By Christy Ulmet
Thursday morning, Trevecca brought in a special guest named Rachel Held Evans to lead the weekly chapel service. She told a story about a yearlong experiment she tried, which led her to the conclusion that, “It’s not about what you do, it’s about how you do it.”
Evans, New York Times bestselling author of “A Year of Biblical Womanhood” and blogger, spoke Thursday morning in chapel, and she will be back tonight as a part of the Common Ground series.
Evans has written three books about her experience growing up in the church and wrestling with some of the hot button topics, such as changes in the modern church, biblical womanhood and learning to admit that we don’t know everything, and that it’s okay to ask questions.
Her book about this biblical womanhood explores different ways that women practice ancient traditions in order to honor God.
Evans is like a method actor, only with writing. She took on a yearlong venture to practice being a godly woman according to Scripture, which led to her writing the book.
In her efforts to accomplish this, Evans took every passage in the Bible—Old and New Testament—about womanhood. Her practices ranged from practicing Jewish holidays to not cutting her hair for a year.
Heather Daugherty, associate chaplain at Trevecca, invited Evans because of her ability to be honest with students.
“She has a lot of really good things to say to the church, and to help us understand how to be faithful and still understand that there may be doubts we have in our faith,” Daugherty said.
Daugherty also hopes she’ll be able to open up conversations about hot button topics on campus.
Thursday evening, Evans will be having a conversation entitled “Keep the Church Weird,” using passages from her new book called “Searching for Sunday.” She will be discussing issues she has seen in the modern church, and struggles she herself has had in the church.
“I think we’re trying to make the church cool. So we put a coffee shop in the lobby and have fog machines and the cool band in the service, but that alone isn’t enough. We can’t be fooled into coming to church. We don’t want church to be a product,” Evans said.
The event is at 7 p.m. in TSAC, and is open to the public.
For more information on Rachel Held Evans, visit her website: www.rachelheldevans.com.
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