence in the West End in August; how-ever, due to construction delays we were gra-ciously hosted by a member of the ChapelCongregation for nearly three months. Hergenerosity kept us from having to do anyextensive grocery shopping trips, so wesettled into a temporary pattern of buyingitems piece meal. With the completion ofthe house on W. Chapel Hill Street, how-ever, we had our first big shopping trip tothe mother of all grocery stores, Costco. We

had compiled a list ofall the items wedeemed necessary forour new home for theyear and excitedlyheaded off inAmanda’s SUV.

If you have ever beento Costco, you knowthe sheer immensity ofthe place. Ordinaryitems found in yourfriendly neighbor-hood Kroger are mul-tiplied times ten infamily-size packaging.Wandering through

the store with our cart, every aisle held do-mestic treasures that seemed like wonderfuladditions to the house; however, we had todebate about what was truly necessary. Dowe really need a huge jar of mayonnaise?Should we get this type of Tupperware orthis type? Can we really eat that much rice?

As our journey through Costco progressed,our initial enthusiasm waned as we becameweary and annoyed at putting every itemup for a round table discussion. Through-out the whole process of deciding what tobuy I felt myself wanting to seize commandof the situation. I wanted to buy what Ifelt was necessary without the consent ofothers. I questioned the choices of myhousemates, smugly feeling that the way Idid things was best. Once the final itemwas placed in the cart, we headed to thecheck out counter, slightly nervous aboutthe final cost of our purchases, but reassur-ing ourselves that most of the items were aone-time expense or would be used for thewhole year.

I felt the urge to be in control rise furtherwithin me as we piled our goods on the con-veyor belt and watched the price totalsteadily increase. I grabbed a toaster fromthe pile of goods and declared that we didn’treally need a toaster, I mean after all we didalready have a toaster oven. The appliancebarely made a dent in decreasing theamount. After a whopping total, which I’llrefrain from including, we headed backhome and I pondered my response to thesituation.

COSTCO &COMMUNITY:Living Together as

Lilly Fellowsby Nyam Adodoadji, 2006-07 PathWays Lilly Fellow

2006-07 PathWays Lilly Fellows (from left) Nyam Adodoadji,Frederick McGee, Paula Rote, and Amanda Earp

Nyam works with youth during her time as a Lilly Fellow.


Who would have thought that arrogancewould emerge in the most quotidian oftasks? Then again, it is in daily life wherefaith is put to action. It is easy to feel holywhen we are singing, praying and hearing asermon in a magnificent church, but howholy do we feel when our spouses, relativesor friends ask us yet again to clean the bath-room or clear out the garage? Ordinary tasksserve as a valuable lesson about living to-gether and being a community. When itcomes down to it we are often sure that myway is the best way to get a task done. Lifebecomes a little bit messier when I’m notthe only one making a choice about my life,even in something as simple as the food thatwill be in the kitchen pantry. It’s easier tojust default to my opinion, rather than dothe hard work of learning to communicateand make a choice together.

Followers of Jesus, however, are called tomake such a shift in their way of engagingthe world. The choices made are not justabout what makes an individual happy orcomfortable, but what strengthens the com-munity, and ultimately what is most faith-ful to Jesus’ example on earth. But just as asimple task like shopping together can getcomplicated, figuring out how to be faith-ful to God together is even more so.

For Paula, Amanda, Fred and myself, thejourney of living faithfully before God to-gether has not been easy, and at times it hasbeen uncomfortable, but it has also beenfull of laughter and unexpected blessings.We are four very different people comingfrom and with distinct denominations, cul-tures and idiosyncrasies. We have to navi-gate new ways of worshipping, a variety of

living habits and particularmanners of communicat-ing. The living space is in-timate and vulnerable, butthrough it we are learningto offer more of ourselvesto the community andcommunicate with eachother in order to figure outhow to experience life to-gether this year.

