For the past several weeks, quite a few graduations have taken place within our community – from the Commencement service of Washington Adventist University on the fifth of May to as recently as our Great Kids Preschool graduation, which was held earlier this week. And, of course, there is a myriad of schools within our region that participate in this annual exercise at this time of the year. It almost makes you want to say, “Commencement again?”
But with all this having been said, have you ever wondered what the difference is between graduation and Commencement? Although they are related, there is a very distinct difference between the two. Graduation is the completion of all degree requirements as recorded on one’s official transcript, while Commencement is the ceremony that celebrates the completion of a degree. Commencement is important because it serves as the ‘moving on’ to a new beginning in one’s life. But what is interesting is that one’s participation in the Commencement ceremony does not imply that they have officially graduated.
As I have been reflecting on all the Commencement ceremonies that I’ve personally been a part of or at least have received invitations to attend in the last few months, I couldn’t help but recognize the parallels between these experiences and that of our spiritual journey as Disciples of Christ. Shouldn’t my decision to follow Christ carry with it the same connotation as does the Commencement service? Just as the Commencement service marks the end of one part of our lives and the beginning of another, shouldn’t this be what the decision to follow Christ is all about? And since Commencement is all about new beginnings, shouldn’t I as a Christian have a sort of daily Commencement that takes place in my life, by which I prepare to leave the past and reach forward to that which lies ahead?
The challenge that many encounter as they prepare to commence is that they are not willing to let go of what they have been a part of for so long. I’m sure we’ve all heard individuals who, although they may have graduated from high school many years ago, constantly refer back to when they were the star of the basketball team, as if they had never left. Now, there is nothing wrong with taking time to reminisce, but this can be taken to the extreme.
In 1 Corinthians 15:31, the Apostle Paul makes the statement that he “dies daily.” In other words, Paul recognizes that a life that has committed to following Jesus has to be one where there is a letting go of the old and a commencing to a new beginning in Christ Jesus with each new day. And although our official graduation ceremony won’t be until Christ returns, there should be a daily Commencement in the life of every one who desires to live in a way that brings glory and honor to God. So whether you finished your academic pursuits long ago and you feel that your days of Commencement are long gone, never forget that for the child of God, Commencement for us is each and every day of the year.