On Wednesday, February 22, students and faculty gathered in the Chapel for an Ash Wednesday service marking the beginning of Lent, the 40-day period set aside for reflection and spiritual and personal growth in preparation for the great festival of Easter. Many received ashes on the forehead in the shape of the Cross as a reminder of our frailty, mortality, and our common need to seek God’s help in becoming the best version of ourselves. Chaplain White encouraged the community to consider the season of Lent as a gift evoking that age-old spiritual question: “What do we really need?”   

During the Ash Wednesday Chapel service, members of the VES Glee Club (Sam Alphin, Charlie Felmlee, Edwin Moye, Tucker Olmert, and Wil Baggett) joined voices with the sweet sounds of Chaplain White’s guitar under the direction of Ms. Debbie Burton to create a rousing rendition of “What Wondrous Love is This.” The hymn, signaling the days of Christ’s passion, formed the perfect start to the Lenten season. 

See the Hymn Performance