Teaching at a small Christian school, I am used to small graduating classes.  Each of our three daughters graduated with somewhere between three and five total graduates.  This is neither a bad thing nor a good thing, but is something that has both pros and cons.  This year, however, Windham Christian had a graduating class of exactly one!  Brianna is a student I had through middle school as well as an employee at the camp I directed in northern Maine until 2019.  She si one of those rare Christian school kids who questioned conservative evangelicalism and came away neither embracing its pop culture nor rejecting everything about the faith she was raised in, but rather she graduated with a healthy faith based first and foremost on Jesus Christ as revealed in scripture.  What follows is the commencement address I was blessed to be asked to deliver:

Thank you.  It is an honor to give today's commencement address, and it is especially an honor to know that 100% of the graduating class agreed that they wanted me to be the speaker!  Seriously, congratulations Brianna, and congratulations to you, Andrew and Brenda as well.  Todays a big day.

  I remember when you were in 8th grade and I told the class that anyone turning 15 that calendar year could apply to be a counselor in training at the summer camp I directed in Aroostook County at the time.  A few days later, you came to me and said, "I was praying last night, and I think God told me to work at your camp this summer.  But I'm really scared to be that far from home."  I thought, "That's exactly what I want  for a  staff: a bunch of scared teenagers on 300 acres of wilderness."  But I didn't say that to you.  You went theough the process and you got the job.  But the thing that stands out is you saying, "I think God told me I should eork at your camp."  So my first bit of advice is something I know you already do:  Keep listening to God.

There's that classic passage in the Old Testament, "The Lord said, “Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the Lord, for the Lord is about to pass by.”Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake.  After the earthquake came a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper."  Remember God often speaks in a still, small voice.

But you're graduating into a world where there are a lot of angry voices all yelling to be heard over other voices.  The conservatives and yelling at the liberals, and the liberals are yelling at the conservatives.  But God's voice is not the voice of the right wing.  And God's voice is not the voice of the left wing.  God's voice is neither left not right, but ABOVE the fray; above the systems, powers and governemnts of this world.  Keep listening to that voice.

You're graduating into a world where the boomers are yelling at the millenials, and the millenials are yelling at the boomers - mostly because we couldn't hear them otherwise - generations are yelling at each other, but God does not speak with the voice of the old, and God does not speak with the voice of the young, but rather God speaks with a timeless and eternal voice that goes back to eternity past, yet will continue to ring true into eternity future.

So how do we recognize the voice of God?  In the same way we recognize the voice of other loved ones.  The better we know them, the more familiar their voice is.  I'm not talking about a read-the-Bible-through-in-a-year plan that causes discouragement when we fall behind, or some commitment to pray a half hour every day, only to cause us to give up when we miss some days.  I mean studying scripture and praying because you WANT to know God better; because you know you NEED to know God better.  As you do, you'll recognize His voice more and more because He's someone you KNOW.  Like when someone you know really well calls you on the phone, you don't need to ask who it is. You could be at a crowded party with lots of people talking and laughing and loud music, but if someone you're close to calls, you still recognize their voice:  maybe it's your mom, or your dad, or that robot-lady telling you your car warranty is about to expire.  You recognize their voice because these people are important to you! 

So my first reminder is to keep listening to God's voice.  The next thing I'm going to say is also a reminder of something I know you already do.  Keep seeing God at work.  You saw God as he brought so much growth in you those summers at camp, as you went from a CIT to a senior counselor, but you also saw God at work in the kids you worked with: some abused, neglected or low income.  Keep your eyes on what God is doing.

We all know the story of Peter when he was out fishing all night and caught nothing.  There's a lot to that passage; you could teach on it for weeks, but I'm not going to.  Let's stick to the basics.  Jesus met him on shore that morning and told Simon to bring Him out to sea again.  Peter was exhausted and wanted to go home to sleep/  But he brought im out.  Then Jesus said, "Throw your nets over again."  Peter complained that hs had been working all night to no avail, but he did it anyway.  Then he brought up a miraculous catch of fish.  So big, his crew - he was part of a business, he didn't work alone - his crew called other fishermen in the area to come help with this huge catch.  Everyone was fixated on the fish.  But Peter was looking at Jesus, and in that moment repented and came to faith in Christ.

Another example is the wedding at Cana, Jesus' first miracle. He was at a wedding celebration, which would have lasted for days back then, and part way through they ran out of wine.  With Mary's prompting, Jesus turned several huge stone jugs of water into wine that was even better than the first batch.  Everyone was talking about how good the wine was, "This is better than Boone's Farm, man"... Sorry.  Flashback to MY graduation night.  Anyway, everyone was focussed on the wine, but the disciples, the scripture says, looked at Jesus, and committed to following Him.  So my second commencement advice is, keep your eyes on the blesser, not the blessing.

Brianna, you will make a great nurse some day.You have so many of the gifts God can use in that calling: your love for biology, compassion, but also your organization and sense of responsibility.  And, some day you might also get married.  And if you do, you may have kids, and if you have kids, you may choose to send them to WCA.  And if you send your kids to WCA, inevitably, I'll STILL be teaching middle school here!  So know that, come spring time, I'm always looking for a good nurse to chaperone our class trip to Vermont.  So if you'd save Memorial Day weekend 2041, I'd appreciate it.  I'll be 80...

Seriously, congratulations.  Momma Sue and I will see you at the after party.  You've done great.