On October 22, 2021, Proximity and the Andrews University Student Association (AUSA) decided to unite forces and collaborate in hosting The Garden: a celebration of His love vespers at the Howard Performing Arts Center (HPAC) at 7:30 pm. This service advertised an appealing amalgamation of fervent worship, enriching fellowship, and scrumptious foods.
Before entering the majestic concert hall of the HPAC, attendees were presented with a selection of various luminescent glow sticks, which served as an imperative aspect of this vespers as festive decorations. When attendees arrived, they immediately noticed delicate festive leaf decorations ornamenting the stage's edges and gorgeous foliage amidst an alluring arrangement of stringed lights covered by a white backdrop. These enchanting decorations helped establish the celebratory atmosphere and contemplative ambience to help attendees get into the mindset of purposive worship.
Concerning the praise and worship portion, the talented percussion and string musicians enraptured the audience with upbeat accompaniment and more mellifluous tones. The singers expressed the poignant lyrics of the music as attendees joined in their admiration to God. The final number was appropriately entitled, "Take Me Back to the Garden," which allowed attendees to enter into the quintessential spirit of worship.
During the prayer portion, attendees were encouraged to locate another individual with the same glow stick color that they possessed. The individual leading out in this activity implored them to pray about their struggles, requests, and life. This intriguing activity was an excellent opportunity for individuals to meet new people and briefly socialize.
The message of this vespers service was brought to the attendees by two individuals who had dynamic testimonies to share. Lisiane Umuhire (senior, behavioral neuroscience and Spanish) and Kendra Miranda (senior, psychology and religion). Lisiane shared that God continually flips her reality upside down and that she constantly requests God to sustain her with joy and love. She detailed how fundamental it is to have a relationship and connect with God daily despite the hardships of life. Kendra shared her strenuous journey of pain and grief amidst chronic pain, illness, and countless visits to healthcare professionals and challenging surgeries. She highlighted the significance of stories relating to gardens in the Bible and the hope we can find in each of them. The first prominent garden in Eden correlates to the narrative of humanity and is interwoven with how sin and pain began to haunt society. The second significant garden in the Bible was the Garden of Gethsemane, where she resonated with how Jesus experienced suffering and yet emerged triumphant. The third garden will be in Heaven, and she desperately yearns to be with Jesus. We all can find evidence of Jesus in those gardens, and they are an aspect of each of our stories and bring us into the knowledge of God's love.
Chris Ngugi (freshman, psychology) elaborated on his favorite aspect of this vespers service. He remarked, "I enjoyed Kendra Mirandas' testimony and how she metaphorically walked us through what she experienced. It can be difficult to be raw and vulnerable to others, and her honesty made it easier for the audience to resonate with and connect."
Casey Gultom (senior, aviation) firmly declared her thoughts on the feelings and atmosphere of this outstanding vespers service. "I felt cozy and that I did not need to be bothered by the distractions from the outside world. I felt like the message was revealing to me that the Christian life will not always be smooth; there will be pain or mishaps along the way. However, it is okay to be honest and miserable because your feelings are valid, and God will always acknowledge your suffering and pain."
After being blessed by the service, attendees filtered into the grandiose front lobby of HPAC. They were served delectable samosas, aperitive mandu, empanadas, appetizing gulab jamun, and flavorsome Pisang Goreng. There were also fragrant drinks such as mango juice and delightful horchata.
Thank you to Proximity and AUSA for hosting this enriching and spiritually fulfilling vespers for the AU campus to enjoy. If you want to know more about spiritually stimulating activities on this campus, please follow @universityfaith on Instagram and download the University Faith app.
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.