"Pause for a moment. Place yourself under God's word. Reflect on life." From November 6 to 11, the students and their guests at Friedensau Adventist University celebrated the Week of spiritual emphasis 2023 under the theme "On the Way with Jesus." From Monday to Friday, the daily events took place at 7:30 p.m. in the Barn and the closing service on Saturday, November 11, 2023, at 10:00 a.m. in the Friedensau Chapel. The speakers were students from the various degree programs at the university.
On the first evening, theology student Robert Antohi, Master of Pastoral Ministry, spoke on the topic: "Walking with the invisible Jesus". His reference Bible text was Old Testament (1 Kings 18:41–46), but no less topical for that. He related it to social media messengers, which are used to maintain connections with one another: Making requests, responding to them – a two-way street. Only then can communication succeed.
Theology student Valentin Dinu, Master of Pastoral Ministry, recommended "Walking with Jesus in everyday life" and 1. being in contact with him every day, 2. taking time for prayer and Bible study, 3. taking inspiration from biblical personalities such as Jesus' disciples, Tabitha or Paul.
On the third evening, Gabriel Agbojo (Master of Theological Studies), who is currently enrolled in the Master's program in Development Studies, spoke. He reminded us of the timeless power of the Bible, the Word of God. Jesus picks us up where we are and keeps the power of his words burning within us so that we can continue to speak his word to others today.
The fourth topic, "Going on the run with Jesus", was addressed by Michael Bistrovic, a student on the English-language Master of Theological Studies course. Fleeing – just like Jonah? We can learn from this, because Jonah also experienced repentance and found that God remained with him full of love.
On the fifth evening, student Matej Lukic, a student on the M.A. Counseling course, showed that this is possible with the topic "Walking with Jesus – free, without condemnation" and the Bible text Mark 2:1–12. We walk with Jesus because he is our only hope of being freed from the entanglements of sin.
The week of reflection ended with a service in the chapel on the Sabbath. John Okpechi (Master of Theological Studies), a student on the Development Studies course, spoke on the topic of "Walking with Jesus – into eternity". In a world we experience as chaotic, only Jesus is able to bring real hope, order and change to our personal lives – and at the same time prepare us for a wonderful future.
This week of spiritual emphasis was organized by students for students (with Chaplain Dittmar Dost). Each evening was characterized by the respective speaker, but they all complemented each other with their individual perspectives on the week's theme "On the way with Jesus". There was a lively atmosphere; the audience was interactively involved in the topics and engaged.
The next week of spiritual emphasis in Friedensau will take place in spring, from April 8 to 13, 2024.
