The End: Reflection on Possibilities for the Future

            After so much preoccupation with daily work and immediate responsibilities, let us pause to reflect on our possibilities for the future. May hope and trust in God inform us as we envision what lies ahead. We pray God will continue to watch over us as we pursue our goals and create the lives we want to live. We pray our futures will be filled with the love of friends and family and the service we can provide to others. We give thanks to God for all the gifts and opportunities we can see waiting for us. We move forward filled with the security and promise of God’s love.

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May 28: Celebration of Endings and Hope for New Beginnings

Commencement: May 28

            Not all endings are dismal occasions. We reflect on this time of endings with a sense of celebration, for all the joy that we have experienced this year. We are giving thanks for another year of learning and progress or perhaps for our undergraduate careers as a whole. Whatever we celebrate, we honor this ending with the hope for new beginnings. We pray we can build upon the gifts and accomplishments of this time as we move into the future. May we learn from the mistakes of the past and transform ourselves for whatever lies ahead. May we reflect on the past with affection and look forward to new beginnings with excitement.

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February 13: Looking Forward to the Renewal of Spring

            Though the winter drags on, we cannot give up hope for the coming of spring. We look forward to the melting of the snow and the return of green to the world. As we meditate on the renewal God brings to nature, we pray for the same renewal in our own lives. The transformative power of the seasons teaches us not to fear becoming frozen in our old lives. Thoughts of the future give us hope that the snow will thaw and we too will find renewal in our lives.

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