Spiritual Life Events Strive to Create Community
Emily Cobb | September 20, 2023
Warren Wilson College’s (WWC) Spiritual Life Crew has created a roster of different spiritual events folks at Warren Wilson can attend. These events cover a variety of religions, including Christianity, Judaism and Quakerism.
Some of these events include Shabbat every other Friday at 6 p.m., alternating with evening church which is held on Wednesdays at 6 p.m.. Every Monday from 4 p.m. - 5 p.m. in Ransom a Quaker event called meaningful worship is held.
New hire Elizabeth Golini Walker is the crew supervisor and works alongside Shannon Spencer, the crew director, to lead and direct Spiritual Life.
Zoe Somogyi, a sophomore, has been on the Spiritual Life Crew since last fall semester and heads up the Quaker programs along with Rae Dole.
Somogyi enjoys being on the Spirtual Life Crew and has stuck with it even though she did not apply for it and was just placed in it.
“I’m so grateful because I don't know if I’d have sought it [Spritual Life] out if I wasn't placed on it,” Somogyi said. “The spiritual side of my life being part of my work is nice, because sometimes you want to go sit in silence for an hour for meaningful worship and if you're gonna get crew hours for it, it motivates you to go. I feel like it's been a really positive part of my life.”
Meaningful worship consists of attendees sitting together and speaking if they feel led to do so. Somogyi said Quakers value simplicity, so Dole and her focus on education rather than having a multitude of events.
“Our whole goal is creating an interfaith community on campus,” Somogyi said. “Interfaith, including no faith. Come to events and you may end up discovering something, or adding to the dialogue. Spiritual life can be a scary term for people, but we're very supportive. So if you've had bad experiences with religion in the past and you want to re-explore that side of yourself I think this a perfect place for it especially with Shannon [Spencer].”
Mac Ware is a sophomore and this is his first year on Spirtual Life Crew. He is a political science and history major and is planning on minoring in interfaith studies. He is in charge of the Christian program alongside Spencer, the school’s chaplain.
“My grandfather was a reverend, and I intend to go to seminary school,” Ware said. “I want to create a different perception of Christianity on campus because there's a lot of religious trauma. There are a lot of people who've been persecuted by people calling themselves Christians, and I want to provide a different view of it. One that is based and centered around love, respect and care for everybody. A view of the Bible that is one of revolutionary love more so than one of exclusion and of oppression.”
Ware is responsible for hosting and cooking for evening church alongside Spencer who helps facilitate.
“Evening church is a bit of a misnomer, because when people think church, they think of a very kind of stuffy, like, top-down service where you're being preached at, you're being talked at,” Ware said. “But it's less of that. It is guided, and discussions are based around Bible passages and around faith, but evening church, at least what I've worked to make it is also based around fellowship, community and good food.”
Neil Schaefer is a sophomore at WWC, and joined Spirtual Life this semester. He, along with Ellie Teweles, lead the Jewish events. He joined the crew wanting to be part of Jewish programming, and more involved in the on-campus Jewish community.
Shabbat usually consists of a meal of some sort, or at least Challah. At the event people come together, eat, say prayers, learn about Judaism and more.
Schaefer recommends not only coming to the Spirtual Life events, but come early to help cook, or stay late to help clean.
“I know that a lot of people can be nervous coming to events, especially if they're not part of that specific group,” Schaefer said “But you should come to them, they are fun and there's a non-threatening atmosphere. If you don't know something, that's fine. It's a learning experience for everyone.”
His favorite event Teweles and him have put on was Rosh Hashanah.
“Shabbat is wonderful, but Rosh Hashanah was huge,” Schaefer said. “There were so many people, I counted more than 50. People had such a good time, and kept coming up to us being like, ‘This was so fun. It was amazing.’ I was like that's the best feeling ever.”
Schaefer felt Spirtual Life played an important role in the WWC community.
“They're [spirtual life events] very important because they expose people to things they might not have grown up with,” Schaefer said. “And they give a sense of community, home and belonging to people who did grow up with them, and even if you did grow up with something similar, you get exposed to this new and different and wacky flavor of whatever's going on.”
Ware agrees.
“It's important to have that space, especially on a campus where spirituality isn't well established and this isn't a religious school,” Ware said. “You don't see religion in class unless you're taking a class on religion. But it is still important to have that space available for people who do practice. So if there's somebody of the Jewish tradition they don't feel isolated and without a place of their own. They have a place at Shabbat they have a place at Rosh HaShana, same thing for Christians they have a place at evening church.”
If one is interested in becoming involved in Christian, Jewish or Quaker events speak to Ware, Schaefer and Tewles or Somogyi and Dole respectively. One can also contact Walker or Spencer.
Shabbat will be happening Friday, Sept. 20, at the Garden Cabin as well as Yom Kippur this Sunday and Sukkot Friday, Sept. 29. The next evening church will be at 6 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 27.