Dear Friends:
First and last, I want you to know how much I love and
respect you. I have greatly appreciated the opportunity to be a fellow student
with each of you and to have shared so many meaningful, harrowing,
humorous, moving, strange and wonderful experiences with you over the past
couple of years.
You have achieved a lot in relatively little time. You have
been pioneers—the first group of students to graduate from Meaville’s
TouchPoint™ program! As such, you have smoothed the way (sort of) for those of us
who are following closely in your footsteps. You have navigated an often messy,
sometimes chaotic and confusing path and have done so with something resembling
real grace.
Although I know there was a certain amount of private
moaning, groaning, kvetching and complaining about the challenges you faced at
Meadville (and beyond), I was aware that you, as a group, chose not to get lost
in bitterness or despair. Instead, you chose to make the best of it, to keep
moving forward, and to help each other and the rest of us along the way. Thank
you!
This January and March, while sitting in classes that
included many of you, I found that it was always easy to spot the 3rd-year
students as you were the ones who were asking the questions that made the most
sense—the questions that had the most to do with real life and how to apply our
learning. You were the ones who were moving from theory to practice.
I am grateful for your leadership and for the hand of
collegiality that you have extended to those of us following you. I look
forward to working with you as fellow ministers in the years to come.
Love and respect to you all!
Jim
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| Next January, we'll be missing those of you who are graduating! |
