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excerpt
Seek, serve, grow
by four members of the Class of 2011
“Destiny is not a matter of chance; it is a matter of choice. It is not a thing to be waited for; it is a thing to be achieved.” I believe this quote was placed by God, scribed by William Jennings Bryan and spoken directly into my heart. Never would I or anyone else who knew me have imagined I would be asked to speak at baccalaureate. One thing that would be unanimous: that any setting in which I had free rein would end up in complete madness.
It would be hard for me to defend myself against such a claim. I needed a lot of structure in my life, and I still do. But that’s what makes Bethel so very special and dear to me. I find that throughout my four years here, I have developed into someone who people care about and trust. – Caleb Stephens ’11
The [Bethel] community has welcomed us here and accepted us from our first day until this day. Bethel has given us faith in the goodness of people and in the power that community and service can have in the outside world. Sure, I struggle like many to have that faith all the time, but doubt is proof there is a seed of faith to grow – faith in God and in each other.
“For know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future” (Jeremiah 29:11). It isn’t a syllabus. I don’t know whether I need three primary sources or four. But God has a plan of hope and a plan for the future for each of us. “You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart, says the Lord.” So seek, continue to serve and find how much you’ll grow. – Greg Shelly ’11
We heard Scripture from the prophet Jeremiah, a message of assurance of God’s enduring promise and presence. And those of us celebrating the end of four years, more or less, of work well done – or at least done – are likely to embrace that promise as further cause for hope and celebration.
I’m hoping that whatever paths we choose will be the right ones. And I believe they will, if we enter into our “exile” with faith in the abiding presence of God or of a goodness beyond simple human understanding, and if we dedicate ourselves to one another and to our world. At Bethel, we’ve learned that community matters. Belief in something matters. Joy and passion and fun matter. Those are the truths that will sustain us through whatever choices we make. – Meredith Lehman ’11
We have gathered together today in this place to celebrate this joyous occasion of graduation, which is the culmination of much hard work and much time spent by these students over the past several years striving to gain knowledge in many different disciplines.
As each of us now continues down the path you have planned for us, I pray that our time here at Bethel will not quickly be forgotten [and that it] will be a light to our future path. May the knowledge our professors have imparted on us; the wisdom we have gathered from friends, faculty, staff, administration and others at Bethel; and the dedication we now have to serving those around us – may these things guide our path into the future.
As we continue our schooling, join the workforce or do service in the United States and abroad, may whatever we do glorify you, God. I pray that our lives will follow the example that Jesus Christ set for us – by always showing love to everyone around us regardless of our differences; by reaching out to those whom our society has forgotten; by always remembering the people in our lives in our prayers to you. Lord, may our lives be spent in service to you.
The past four years have changed us and shaped us into people ready to serve you and further your kingdom. I pray that today will be our commissioning to continue to seek, serve and grow as we have been taught to do here at Bethel. May we always continue to seek your face by serving those around us and growing together as a community built on our faith in Christ. – Caleb Regehr ’11
Caleb Stephens, Lawrence, graduated May 22 with a B.S. in social work; Greg Shelly, Lenexa, with a B.A. and double major in mathematical sciences and Spanish; and Meredith Lehman, Bluffton, Ohio, with a B.A. and triple major in Bible and religion, German and history. They were the three student speakers at this year’s baccalaureate service. Caleb Regehr, Whitewater, graduated with a B.S. in business administration, and gave the benediction at the close of the 2011 commencement ceremonies.