Grace Notes: Commencement
Commencement
Over the last several weeks, many people in our St. Mark’s family have graduated from schools of learning at home and around the country. On the one hand, this represented the end of an important chapter in their lives. However, when we gathered to acknowledge their achievements, we also talked about this as a new beginning. We didn’t just call it graduation. Remembering what it really represents, we called it commencement. I like that! I like the fact that the end of one thing is always the beginning of another. That’s the way it is with God. Even our funeral services could be called commencements, because they mark the beginning of a new stage of our journey with God who is the Alpha and the Omega.
From the students who completed Preschool at St. Mark’s to those who received bachelors and masters degrees in these past weeks, this is a new day. It’s also a new day for every one of us. When light dawned this morning, God opened up a new world of possibilities for you and for me. Like graduates, we bring with us all the experiences and the lessons of the past, but we welcome the chance to make a fresh start in the love and grace that awaits us. Thanks be to God!
Pastor Jan Ruud
