AUSA Sabbath: "The Pursuit"

On January 29, 2022, the Andrews University Student Association (AUSA) led the worship services at Pioneer Memorial Church (PMC). The inspirational theme was “The Pursuit.” Church members and AU students filled the illustrious sanctuary to hear the message.

After a cordial welcome to in-person and online attendees, a call to worship, and an interactive call and response with the church, it was time for the praise-singing. The praise-singing featured a euphonious cello, guitar, cajon, piano, and voice ensemble. Songs such as “Give Thanks” and “Draw Me Close to You” evoked the congregation to express gratitude to God for his mercies.

AUSA presented a skit of an amiable family. The mother had made delectable raspberry sorbet, and the son desired to eat it instantly. She instructed the son to eat it later, and he indignantly went to his room. The parents left to complete tasks, and the son returned to devour the sorbet. When his parents returned, the son revealed that he disobeyed their instruction and was sorry. His parents forgave him and reminded him that God will forgive us if we are genuinely sorry for our mistakes in the past.

Moises Reyes (sophomore, religion and mathematics), the Logistics Director of the religious vice president team, introduced the speaker of the hour. He deemed the speaker was a dear friend and Christ's servant. When asked about his involvement in the service, Moises declared that he  "...scheduled the fundamental ideas for the program structure and timing." His favorite aspect of the planning was "...meeting with Pastor Dwight Nelson to address questions and concerns about the student-led service."

Before the speaker imparted the message of God, the Andrews University singers blessed the congregation with a stunning rendition of the Moses Hogan acapella piece "We Shall Walk Through The Valley in Peace." The lyrics proclaimed that Jesus is our peace and prepared the congregation to receive the message.

The speaker was Chase Wilder (junior, theology and sociology), a speaker who articulated God's word with robust intent. In the parable of the lost sheep in Luke 15:1-7, two prominent factors are the sheep and the shepherd. He voiced that according to Isaiah 53:6, we are likened to sheep that have gone astray. When sheep are lost, they typically lose hope and accept their perilous fate. As sinful humans, we fall short of the glory of God; giving up is an underlying aspect of our nature, but even though we go astray, Jesus is trying His best to appeal to our hearts and minds. Chase inquired who the ninety-nine sheep represent. He indicated that the ninety-nine did not require repentance; they could not represent the church, as it is full of sinners. Chase disclosed that in a similar way that the shepherd left the ninety-nine sheep, Jesus left the glories of Heaven, the angels, and His Father to save us. He prioritizes saving us because of His immense love. Sacrificing His life for us was not an easy task. Chase reminded the listeners that the shepherd placed the sheep on his shoulders in the parable. Sheep on average weigh about one hundred to three hundred and twenty pounds. Likewise, Jesus carried the weight of all the world's sins–past, present, and future when He died on the cross. We now have the choice to accept Jesus' sacrifice and His pursuit of us.

Madison Vath (freshman, English), described AUSA Sabbath's atmosphere and how it influenced her spiritually. It was "...joyous, the children's story was unique, and Chase did an excellent job of keeping the congregation's rapt attention. Concerning the spiritual aspects, she felt that message gave her "...firm reassurance that Jesus would always be there and would always prioritize her."

Thank you to AUSA for planning the spiritually reviving worship service to bless the AU campus. If you desire to learn more about AUSA and stay updated about its exciting events, please follow @weareausa on Instagram.