A Charge to Our Graduates

Charge to the Graduates

I Samuel 8:1-22, 11:14-15

Preached at St. John’s on the second Sunday after Pentecost- Proper 5 B

May the words of my mouth, and the meditations of our hearts be alway acceptable in thy sight, O Lord, our Strength and our Redeemer. AMEN.

Today we honour those who have graduated from school and stand at a great milestone of their lives. I will be preaching to them, and the rest of you are more than welcome to listen in. Mr Verger, would you please escort our graduates: Ashley, Alana, and Andrew, to the seats prepared for them in the transcept? (here shall the graduates be escorted to their seats.)

I congratulate you today on the occasion of your graduation. You have worked hard, and hopefully had fun, and now you stand at the beginning of the next stage of your lives. It is only fitting that we as the people of God should share with you the wisdom of God as you begin this great adventure. St. Paul wrote to the young Bishop Timothy (II Timothy 3:16) that “All scripture is given by inspiration of God , and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness.” Blessed Archbishop Peter wrote to the Church at large (II Peter 1:21) that “prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.” And so today we look to God’s word written for direction and comfort as we admonish you on this momentous day. When St. Paul, the Apostle to the Gentiles, Wrote to the Church at Corinth (I Corinthians 10:11), he reminded them that the stories of Scripture are given us for “…ensamples, and they are written for our admonition…” St. John the Beloved, writing to the Church at large (I John 5:13) continued this theme by pointing out that “These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God: that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the Name of the Son of God.”

In this spirit, we come to today’s first lesson from the First Book of Samuel, and there we see in the history of God’s people Israel a poignant lesson about how we ought to order our lives, and how we ought to make decisions about our future. Samuel was a mighty man of God, selected to lead God’s people at a critical time in their history.  As he grew older, he sought to provide for a peaceful transfer of power by establishing his sons Joel and Abiah as Judges in Israel. Unlike their father, they proved to be horrible leaders. “They walked not in his ways, but turned aside after lucre, and took bribes, and perverted judgment.” (I Samuel 8:3) The leaders of the people came to Samuel with a well intentioned plan for reform, and called for the establishment of a monarchy, “like all the nations.” The old man was crest fallen. He knew that God’s plan was for Israel to be a nation set apart for great things, a nation of priests who would prepare the way for God’s grace to enter the world, to deal directly with God, and to not follow in the ways of power and pride and worldliness. The leaders of the people meant well, but they did not stop to consider the ways of God as they made their decisions, and the unintended consequences of their actions led to tyranny and oppression in Israel, and set the stage for rebellion and suffering in the years to come.

As you face the next step of your lives, away from mom and dad for the first time, it is fitting that we should examine the failure of these well intentioned people so that you might not make the same mistakes they made, and so that your lives might be lived in keeping with God’s plan for each of your lives.

Today, on this “first day of the rest of your lives,” I would admonish you to consider three things that grow out of their experience, that you might live lives of beauty and faithfulness, and be known as the children of a loving Heavenly Father


