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Charlotte Strecker-Baseler -- Bethany College, Lindsborg, Kansas --
May 20, 2007 + Seventh Sunday of Easter - C +
TEXT: Acts 16:16-34; Psalm 97; Revelation 22:12-14, 16-17, 20-21; John 17:20-26
+ Bethany College Baccalaureate +
THEME: That we may all be one
[ Opening remarks of thanks to Pr. Noni and Dr. Vogel (former president of Wartburg College) ….]
I want to thank Pr. Noni and former Bethany College President Paul Formo ..
for their invitation to speak to the Class of 2007 today.
Pr. Noni’s and my path crossed here at Bethany College 30 years ago …
and I have been back on campus .. working with Pr. Noni .. with several events
in recent years. All of which was a true joy for me.
Dr. Vogel and I share his grandfather in common.
Dr. Vogel’s grandfather was The Rev. F. Krauss … who was pastor of my home
congregation .. of St. Paul Lutheran Church / Galatia, KS …
when I was born .. and Rev. Krauss baptized me.
( There are also connections to Neuendettelsau, Germany, but I won’t go into that now.)
And so .. it never ceases to amaze me .. the connections and ties to so many people ..
that I have experienced both here in the U.S. and around the world.
May the name of the Lord Jesus be praised! Amen
Today we continue in the celebration of THE GREAT 50 DAYS OF EASTER!
Christ is RISEN! He is risen indeed !
“This is the day that the LORD has made ...
let us rejoice and be glad in it ! “ Alleluia! [ Psalm 118:24 ]
On Thursday this past week .. the 40th Day of Easter ... May 17th ..
the church celebrated the Ascension of Our Lord...
in which the journey of the risen Lord was completed …
and our Savior ascended back to heaven to sit at the right hand of God.
The significance of the Ascension … is that the risen Lord enters the invisible presence of God ..
in order to be present in ALL times .. and in ALL places ..
TO the church .. and TO the world.
And so my friends: “Grace to you and peace .. from him who is .. and who was ...
and who is to come.” [ Revelation 1:4 ] +++
“That they may all be one.”
Jesus says this as a prayer .. during the Last Supper with his disciples.
So the context of this statement .. the situation ..
is that Jesus is saying GOODBYE to his disciples.
His ministry is coming to a close. He is about to be arrested .. face trial ..
and be crucified … all within less than 24 hours.
Oh yes .. HE will see them again .. following the resurrection ..
but the disciples do not know that.
What Jesus has to say during the Last Supper IS crucial .. highly significant.
This is the END of the ROAD. -- A CROSS ROADS awaits… at the CROSS.
Today .. is the end of the road .. and a cross roads awaits you… the Class of 2007.
Following this day .. you and your classmates face a cross road …
and will be scattered to the far corners .. to many places .. and to many purposes.
It is a day of saying goodbye .. and the words that are shared today ..
ARE CRUCIAL and HIGHLY SIGNIFICANT.
In our gospel … Jesus is praying to God his heavenly Father.
In his petition … he is asking that there be UNITY among his followers …
just as he and God are ONE.
When we hear these words from Jesus .. we may think that they are TOO IDEAL.
Would it not be nice .. if all Christians agreed … and were ONE ?
The reality is .. that the followers of Christ / Christians ..
are NOT in agreement on many issues.
There is NOT a unity among Christians.
If anything .. the further we travel in history …
farther removed from the first Easter … the more divided we are.
One of the classic definitions of sin … is “separation” from God and from each other.
Christians are separated by theological beliefs .. ministry practices …
fellowship on Sunday mornings.
It is this text .. however .. that compels Christian leaders .. of many denominations ..
to actively SEEK UNITY .. despite the divisions among us.
What does it mean for you … to strive for unity in a divided world?
The theme for this message: “That WE may ALL be ONE” …
is based on the words of Jesus from John 17:21 .
It should strike us as a FAITH CHALLENGE ..
for the ROAD OF LIFE … which lies before you.
It would be easy to be overwhelmed.
The divisions in our world .. are many .. and varied .. and some are extremely complex.
And yet .. we have a mandate from Jesus .. to BE ONE.
In his teachings during his ministry … Jesus taught that followers of Jesus …
are to LOVE ONE ANOTHER .. to SERVE our NEIGHBOR …
(and our neighbor includes all people around the world) ..
and even to FORGIVE those who hate us. ( John 13 )
Now you may ask … “How in the world .. can I even begin to do this?”
This reminds me .. of what a Jewish Rabbi once said .. in regards to the Holocaust.
“You cannot save the whole world, but you can do what you can.
You can save one life.”
If each of you .. were to do what you could ..
when the opportunity arises .. think of what a difference ..
that YOU CAN MAKE in the world of tomorrow.
It is quite an achievement .. an accomplishment ..
to obtain the Bachelor of Arts degree that you receive today.
For some of you .. completing this degree has been an accomplishment
that was not easy. It took hard work. Many hours of study.
And perhaps .. more than four years to complete your degree.