Our situation goes againstthe American society that isobsessed with choice. Fromtoothpaste to cereal brands,

Americans want to be sure that they havecontrol over their lives; however, for follow-ers of Jesus, the end-all be-all isn’t individualchoice, sometimes even in something as sig-nificant as living partners. When we giveup choice of who we share space and expe-rience life with, it is no longer about whowe like, but about who is in God’s family.As Lilly Fellows this year, we have been re-minded that God is much bigger than theworld we have known, the experiences wehave had and the communities with whomwe’ve chosen to share those experiences.God is present and the Leader of people andcommunities where we can’t even see theintersection between who we are and whothey are. Just as we had no choice in whoour companions for this fellowship wouldbe, no disciple of Christ has a say in whotheir brothers or sisters in the faith are. Likeit or not, these are the people with whomwe are to pursue God’s kingdom. They areour support in hard times, the ones withwhom we laugh, the ones with whom weexperience the doldrums of life.

Were we to rely solely on those we like orrelate to most naturally, we would miss agreat gift from God. There is somethinguniquely present in relationships that wehave not chosen for ourselves. There is greatjoy in the unexpected ways that God meetsour needs through people with whom wenever thought we could share life or maybewith whom we were scared to share life. Wefind ourselves traveling together and expe-riencing whatever life throws at us, and bitby bit find ourselves able to trust more andsee the face of God in a new way.

BECBECBECBECBECOMOMOMOMOMIIIIINNNNNG AG AG AG AG A�BI�BI�BI�BI�BIG KIG KIG KIG KIG KID�D�D�D�D�

As I completed my under-graduate degree this pastMay, the reality of adult-

hood as a graduate stood before me.Rather than feeling ready to dazzlethe world with the knowledge, skillsand experiences I had gained, I feltlike a kindergartener daunted by thethought of starting school.

Without the pressures of studentlife, time opened up in my days andI had a chance to grieve the goodthings I had lost in graduating aswell as acknowledge the regrets Iheld. Through this process, Godunveiled a part of my heart that hadbeen buried. While singing withstudents of Northgate PresbyterianChurch, I felt pure pleasure whenthe notes of the songs poured outof my mouth. While in my room,bursts of joy erupted in me as mybody moved to the rhythms ofmusic. While becoming lost innovel after novel, I rediscovered apassion for words. Just as if I hadplaced the key pieces of solving apuzzle into position, I saw who Iwas more clearly. Singing, dancingand writing were like breathing forme, and to be without them wouldbe like suffocating.

This revelation has been like step-ping into a new world, full of pos-sibilities that I cannot grasp. I standon the edge of newness and pro-found discoveries as the foggy im-age of my calling becomes a bitclearer. I am encouraged to dreamwith faith and given the strength topursue whatever God’s imaginationenvisions. The Duke PathWays LillyFellowship has been like the kindteacher to me, one who welcomesthe tearful five year olds into theclassroom and introduces them tothe wonders and joys of life as a bigkid. –by Nyam Adodoadji

Nyam and Fred at a PathWays retreat for theFellows in Chimney Rock.


View from Duke Chapel was printed on recycled paper.Environmentally responsible with post-consumer waste fiber

and recycled fiber, elemental chlorine-free pulps, acid-free andchlorine-free manufacturing conditions.

Friends of Duke ChapelBox 90974Durham, NC 27708Address Service Requested

Non Profit Org.U.S. Postage

PAIDPermit No. 60Durham, NC

Priority Funding Opportunities for Spring & Summer 2007Mark yourcalendars!

FRFRFRFRFRIIIIIEEEEENNNNNDDDDDS EVS EVS EVS EVS EVEEEEENNNNNTTTTTAlumni Weekend

April 13, 20072:30-3:30 pm

Westbrook 0012Divinity SchoolEruditio & Relig io?

What is the place of relig ionin the modern university?Led by Dean Sam Wells

ANANANANANNNNNNUUUUUAAAAAL MEL MEL MEL MEL MEETETETETETIIIIINNNNNGGGGGReception on

Sunday, April 22, 2007immediately following

Chapel Choir�sSpring Oratorio (see pg. 7)

(Watch the mail for your inv itation)

To make a donation, call 919-684-6220 or 919-684-5955, or mail check to Box 90974,Durham, NC 27708, or visit chapel.duke.edu and click on “make a gift”. Gifts of stock

and planned gifts accepted gratefully.

Matching funds forPathWays program

($500,000)

Funds for upgrading30-year-old audioequipment in nave

($100,000)

Funding to resettle 4 morepersecuted Montagnards

from Vietnam in Durham($20,000)

money, money, money i - duke chapel · peak experiences as a beacon of beauty and inspiration would...

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