First, I admonish you to consider your motives carefully and honestly, that you might make good decisions.
Second, I admonish you to carefully consider the clear commands of Scripture, that none of your decisions would conflict with God’s word written.
Third, I admonish you to remember that you are created in God’s own image, the “Imagio Dei,” and that reason, a significant element of that image, should guide your decisions as you plan and prepare for the remainder of your life.
The children of Israel meant well, but I would submit to you that they did not adequately consider their motives as they sought to be like “all the nations” of the world. The results were disastrous and included conscription, loss of liberty, and eventually rebellion against the God who had so blessed them and set them apart for his own work in the world. Perhaps the greatest model for examining our own motives is found in the traditional marriage ceremony of the Church of England. Three considerations are proposed for those who are determined to enter into Holy Matrimony, which is after a sense one of the greatest decisions any of us can ever be called on to make. (1662 Book of Common Prayer- explanation of Holy Matrimony)
“First, It was ordained for the procreation of children, to be brought up in the fear and nurture of the Lord, and to praise his holy Name.” The first consideration of you motives should be to consider your responsibility to others, and to the community at large. It will never do for a Christian to consider first how much money they should make, or to believe the lie that the end justifies the means, or that their own happiness or wellbeing should come first in the decision making process. That was the mistake made by Samuel’s sons. May you seriously consider where you start your decision making process as you determine your career, or your major, or your actions in the years to come. Your motives should always be determined by your love for God and for your neighbors. It is the responsibility of every Christian.
“Secondly, It (marriage) was ordained for a remedy against sin, and to avoid fornication; that such persons as have not the gift of continency might marry, and keep themselves undefiled members of Christ’s body.” Your motives should acknowledge your weaknesses and you should commit yourself to a life of discipline and hard work. In your studies, and in your personal behaviour, and in your relationships, you should always remember that the easy way, the natural way, and the shortcut, will have many unintended consequences that will affect your life for years to come. The failure to remember these motivating factors was the sin of the people of Israel, and they paid dearly for their desire to be like everyone else, instead of doing the hard work of disciplining themselves to the way of God.
“Thirdly, It (marriage) was ordained for the mutual society, help, and comfort, that the one ought to have of the other, both in prosperity and adversity.” It is only after consideration of others and the development of a sincerely disciplined life that the hope of human fulfillment and happiness is considered. Indeed, it is not stretching the text to say that it is only as we consider our responsibilities and discipline our lives that we can hope to find true happiness and that “peace which passeth all understanding.” (Philippians 4:7)
No greater pattern for examining your own motives has ever been devised.
Is your first desire truly to consider others and your responsibility to them?
Are you willing to discipline your life to reach your dreams?
Do you realize that it is only by putting others, and God, before yourself that you can find true purpose and joy in living?
Having examined your motives, it behooves you to consider whether or not all of your plans are in accordance with God’s word. Let me take another example from marriage. We human beings are very adept at what psychologists call rationalization. We can talk ourselves into just about anything, and convince ourselves that it is good, or at least ok. Imagine a man or a woman who after several years of marriage decides that they are not happy, and decides that it would be a fine thing to leave their spouse for a newer model, perhaps more physically attractive or with interests more akin to their own. They come up with a score of good reasons to make the change, but adultery, abuse, or desertion are not among them. Whatever their reasons might be, the Bible says that we are to stay married. And so their plan would be a bad one because it contradicts God’s plan and clear teaching. Or consider this: a student at a leading university sees an opportunity to enter a certain business or profession and make boatloads of money. But that business or profession is characterized by actions which destroy the environment, or which treats people made in God’s image as mere objects to be bought and sold for profit, or regularly takes advantage of good people and saddles them with crushing and inescapable debt. The Bible clearly says that Christians ought not to do such things, and therefore such a business or profession would not be appropriate for a follower of Jesus Christ to enter. Always check your decisions against the clear teaching of the Bible. If the Bible forbids the actions you are contemplating, you should do something else. The children of Israel wanted a king, even though God through his prophet said that to trust in a king would ultimately lead them away from reliance on God. They should have known better, but they didn’t stop to consider the consequences of their actions in light of God's stated will.

Finally, remember that you are made in God’s image, and that an important part of that image is reason. Think through the decisions you will make. Don’t live on dreams alone, but consider the consequences of your decisions. Know that all decisions have unintended consequences, and know that a thoughtful man or woman thinks through what those unintended consequences might be before committing themselves to any plan of action. The children of Israel thought it would be great to have a king like all the other nations. Samuel tried to warn them of the unintended consequences. “He will draft your sons into the army, and raise your taxes to fight unnecessary wars, and will force your daughters to be his serving girls. He will confiscate your property and give it to his friends and supporters, and you will in the end be his slaves. And you will cry out to God for deliverance, but it will be too late!” (I Samuel 8:10-18 paraphrased) But they had made up their minds in the heat of passion, and they did not think it through. They refused to listen to the prophet and they paid the price. Never let it be said that you set aside the great gift of reason that God has given to each of you. Employ it thoughtfully and refuse to let anyone drag you along through mere emotion. God has given you a gift. Use it wisely.

And now to recap:
First, I admonish you to consider your motives carefully and honestly, that you might make good decisions.
Second, I admonish you to carefully consider the clear commands of Scripture, that none of your decisions would conflict with God’s word written.
Third, I admonish you to remember that you are created in God’s own image, the “Imagio Dei,” and that reason, a significant element of that image, should guide your decisions as you plan and prepare for the remainder of your life.
Serve God faithfully all your days. Make good decisions. Remember who you are and the God who made you. And may your lives be blessed and bring glory to your loving Heavenly Father. In the Name of The Father, and of The Son, and of the Holy Ghost, one God. AMEN.