Students fill Academic Lawn, Prayer Chapel for end-of-semester praise and worship

As they have done every week this semester, Liberty University students gathered for Campus Community on Wednesday night, but this time they filled the Academic Lawn outside the Montview Student Union. The service lasted well into the night.

Campus Community, part of Liberty’s spiritual development programs, is typically held in the Vines Center. The service provides the student body with a time of intentional worship and sound biblical teaching. This semester, messages have covered the apostle John’s three letters to the church.

During the service, Chancellor Jonathan Falwell told students he appreciated their willingness to give up their time at the end of the semester (final exams begin next week) to worship God, noting that several other universities around the country have instead seen students gather on their lawns for protests.

Falwell said the service was important in light of the passages they’ve been studying this semester and highlighted “how amazing it is that Liberty students come to our lawn, and what we do rather than attacking one another is lift up the name of the only One who is worthy of our praise, and that is Jesus Christ, King of kings, and Lord of lords.”

Falwell read from 3 John and urged students to remain grounded in their faith and daily commit to living their lives for Christ. He said regardless of one’s age or position at Liberty, everyone must make the decision whether they will serve God or themselves.

“This is a choice that we have to make. But understand it’s not a choice that we have to make once, but one we have to make every single day. Every day when we wake up and put our feet on the ground, we have to decide that on this day, no matter what I face, no matter what I come up against, no matter what situations I may have to navigate, I’m going to honor God, I’m going to serve Christ, I’m going to run after Him.”

Following the time of worship, Vice President for Spiritual Development Josh Rutledge invited students to take part in a 24-hour campus prayer event, the university’s second of the semester, which began at midnight in the Worley Prayer Chapel. The event, which included both music and Scripture reading, allowed students to continue the worship time that began earlier at Campus Community.

Liberty will host its last Convocation of the semester on Friday with a message from President Dondi Costin.