By Anastasia Brown · Community Editor
24 Hour Worship has become a tradition at Grove City College over the past few years, as each semester sees new groups of students eager to lift their voices and worship together in the chapel for 24 hours straight. This year, the event concluded the campus-wide celebration of Global Missions Week, which added new layers of meaning for participants and organizers.
“(The event) gives students on campus the opportunity to sing praises to the Lord throughout the night in the chapel,” 24 Hour Worship executive member Sarah Altman said. “This is a practical way to live out the idea in Psalm 34:1 — ‘I will bless the Lord at all times: his praise shall continually be in my mouth.’ All are welcome to come to the chapel to join in worship, to pray or simply to meditate on the power and beauty of our God.
“The event is completely student-organized, with assistance from Media Services. Each year, we invite people to sign up to lead a set, and then we organize a schedule based on everyone’s availability. One thing I love about the event is the variety of song traditions that student leaders bring to the table.”
Altman said the executive team traditionally starts the event at 9 p.m. Sunday, and then students lead sets through 9 p.m. Monday. But this year was a little different.
“Due to various factors, we were able to put together 12 hours of worship (through the night) rather than the full 24,” Altman said. “It was a simpler setup this year, without any microphones or amps. But although it was a smaller and simplified setup, worship still happened.”
Altman described the power of this simplified, heartfelt worship.
“As I sang ‘Yet Not I But Through Christ in Me’ during the opening set, I could hear the people in the pews so clearly. In previous semesters, I’ve led with a microphone, so I’ve mostly just heard myself and the other singers on exec,” she said. “As I sang, I felt deeply connected to the body of believers in that room. Although it certainly tired my voice out singing without a mic for so long, it was a really special experience, and I’d love to do it again.”
For fellow executive member Haddon Canfield, “This year was still a success, even though it was shorter than the 24 hours, because worship still happened all night long. For me, that gives just a small glimpse of what eternity will be like one day.”
The pairing of the event with Global Missions Week, a campus-wide initiative to consider and pray for mission work, was also a highlight for Canfield.
“I think the fact that this happened at the end of Global Missions Week is amazing because this week has been about spreading the gospel and having an eternal mindset,” Canfield said.
“Getting to worship with people from all different backgrounds at this campus is such a gift and should make us long for eternity when we will get to worship with people from all nations, tribes and tongues.”
The most meaningful time for many attendees is the hours when most of them would otherwise be asleep.
“Walking into the chapel in the wee hours of the morning and finding a group of people not only leading but singing in the pews is an experience I won’t forget,” Altman said.
“This event has really taught me the importance of relying on the Lord for all my strength when I worship. Leading a set on very little sleep is challenging, but it’s a potent reminder of human weakness compared to the power of God. I got a new appreciation of who I’m singing to.”
