Seeking God First: Summer Chapel with the President’s Office

“Seek first the Kingdom of God.” For many Christians, the familiar words from Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount bring to mind countless sermons and songs. For Kuyper President Patricia Harris, they also became the foundation of her message at the final summer chapel of the year, held August 5 in the second-floor atrium.

Harris told the gathered students, staff, and faculty that while the verse is straightforward, living it out can be complicated. “I wasn’t always sure what I was supposed to be seeking,” she admitted. “I associated the Kingdom of God with heaven, so I effectively paraphrased it to be, ‘Seek first eternal life in heaven.’”

But, she explained, because eternal life is already promised to believers, the command must point to something deeper. Through study and reflection, Harris came to see that Jesus’ words call us to a present, active faith—one that shapes daily choices and priorities.

“It’s not about being fixated on what happens after we die,” she said. “It’s about God’s power and presence right now, and the difference that makes in what we do and how we put God first in our lives.”

As Kuyper prepares for a new academic year, Harris urged the community to embrace that challenge together. “When you see the word seek appear in the Bible, ask yourself, ‘What does this have to say to me and to all of us as we’re trying to live it out?’”