Over the last two weeks, students of Covenant have heard from four seniors that presented their testimonies in chapel. These seniors were nominated by their graduating class to give their testimonies in chapel as their final year comes to a close.
First, they heard from Beni Kiss and Avery Patz, who shared a theme in their testimonies of their personal struggles with spiritual apathy. This is something that many found relatable, and even Avery did not know that both her and Beni would be sharing on the same issue.
“I wanted people to know that God has the power to change hearts, that we’re in this together, that there is a shark in the water that we should be aware of, and that we can take comfort because our heart of stone has been replaced,” said Beni Kiss ’22. “God can provide a way out of danger.”
Avery Patz also shared on the temptations to give in to shame, and the way it feels like when you are distracted or feel distanced from the Lord. She mentioned that our efforts are not what make us close to God, but rather His transforming power.
“Faith is not a product of Avery Patz,” she said in her testimony April 4. “My primary goal was for people to see God’s faithfulness because my story reeks of it…I wanted people to know that God sees them, and that they should be expectant of the Lord to be good to them.”
Both Beni and Avery shared that their testimonies were extremely prayed over, and that the Lord answered prayer in preparing and softening hearts for what they had to say.
Students also heard from Cade Horton ‘22 and Margaret Henry ‘22 on Monday, April 11. Cade Horton highlighted John 10:28-30: “I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand. I and the Father are one.”
“I wanted to remind people that Jesus is extremely compassionate for wavering people,” said Horton. He shared that the Lord had helped him overcome serious doubt. In his earlier years while going over a sermon he had written to share with a youth group, Horton said, “I felt like a fraud, but then the Holy Spirit comforted me.”
He mentioned that Beni pointed out the biggest danger. “You can say things to God, and still be apathetic. As a Christian with a personal relationship with Christ, you go under God’s microscope, and slothful people don’t want to do that,” said Horton.
Margaret Henry shared many of the hardest parts of showing faith in the midst of pain and death, and what a severe toll that can take on your view of God. “I wanted to truly convey that God is good, and that habits and disciplines in the faith are so important, though they are not everything,” said Henry. She added that stories are an important part of the faith, and sometimes keep us going. “It was cathartic to share my story, and it is always helpful to reflect on where you’ve been in regard to God and other people,” she said.
All these individuals also shared on the various ways that taking Sabbath rest, staying in the Word and prayer, and the testimonies of others have deeply affected them in their walk. All four of them said they were not nervous while sharing, because they were talking to people they knew, and because the Lord gave them peace about it.