Graduation

We really made it! Friday was graduation and we now have diplomas in hand. As you can see, the weather was perfect, plenty of people showed up (even the overflow room had overflow), and the ceremony was wonderful.

One of the highlights of graduation was hearing Dr. Ridenhour preach again. He had retired last year while we were on internship and we had missed having him on campus and occasionally preaching in Christ Chapel. Our class had decided to have him as our speaker for graduation, and he did not disappoint us. As always, his sermon was to the point, included law, but had clear, unambiguous gospel proclaimed as well. Would that we could always do so well.

There were plenty of photo ops at graduation as well - while we were robing, during the class photo, and then again afterwards. I am still sorting out photos from the last two days. On Thursday, it was Alumni Day here on campus, and so plenty of grads from previous years were here for lectures, workshops, and of course - food. There was an alumni luncheon, and then a picnic in the evening before the Baccalaureate service in Christ Chapel.

One of our activities here on campus has been the choir. The choir sang during the Baccalaureate Service (see photo below) and at graduation.

I think that even harder than knowing we are done with classes and it is time to move on, was the realization on Thursday evening that this would be the last time we would sing together as a choir in this place. It was also the last service in Christ Chapel for Rev. Michael Costello, who has served as an adjunct teacher of liturgical practicums and choirmaster. Michael graduated the spring before we began our internship, so we count him as friend, classmate, and instructor. We will miss our fellow choir members, and especially, hearing Michael on the organ (see right).

Michael leaves LTSS this next week, and we will all miss having him around, just as we will miss singing in the choir.

.

I suppose that over the next several days, it will sink in that our time here is done. Some classmates are headed off for vacations, some are packing up and heading home, some are hoping that a letter of call will come soon so they can move to a new place to begin their ministry. A few know where they are going and will soon be packing and headed off to new adventures. For all of us, the next time we gather in this place, it will be as alumni rather than as students. We will see each other at synod assemblies, or churchwide events, or maybe just on Facebook, but it will as former classmates, not someone that we will see on Tuesday morning in Lutheranism in North America class, or in choir, or at lunch, or in the library. The context will change, but the memories will remain.

.

As for us, we are in the hopeful waiting category, with several sermons to write in the next few weeks as we fill in for various pastors who are away on synod assembly or vacation, our out-of-town weddings. Good thing, too! Our A/C unit died this morning. Welcome back to the world of home ownership!