ITHACA, N.Y. -- In a provocative and often-humorous guest sermon, "So Far, So Good, So What?," on April 10, the Rev. Professor Peter J. Gomes discussed the past, present and future of Sage Chapel and expressed his views on the role that religion plays at modern universities.

Gomes, the Pusey Minister in the Memorial Church and Plummer Professor of Christian Morals at Harvard University, is considered one of the premier preachers in the country. While his sermon marked the 130th anniversary celebration of Sage Chapel, much of his talk focused on the future.

"Do not waste your time trying to guide your destiny by the rearview mirror," he said. "[What's important is] not how far you've come but what a brilliant journey yet awaits you."

In introductory remarks, the Rev. Kenneth I. Clarke Sr., director of Cornell United Religious Work observed that the chapel has hosted many influential speakers, including Martin Luther King Jr., Elie Wiesel and Jane Goodall. "In this place the life of the mind and the life of the spirit have indeed found common cause and common ground," he said.

Sage Chapel was built in 1875 to accommodate nonsectarian religious services held by a student group called the Christian Association -- a cooperative mix of Protestant denominations with both male and female members. Since that time, the chapel has been offering weekly services that incorporate hymns and readings from numerous Protestant sources, as well as elements from other faiths and religious perspectives.

In his talk, Gomes expressed a belief that the administrations at some schools -- including Harvard -- are "mildly embarrassed that we [the church] are still there." He described a conversation he had many years ago with one of his colleagues at Harvard. Looking out of his office window at the top of the church, the colleague remarked that if the university were to rebuild the church would not be given such a central location on campus. Such sentiments are created, in part, by a feeling that religion is at odds with institutional goals, Gomes said.

"In the face of the modern research university, which boasts that either it knows it all or it can find it all out, the college chapel reminds [people] that they don't know all and they won't find it all out," he said. In fact, Gomes explained, in this age of scientific discovery, religious worship -- which he called "a modest investment in that which we can neither see nor prove" -- has almost become a form of rebellion: "It's an act of defiance that says that we are neither intimidated nor seduced by the conventional wisdom."

Gomes' return to Cornell was a deliberate link to the past -- to the time another Harvard divine, Phillip Brooks, officiated at the first Sage Chapel service in 1875. Brooks -- who was from Trinity Church, Boston -- traveled extensively during his lifetime, speaking at many churches throughout the Northeast. "Wherever George Washington slept, Phillip Brooks preached," Gomes joked.

Concluding his sermon, Gomes again returned to the idea of living for the future, leaving the congregation with one last piece of advice: "Your best days, nay, your best years, are ahead of you. So get up and start living them, for Christ's sake. Amen."

Gomes holds degrees from Bates College and Harvard Divinity School, as well as 26 honorary degrees. In 2001 he was the recipient of the Phi Beta Kappa Teaching Award at Harvard, and has been featured in The New Yorker and on "60 Minutes." He is also the writer of several books, including "The Good Life: Truths that Last in Times of Need" and "Strength for the Journey: Biblical Wisdom for Daily Living."

"I think it's great to have someone as influential as him visit campus," said Janine Stanisz '07, who attended the service. "It's great to have him come to celebrate our anniversary."

Clarke concurred, saying that, "Rev. Gomes, in an absolutely splendid way, captured the essence of what this chapel has been, what the chapel is and what the chapel will be in the future, as well as the very vital role that religion plays in a very complex research university campus."

Courtney Potts is a writer intern with the Cornell News Service.