Semester Theme

We began the Spring '03 Semester with the theme: The Golden Rule Across the World's Religions. We highlighted the topic of 'doing unto others' as it is interpreted in many faiths. In the Baha'i faith, the Golden Rule is "Do not lay on any soul a load that you would not wish to be laid upon you, and desire not for anyone the things you would not desire for yourself."

Special Chapel programs this semester have included a service led by The Reverend Curran Reichart, whose former experiences include dramatic performances on and off Broadway, and is now a minister in the United Church of Christ.

We celebrated our annual Founder's Day with presentations by students from Dr. Earl Danieley's Winter Term course, the History of Elon.

With the onset of the war in Iraq, our theme has shifted to Prayers for Nations at War. Fr. John Ruffo, Campus Catholic Minister; Ray Crompton, InterVarsity Minister; the Reverend Dian Jackson, Associate Pastor of Elon Community Church; the Reverend Steve Johnson, UCC National Church; and University Chaplain Richard McBride each offered a moment of prayer and reflection during this opening week of conflict between the United States and Iraq.

Prayers for Nations at War will continue as our Chapel theme this semester as we turn our hope toward peaceful reconciliation of this world conflict.

This is my song, O God of all the nations,
A song of peace for lands afar and mine.
This is my home, the country where my heart is;
Here are my hopes, my dreams, my holy shrine.
But other hearts in other lands are beating
With hopes and dreams as true and high as mine.
My country's skies are bluer than the ocean,
And sunlight beams on cloverleaf and pine;
But other lands have sunlight, too, and clover.
And skies are everywhere as blue as mine
O hear my song, O God for all the nations,
A song of peace for their land and for mine.

Tune: "Finlandia"
The New Century Hymnal 591