Wheaton College Alumni Magazine Winter 2015 | Page 5

dearWHEATON Made for Worship Jeremy Weber’s thoughtfully researched article “Made for Worship” revealed to readers the continuing effectiveness of Wheaton to shape lifelong worshipers in the crucible of global engagement for Christ and his kingdom. Any faith community that contributes to that kind of life change exhibits an excellence that makes me want to invest in and pray for Wheaton even more. How enlivening and confirming to hear of recent and current students carrying on Wheaton’s unique take on the integration of worship and mission, in congregations and communities around the world. Trends in worship music do come and go; but developing true disciples who live worship as a lifestyle is part of Wheaton’s great commission. Steve Hoke ’71, M.A. ’72 Fort Collins, CO I was excited to see “Made for Worship,” which had some good reporting on how Wheaton alumni are leading worship. I did think one point was missing. The ultimate affirmation of worship leaders being “ambivalent about musical styles” is problematic. What is missing from any serious worship discussion is how form interprets content—how music interprets both words and liturgical gestures (nonverbal moments of meaning within services). Instead, we evangelicals earnestly believe we can get past the prejudices and pains of the “worship wars” by separating spiritual ideas from their musical embodiments, as if the musical form doesn’t really matter as long as the idea (or written content) is good. Thinking about how musical form works with or against spiritual ideas is a very difficult task, but a task that the Wheaton Conservatory should consider seriously W H EA T O N . ED U / M A G A Z I N E as it raises up future generations of evangelical worship leaders. Dr. Rebecca Nelson Abbott ’98 Mount Vernon, OH A Reasonable Defense The “A Reasonable Defense” article that mentions the 2014 alumni award given to Dr. William Lane Craig ’71 also mentions that Dr. Craig recently debated theoretical physicist Dr. Sean Carroll of Caltech. The debate was part of a two-day God & Cosmology conference held at the New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary in February 2014. I mention this to encourage Wheaton alumni to watch all six sessions of this conference on the Tactical Faith YouTube channel (go to Greer-Heard 2014). Dr. Craig and Dr. Carroll sparred with each other Friday evening. There were four additional speakers on Saturday (two naturalists and two theists), with responses from Dr. Craig and Dr. Carroll. I mention this because, if you believe as I do that education enriches your life even if it doesn’t enhance your income, you will find the entire conference enlightening, inspiring, enjoyable, interesting, and informative. David Thiessen ’62
 Woodstock, IL Seeking Revival It’s exciting to read about the changing face of Wheaton—articles on diversity, the new buildings on an