"Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled." Matthew 5:6
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| Ertell Whigham challenged Dock students to allow their "Come to Jesus" moments to shape their spiritual journey. |
If we are looking for the righteousness of Christ, if we are looking for what God wants us to see, then we are bound to have what Ertell Whigham calls, "Come to Jesus" moments.
Whigham, who recently was named Executive Minister of Franconia Conference, recalled one of his own "Come to Jesus" moments when he spoke in chapel on Friday, Feb. 25.
His moment began with what he calls a "foolish" decision: As a teenager, he and four buddies decided to join the Marines together. After a "tour" of combat duty in Vietnam, he returned to the Reading, PA area as a recruiter for the military. At about the same time, his family began attending a Mennonite church in the area, and he was exposed to the ideas of pacifism and non-violence.
One day he had just finished his devotions--which had nothing to do with the peace or non-violence--when his "Come to Jesus" moment arrived out of the blue. The message he heard from the Holy Spirit was as clear as it was simple:
"How can you share the love of Jesus Christ with someone when you want to take their life?"
From that moment, Whigham says, he knew God was telling him to follow the way of peace.
The challenge Whigham brought to Dock students is this:
What will you do with your "Come to Jesus" moments?
How will you let them change you, shape you?
What impact will those moments have on your spiritual journey?
What will you do with your "Come to Jesus" moments?
How will you let them change you, shape you?
What impact will those moments have on your spiritual journey?
