Knollcrest Gospel Choir alongside the Handlon Tabernacle Choir lifted their voices in praise, allowing a joyful noise to fill the auditorium on the Handlon Campus. Within this setting, excitable energy was transformed into worship as these two choir groups harmonized to usher in God’s kingdom.
Under the direction of professors Nate Glasper and Erinn Epp, both choirs matched time, tempo and energy to arrangements of musical performance. The silent walls echoed with jubilant sounds as every musical note and auditory sensation breathed life into an otherwise sterile venue. Matching the intensity of adoration were the audience members who stood and joined in call-and-response fashion to participatory songs. This extolment truly transformed the space into what Christopher Kingdom Grier, a Knollcrest student, called “God’s Throne Room.”
When asked about how the choir groups could achieve such a sound without ever having practiced together, Professor Glasper said, “When we come to worship from the heart, we tap into the message of hope in the gospel –– this is where faith breaks free.” Glasper later commented on the Knollcrest students’ desire to come into a prison to perform, stating, “These students are in the midst of work, school and a myriad of other things –– but when they worship here, you can see the glow on their faces, and many will say to me, ‘I don’t feel like I’m in a prison.’” Music can draw people together. Gospel music in particular has a unique power to be the bridge that spans cultural and generational gaps.
One of the Knollcrest singers, Gigi Maddux, said, “I am just so grateful to come in here and worship. Our worship together is evidence that the kingdom of God is expanding and is being applied here.” It is the comfortability in which Gigi and others felt during the performance standing and singing amidst the CPI students that is an astounding affirmation of the spirit of God moving in this place.
To expound on the moving of God through worship, Kingdom Grier said, “God is worthy of praise. In order to fully view the throne room, we need more than our mouths to worship.” Kingdom also referenced Jesus talking to his disciples –– “For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there I am in the midst of them” –– to reinforce the two choirs’ praise in action.
In addition to the praise towards God, being able to share the experience with a youthful generation was enriching to the soul of every CPI student. With the goal of sharing in worship, the Knollcrest students used the underpinning of music to channel their agency into the auditorium, where they joined themselves to the citizens of this carceral community. This interaction allowed the Knollcrest students to set an example of worship which directed the CPI community towards an amazingly restorative experience.
This sentiment is shared by Kyale Williams, a CPI student of the ninth cohort. Williams told Chimes, “Sharing this experience with the Knollcrest Choir was healing for my heart and soul. I was nervous to sing with so many of these incredibly talented singers, but Holly (one of the Knollcrest singers) quickly put my worries at ease when she told me, ‘everyone is welcome here, including you.’”
Granted, this one event may be only a small sample of renewal and restoration. Therefore, it is not truly lending credibility to how much enlightening an environment aids the renewal and restoration of humanity. However, the more often the Calvin community on the Handlon campus engages in these shared experiences the more the environment is transformed.
When asked to share her thoughts, Handlon Choir Director Professor Epp stated, “There are so few opportunities where we experience a transformative atmosphere.” Epp was commenting on how we should cherish such events and full-heartedly engage the experience. The clearest example of this transformational environment was the performance of “Let Love Break Free,” a song written by Handlon Choir member, Johnathan Dunn. “Level four is a place where twenty-two hours of every day is spent in a cell where you don’t have much. When you are first sent to prison, you have no TV or radio. The only thing you’re left with is time to think about where you are and where you’re going. In that reflective time, I wrote. ‘Let Love Break Free’ came to me and has been a constant reminder that God’s not done with me yet. I have a purpose and I have been received both in CPI and by Calvin University as a human being, not a criminal,” Dunn said. Transformation gains momentum the more often it is experienced. As a result, prolonged exposure to such examples of irresistible faith and love heals wounds, covers scars and births a true identity.
Another example of pure elation was shared by James Chelekis, when he was drawn into the ebullience as the Knollcrest choir revealed their energy. He stated, “The enthusiasm and acceptance the Knollcrest choir brought into our auditorium was so overwhelmingly felt that our Handlon campus choir was filled with excitement. The Knollcrest choir students’ support of our songs, and willingness to perform joint accompaniments, cemented the feelings of a true family gathering of Calvin University students, not one set of students coming to sing for inmates.”
Ultimately, the CPI students’ words of gratitude would fall short of conveying our sincerest and heart-felt elation, to be in the presence of the love of God in such a glorious display. However, to Professor Glasper and all the Knollcrest Choir members, may you know that our thoughts and prayers are with you. We wholeheartedly thank you for sharing your time, courage, passion and worship with the Handlon Campus students. We also want to thank you for your warm words of encouragement, which allowed us to forget about our cells, and even being in a prison altogether. We also pray that our agency helped to dispel any myths that you may have heard about prison. We hope that our decorum promotes change in the mind of doubters, and helps to further navigate our culture, as we engage in rich conversations for the future. Moreover, just as we experienced faith and love, together may we also experience hope breaking free.
