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| 'Tis the Season for Graduation“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled, and do not let them be afraid... Rise, let us be on our way.” - John 14:27, 31 Dear Friends, This is the season for cards and gifts, ceremonies and celebrations, joy and laughter. No, it’s not Christmas. It’s the season for graduation. The flowers bloom, the days warm, the summer beckons. Graduates are accomplishing final projects and receiving diplomas. A sense of accomplishment pervades the hearts of students and parents alike. At my house, we have reached a significant milestone. After eleven years of affiliation with the Waldorf School of San Diego, Christina graduates from the 8th grade this month. She has attended the Waldorf School since she was three years old and her sister was in the first grade, so graduation represents a big transition for all of us. Christina was in Lynn R.’s Periwinkle Kindergarten class, and then Lauren H.’s Rosemary Kindergarten. She still has classmates who shared those experiences with her. In the first grade, Bonnie H. became her teacher, and has been her teacher ever since. (In Waldorf schools, it is customary for the teacher to advance with the students through the grades.) Special people have shaped her life, and send her forth into the wider world with love and blessing. Wonderful friends have come into our lives through the Waldorf School. Several Waldorf families have also become connected to PB UMC over the years. With those families I share a conviction that Waldorf Schools, with their respect for the process of human development, their focus on integrated physical, emotional, social, intellectual and spiritual growth, their use of music and art throughout the curriculum, and their caution with regard to media and technology exposure, provide the best model of education available for children in our world today. For Christina, leaving Waldorf means leaving behind much that is familiar and comfortable. She is excited about high school, but it is a bit hard to imagine life without the routines, rhythms, and friends that have comprised our weeks and months for so many years now. I imagine the same dynamic must be true for many graduates. Thus it seems appropriate to remember Jesus’ words to his disciples when he, and they, were facing big changes. “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled, and do not let them be afraid,” said Jesus. Graduation means leaving behind the known and turning toward the unknown. It is a good time to remember that God goes with us and before, and therefore we need not be afraid. Though the world may give stress and anxiety, God gives peace. “Rise, let us be on our way,” beckons Jesus. Together, we will go meet whatever the future holds. Congratulations Graduates! With love from Pastor April |
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