Accomplishments help to build CONFIDENCE .. which is very important in our world today.
The accomplishment of securing your degree .. is significant ..
and you have reason to celebrate this day.
And we are all here today .. to CELEBRATE with you.
During your time in college … you have had opportunity to learn many things.
You have learned in the area of your field of study: your major.
But you have also learned a wide variety of pieces of information
that can be helpful to you in the future.
It is possible to learn so many things .. through your college experience.
For many of you .. it has been a time of sorting out .. WHO YOU ARE
and WHAT direction .. you want to go in life.
Your college education .. your diploma .. can open doors
to specific vocational goals .. that you might have. +++
In the book entitled “Critical Thinking: Tools for Taking Charge of Your Learning and Your Life”
by Richard Paul and Linda Elder … an interesting distinction is made
between “just making the grade” … and
“digging deeper through critical thinking.”
They suggest that it is possible to go through and complete your college requirements
and receive your degree … without learning much about yourself ..
and without developing a greater sense of the world
in which we live and its many issues.
If a student focuses on making the grade …
and passing the course requirements ONLY …
it is possible to graduate without the tools ..
which can help you to take charge … of your learning and your life.
The book goes on to say … that it is the student’s responsibility …
to be more reflective .. and to dig deeper through CRITICAL THINKING ..
about SELF .. about COURSE material … and about LIFE itself.
In the college setting .. you have had a golden opportunity ..
to learn to become a critical thinker ..
who is able to learn the JOYS of LEARNING ..
a TOOL that can serve you well .. for LIFE LONG LEARNING.
This is more than just an accumulation of facts and figures …
rather .. it is learning HOW to analyze ..
and to make DISCOVERY of new ideas .. which can broaden horizons.
One of the key components to critical thinking ..
is the use of multi-perspectives on crucial issues:
.. something that is lacking in our world today.
Your time in college .. has been a great opportunity of learning.
You have now learned enough to know .. HOW much MORE there is to learn !!
You are now ready to begin .. with the tools that have been given to you ..
for a JOURNEY of LIFE-LONG LEARNING.
I have some good news .. and some bad.
The old saying is true: “You get from college what you put into it” . . . .
which means .. you have HAD opportunity to learn much .. or little . . .
but that opportunity is now past.
Yes.. you can continue to learn .. and hopefully you have the tools ..
but it will be quite different .. if you are working 50-60 hours per week . . .
maintaining a household .. raising a family …
volunteering your time to serve your church .. and your community …
and thus have little time or energy .. to go to the library.
The golden opportunity of the environment .. that is ..
the atmosphere in college .. is now past .. for most of you …
unless you are continuing your education .. in post graduate studies. +++
What does it mean for you .. to STRIVE for UNITY in a divided world?
What does it mean … “that WE may ALL be ONE ?”
Remember what Jesus said in his teachings during his ministry.
Jesus taught that his followers … are to LOVE ONE ANOTHER ..
to SERVE our NEIGHBOR, …
(and our neighbor includes all people around the world) ..
and even to FORGIVE those who hate us. +++
May God be with you .. as you use the tools that have been given to you ..
in your college experience ..
and may Christ give you STRENGTH .. and the COURAGE to follow his teachings ..
and to take seriously .. the FAITH CHALLENGE :
to work for UNITY and PEACE in a divided world.
[ BLESSING ]
May God bless you and keep you ..
may the face of God shine on you ..
and be gracious to you .. and may God give you PEACE ..
as you celebrate this day ..
and begin your JOURNEY OF LIFE … IN the world. Amen
We sing: “We Are Called” -- ELW # 720
Reference:
“Critical Thinking: Tools for Taking Charge of Your Learning and Your Life”
by Richard Paul and Linda Elder; Prentice Hall: Upper Saddle River, New Jersey 07458, 2001. 428 pages. <www.prenhall.com/success>
This book is dedicated “to all those who suffer cruelty and injustice due to the prejudiced, self-deceived, and unethical thinking that now dominates the world.”
Introduction
Chapter 1: Becoming a Fair-Minded Thinker
Chapter 2: The First Four Stages of Development
Chapter 3: Self-Understanding
Chapter 4: The Parts of Thinking
Chapter 5: The Standards for Thinking
Chapter 6: Asking Questions that Lead to Good Thinking
Chapter 7: Master the Thinking, Master the Content
Chapter 8: Designing Your Own Learning
Chapter 9: Evaluating Your Own Learning
Chapter 10: Making Decisions
Chapter 11: Solving Problems
Chapter 12: Taking Charge of Your Irrational Tendencies
Chapter 13: Monitoring Your Sociocentric Tendencies
Chapter 14: Developing as an Ethical Reasoner
Chapter 15: Learning & Using Information Critically & Ethically, Part One
Chapter 16: Learning & Using Information Critically & Ethically, Part Two
Chapter 17: Strategic Thinking, Part One
Chapter 18: Strategic Thinking, Part Two
Chapter 19: Becoming an Advanced Thinker
Appendices
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