Graduation Season

I was up in rotation this week for the minister's column in our local newspaper, the Pine City Pioneer. Here it is for those who don't live nearby or don't get the newspaper.

We’re right in the middle of what I call Graduation Season. Like many other local churches, our congregation dedicated this past Sunday to honoring and celebrating with our graduating senior highers. Next Friday is commencement and, in the meantime, seniors are caught up in the frenzy of finals, scholarships, getting caps and gowns, paying fees, attending and hosting graduation parties, planning for fall, and on and on. This is the time it really begins to sink in for seniors that "this is it." Things are coming to an end for them as far as high school is concerned. Lots of "lasts" - last games, last classes, last time to see certain people, last school lunch!

I’ve been involved with students at some level for more than 30 years in my various roles as a youth pastor, volunteer, substitute teacher, assistant cross country coach, and as a parent. I love meeting and spending time with teens, and I have to say that we have some amazing students in Pine City. It’s always sad to see them graduate from youth group and school (well… most of the time, anyway!) It’s awesome to see how far they’ve come and where they are heading.

This year’s graduates have been through a lot in their high school career and have faced unique challenges associated with the coronavirus and our turbulent culture in general. Additionally, they have had to go through all the usual tribulations faced by all teens.

I am so thankful for the wonderful teachers in Pine City who work so hard to help them navigate these challenges. Our schools have gone through a difficult season, but our amazing teachers have worked diligently to come alongside these students and help them succeed. I’ve been a substitute at the high school for the past fifteen years and have seen how hard our teachers and staff work. Jesus once said that “everyone who is fully trained will be like their teacher.” (Luke 6:40) If that applies to our teachers, then these students couldn’t be in better hands.

Every year as I watch the seniors walk across the stage to receive their diploma, I’m reminded of a truism I often share with new parents: “The days are long, but the years are short.” It seems like just yesterday that… fill-in-the-blank: that they were born; that they took their first steps; that they started kindergarten; that they were a freshman in high school, that they started their first job. The years seem to pass by so quickly.

Of course, that’s true for adults, as well. It seems like just yesterday that we graduated, got married, had kids, and so on. It all seems to go by so fast.

That feeling is nothing new. In fact, thousands of years ago Moses prayed a prayer, recorded for us in Psalm 90, that addresses this very topic. He notes that our days “quickly pass, and we fly away” and so he asks God to “Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom.” In other words, we have a certain amount of time available to us – whether it’s in school, in our job, or just in life, so it’s important to realize the brevity of our time and consider carefully how we are using it. We need to ask ourselves: Am I making consistent deposits in the things that are important in life? Because my time is limited, and my tendency, if I’m not careful, is to let the days slip by.

How do I get this heart of wisdom he talks about? Scripture says, “If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you.” (James 1:5)

Graduates will be getting all kinds of advice over the next few weeks, but the best advice I know is to seek God and ask for the kind of wisdom only he can give. Which is probably pretty good advice for all of us.

Students & Parents

As a substitute teacher and cross country coach, one of my great joys is being able to get to know so many students. (One of the students at school asked me the other day why I sub. I replied, "Because I like hanging out with you guys... usually.") We have some wonderful students at our school (and a few others!) and I really like meeting them and building relationships with them.

It's always interesting when I meet their parents for the first time after I have already gotten to know their kids. If the kid is great, I'm always happy to meet the parent and I am positively predisposed to liking them. If my experience with the student is negative, I'm much less inclined to view the parents favorably when I meet them.

I imagine the same is true with God. How his children represent themselves reflects back on their heavenly father. 

Something to keep in mind before that next Facebook post or your interaction with someone. Remember who you represent.

The Great Resignation: Student Edition

There has been a lot of talk in the media in the last year about the so-called "Great Resignation" where people are quitting their jobs, or just not returning after the Covid lockdowns. There's been all sorts of speculation about the causes and so forth, but there is one aspect of this that has gone under-reported, and that is the "Great Resignation" that is taking place in our schools - specifically among our students. Of course, they aren't allowed to just quit or walk away their jobs as students, so they continue to show up in body, but with a significant lack of engagement.

I've been subbing for about 18 years and I've never seen the general apathy among students as bad as it has been this year. I'm sure part of the issue is that our state in its infinite wisdom decided that because of Covid, nobody can fail! Everybody passes, so there are kids who spend a year without even logging in during distance learning but there were no consequences - other than that they have been totally sapped of motivation to achieve anything. I spoke with yet another teacher yesterday about the struggles of dealing with these demotivated, checked-out students. Many teachers are considering retiring or just doing something else because the situation has become so frustrating. Which is a shame, because these are some really great teachers that we are going to lose.

The other ones I feel really bad for are the students who are engaged and motivated. They often pay the price for their peers who are not only disengaged but often disruptive. But it's very difficult to remove the disruptive students long-term due to policies and parents.

It's a no-win situation for schools. I don't know what the answer is. But it's a problem that's only getting worse. Hopefully the motivated students will persevere and the teachers will be able to do the same.

I'm Back!

We finally have internet access at our new house! I apologize to those who check this page daily, waiting for the highlights, insights, and nuggets of wisdom that you have come to enjoy (endure?) Between moving, an excellent Planet Wisdom conference, daily ministry tasks and meetings, and trying to get our house in some semblence of order I have had to back-burner my blogging activities temporarily.

I am actually composing this entry at school on my PocketPC during my planning period as I am subbing today (I'll post this when I get home. As my text entry method is "block recognizer" - one step up from handwriting - this entry may be somewhat less verbose than is my custom. (I actually have an infrared folding keyboard but haven't loaded the driver since my last hard reset. Oops. Too late for today.)

Speaking of substitute teaching, this is my first real opportunity to sub this fall and I am excited to be back in the classroom. It is a great chance to get to know students and staff and keep up with what is happening in the schools.