Every year, around this time, I find myself doing something I can’t quite explain. I stop. I look at our graduates, really look at them, and I think about the first time I saw them walk through our doors. That feeling has been especially strong this year, as we have our own graduate in the mix. Some of them I’ve known since they were in the nursery. Others came to us later, but they’ve grown up right here, in this community, in this church.
And now they’re stepping out.
Graduation is one of those moments that feels big because it is big. It’s not just a diploma. It’s not just the next chapter. It is a stepping stone toward becoming who you were created to be. And for those of us who believe that God authors our stories, that is a moment worth pausing and honoring.
This Sunday, during both our 9:00 and 11:00 AM worship services, we are going to do exactly that. We will call our graduates forward, speak words of blessing over them, and pray for the journey ahead: for their courage, their calling, and the faith that will carry them in every season and especially when life gets complicated.
And that’s really what I want to say to our graduates: while graduation is a step in your life’s journey, this is also a step in your journey of faith.
There will come a moment, and for some of you it may have already arrived, when your faith has to become your faith. Not your parents’ faith. Not your church’s faith. Yours. That can feel like a lot of pressure, but I actually think it’s one of the most exciting invitations in life. God isn’t looking for perfect faith. God is looking for honest faith. The kind that asks real questions, that shows up even in doubt, that keeps walking even when the road is unclear.
You were created for this. We believe in you. Go with God’s blessing, and we can’t wait to see how you transform our world.
God bless,
Jonathan Smith
For Jesus. For People. For Community.