Western Theological Seminary Commencement 2012

Monday, May 7, 2012 was a busy yet a wonderful commencement day. The activities were started by a brunch at the president of the seminary's house at 10am. I just realized how we would miss the whole event if an angel did not show up...(actually Elizabeth, my fiancee, had come to attend the commencement, so we had a ride to go. She even figured out the address).

The rain had come in Holland, Mi.

About 15 minutes late we arrived, and the president, Tim Brown, was out of the door with an umbrella, welcoming everybody.  After delivering a moving speech, Dr. Brown presented the graduates students each with a nice binder and a book by John Bunyan which he quoted during his speech. On the way back to the seminary, Rev. Chala Habasila of Zambia, one of the Th.M. students, shared how he came to Christ through a tract with excerpts from that book.

Workneh, Ray, Smirna, Santosh, and Chala.

Afterwards, we had a group picture with our commencement garb. It was followed by Alumni/ae Day lecture by Dr. J. K. Smith on his upcoming book entitled Imagining the Kingdom. It was an interesting lecture. At 3.30pm the graduating students had a rehearsal in Dimnent Chapel. It is a huge structure at the heart of Hope College, just behind our seminary. At the same time, Dr. Wendell Karsen made a presentation on his book, The Church Under the Cross, Vol. 2 which was published this past January. According to Elizabeth who attended this occasion, Dr. Karsen had done Gospel ministry in Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Indonesia.

At 5.00pm we went to The Annual Alumni/ae Dinner. Good food and good company. Dr. Karsen and another alumni received the Distinguished Alumnus Award.

Picture with my thesis adviser, Dr. George
Hunsberger and wife, and Elizabeth.

At 6.45pm the graduates, faculty (regular, adjunct, and emeriti), board of trustee members, and others gathered in the basement of Dimnent Chapel, preparing to process. At 7.30pm the commencement started. The huge building was filled with families, friends, members of congregations up to the balcony. They came to celebrate the graduations of their beloved ones. One of the graduates, Pastor Jeffery A. Hough, told me that his congregation rent a bus to attend the commencement.

Participants in the service were Rev. Dr. Tim Brown (president), Rev. Dr. Lyane Van Dyke (dean and vice-president of academic affairs), and others. The commencement speaker was James K. A. Smith. Information printed in the bulletin said that he was a "professor of philosophy at Calvin College in Grand Rapids, Mi, where he also teaches in the department of congregational and ministry studies and serves as a research fellow of the Calvin Institute of Christian Worship." A number of books he wrote were mentioned, including Desiring the Kingdom.

The commencement service was supported by a choir from several local congregations. A sense of awe aired as we all sang All Creatures of Our God and King by Francis of Assisi.
In the Promise-Making part, all the graduates were invited to stand, and Dean Van Dyke said:

Picture with Rev. Jeanette Beagley, Th.M. program director.

So that everyone present may understand your intention and dedication in receiving the certificate that you've earned, I now ask you to answer sincerely these questions:

She, then, continued by asking (in the script):

• Will you proclaim by word and example the good news of God in Christ, seeking and serving Christ in all persons, loving your neigbor as yourself?
• Will you strive for justice and peace among all people, and respect the dignity of every human being?
• Will you persevere in resisting evil, and when you fall into sin, repent and return to the Lord?
• And will you use your spirit-given gifts not for selfish gain or worldly admiration, but for the upbuilding of the body, the life of the world, and the greater glory of God?

And we, the graduates, answered: We will, with God's help. Amen!

Picture with Dr. Tim Brown, president of WTS,
and his wife, and Elizabeth.

40 students graduated from Master of Divinity program, two of them also accomplished the Graduate Ceritificate in Urban Pastoral Ministry (there were three graduates in this program), six students graduated from Master of Theology program (I was one of them), and one from the Doctor of Ministry program. We thank God for this "peculiar call," as it was called by to the speaker, that we have answered. May indeed we will be able to uphold our promise today, with God's help.***