How can we be united as a church and still celebrate our various cultures? On Oct. 23, 2020, Andrews University Students socially distanced in the Howard Performing Arts Center and were blessed by Infusion Vespers. According to the founders of Infusion Vespers, they had a desire to incorporate the flavors of different cultures into worship on campus. In the past, there were recurring vespers called Fusion which brought together different worship groups. It became Infusion because the founders wanted to bring an infusion of cultures together in a one night vespers on campus. Three cultures were highlighted; the Brazilians, Caribbeans, and South Asians.
Throughout the night, it was clear that Infusion was not just about celebrating those three cultures specifically, but celebrating Jesus culture. The praise singers and musicians sang songs such as “Lift Jesus Higher,” “Waymaker,” and “The Blessing,” singing the lyrics in the represented languages. Shortly after, there was a skit with three actors coming from different cultures who pretended that they were at a church service. Even though it was hilarious, it was enlightening to see the various worship styles in different cultures. It was funny to see stereotypes faced head-on and the actors' expressions to each other’s worship styles. The takeaway was that sometimes we value our cultural expressions above others, but we are all made by the same God who has created us uniquely.
Afterwards, there was a video of various people from those cultural groups answering questions such as “what is your culture most passionate about?”, and “how do you celebrate Sabbath in your culture?” It was intriguing to hear individuals' responses and how their cultural identity shaped how they experience life. Following the video, there was a panel of three individuals who represented the three cultures and were willing to answer questions from the audience about their worship experiences. The panel discussed several topics, such as how culture has shaped their views on religion, how their culture affects their relationships with God, how the AU campus hosts diverse worship experiences, and how we can be united as a church while celebrating our different cultures.
In response to the question of how the church can remain united and still celebrate different cultures, Steven Injety (junior, data science), one of the panelists, says that “We need the younger generation and the older generation to bring about change. The way culture is structured is that it changes, and therefore the culture of Seventh-day Adventism needs to be more diverse and inclusive of those different cultures. The way we can bring about this change is by having thoughtful discussions and by discussing difficult things. It is important to remember that the thing that brings us all together is Jesus and His offer of salvation for all.”
When asked about the most enjoyable part of Infusion, Vany Carballo (sophomore, Spanish, speech-language pathology) responded, “Definitely the music! Especially the last song from the worship section, [I] felt God’s presence, and it was such a refreshing and calm moment.” Darius Bridges (senior, marketing) one of the founders of Infusion vespers, says that “The most challenging part of Infusion is trying to represent everyone, which is also the most rewarding part. It was important to get input from many people from each culture, but it's worth it to have the necessary representation.”
The second Infusion Vespers was prayerfully considered by every participant. There was a tremendously positive response to Infusion vespers, and we know that the Lord is working and uniting us as a community through the beauty of our numerous cultures throughout this campus.
The Student Movement is the official student newspaper of Andrews University. Opinions expressed in the Student Movement are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the editors, Andrews University or the Seventh-day Adventist church.