It’s Vision Revision week on AU’s campus.
Vision Revision, which has been part of AU’s spiritual life since at least 1980, is “an intentional week to focus on faith through the arts,” said Becca Palmer, director of spiritual formation.
This year, Vision Revision planning has been led by senior family science major Payton Lantz.
Lantz said that she had “had no idea how much planning, collaborating, scheduling and emailing it would take in order to pull off a good service for everyone.”
“Vision Revision has always been my all-time favorite chapel each semester,” she said. “It is such a cool way to see fellow students using their God-given talents to worship the Lord through the arts.”
Services are set to begin on Tuesday morning with theatre professor Valerie Maze scheduled to speak in chapel. Maze will also host a masterclass and recital during the week. Tuesday evening, at 6 p.m. in Reardon Auditorium, there will be an “Encounter” worship service led by Nancy and Logan Hendrickson and a few AU alumni. Chapel credit will be given at the worship service.
“[The worship leaders] have put a lot of prayer and thought into this service, and I am excited and expectant for what the Lord will do,” said Lantz.
Thursday morning chapel will be the student-led service that Lantz has spent months coordinating. The service will focus on taking a “deeper dive into the Easter weekend.”
“The most fun part of planning Vision Revision has been seeing ideas that I have had in my head for months come to life in rehearsals,” she said. “It’s super fun to collaborate with other people on campus, get their spin on things and see their creative sides come out as well.”
Lantz hopes that Vision Revision week will open students’ eyes to different forms of worship.
“Worship can look like a student doing pottery, a spoken word that a student prepared, or even a video that a student thought of and created,” she said. “We do this to ourselves, but I think a lot of the time we get stuck in the monotonousness of coming into each chapel expecting worship bands will play three or four songs and then a speaker will share with us for 30 minutes. Vision Revision provides a different worshipful outlook and atmosphere for students in chapel to break them from that monotonous mindset.”
Palmer also noted different styles of worship and their importance during Vision Revision week.
“We serve such a creative God, and there are endless ways to learn more about our faith and worship God through different artistic expressions,” she said. “Being on a campus with so many students that possess so many beautiful talents, it is great to have a space where they can share their unique talents and how they might connect with God through artistic expressions.
“Students have dreamt up all the ideas and elements and it is done by students,” said Palmer. “I think students have always responded well to seeing something a bit out of the box that is created by their peers.”
Lantz urged students who might be interested in being part of a future Vision Revision week to reach out.
“The more people involved, the better,” she said. “Even if you don’t feel like you have any talent to share, your creativity and input is super helpful and wanted. Vision Revision would not be possible without the many minds and hands that put work into making it happen.”
Vision Revision schedule:
Tuesday, March 20:
11 a.m., Reardon Auditorium: Chapel with speaker Valerie Maze
6 p.m., Reardon Auditorium: Encounter all-worship service (chapel credit given)
Thursday, March 22:
11 a.m., Reardon Auditorium: Student-led chapel
7-9 p.m., Fair Commons Lobby: Open mic night, partnered with Jackrabbit Coffee
7:30 p.m., York Performance Hall: Valerie Maze and David Coolidge recital
Friday, March 23:
7 p.m., York Performance Hall: Second Annual Blackbird Film Festival, presented by CAB and Cinema Club