Baccalaureate Sermon 5/10/15 Belle Plaine, Iowa

Congratulations Class of 2015 and also to your families. You've made it to the finish line of high school. Next week you will receive your diplomas and will be officially adults by all standards. You’ll get the speeches that include hearing “The Giving Tree” and other stories to inspire you as you go about what the future holds for you. And while I could use this time to read you one of those inspirational stories, I’m not.

          Instead I’m going to boil it all down for you. Our hopes, dreams and prayers for you all are really this; that you all will be decent human beings in all that you say, do and be. That doesn't seem to be that big of a task. But when we look back at scripture, the accounts of people trying to live a life that is faithful and aligns with God’s purpose for creating us, we see that it’s harder then we think. Ecclesiastes reminds us that there are times for everything. You will be called to be many things, things that you may have never thought of. You’ll be asked to stand on issues that no generation before you will have to take a stand on. Then we hear the words from the Gospel according to Matthew and we see that sometimes you will have to do the best you can do in situations that are less than ideal. You will be called to perform and act in a broken world. You will have to make decisions that will not only affect yourself and your loved ones, but your whole community and world. If that’s not pressure, I don’t know what is.

          So let me see about giving you some hope. You see I find there is hope in these passages because even as messed up as the people in these stories may be or as screwed up as the audience that both the prophet and Jesus are addressing, God still uses them anyways. As imperfect and broken as the people of God are, they still have purpose and meaning. They are still used each and every day to bring about the kingdom of God in the here and now, not in some distant heaven or time. God uses those who seem to be the least likely to make great points and to change the world.

          So as you prepare to go out and figure out how to be decent human beings I’d like to offer you some advice to use along the way. You may not need it all right away but at some point it will come in handy.

          First – for those of you who will ever be living in a dorm situation may I highly encourage and recommend a long bath robe and shower shoes (flip flops). Always take care of your feet because they’re all you get and you never know just who will be in the dorm hallways when you least expect it and a towel does not always work at covering yourself.

          Second – stand your ground, stand up for what you believe is good and right in this world. God has given you the gift of a brain to use to weigh the options and to learn about issues. Do so.

          Third – don’t be afraid to change your opinion, admit that you are wrong (and yes that will mean that at some point you will say your parent/s were right and/or you’re becoming like them) and to keep learning. There are not many things in this world that require you have the same opinion from birth to death. Even though you may give your parents a heart attack when you declare your third change in major or third career choice, you can change your opinion. You can still learn and grow but just make sure you do it with some humility.

          Fourth – Create – find some way to create something. Write, draw, sing in the shower, cook, dance. Find some way every day to create in this world.

          Fifth – don’t be afraid to “kick it old school.” There is nothing wrong with using a coloring book. Take a nap as the time allows. Make a snow angel or have a snow ball fight. Jump in puddles. When you were all little there wasn't much that you didn't think you could do. Engage that spirit from time to time and slow your life down and enjoy the little things.

          Sixth – and this I believe is the most important of all - love. Love each other, love God and love yourself. You are responsible for yourself and your feelings. I hope you will always remember that you were created out of love, you will return to that love and therefore you should always love yourself, even on the days when you don’t feel like it. Even when society or other people say you’re not lovable. Go back and use my second thought and stand your ground because you always have been, you always will be and you are love.

         

          Let us pray-

Gracious and loving God, we come before you this evening to give you thanks and praise for all that we have and all that we are. On this night God, we come before you to ask a special blessing on the Class of 2015 as they prepare to end one part of their journey and start the next. Inspire them with courage, compassion and love to live in a way that fulfills the desires you had in creating each and every one of them. Remind them of your unending guidance and never failing presence in their lives. Help them tap into your unending love that lives and dwells in us all because you loved us so much. We ask all these things and more for them and your whole creation. Amen.