It was an honor to be the invocation speaker for FGCU’s 2009 Commencement. I had the pleasure of meeting some wonderful folks and seeing some familiar faces.
Here are the words from yesterday’s invocation:
In witness of all that is holy in our lives, I invite you into the spirit of prayer and meditation..
Spirit of Life, God of many names and Mystery,
Today marks the beginning of new life, new hope, and new promises. We give thanks for all the sweat, all the brain power, and all the determination that brought these graduates to this moment, knowing that for every student we might also give thanks for the resources provided to them- loving friends and family, staff and faculty– many of whom gather here today with joy and pride in their hearts.
It is a path well traveled that brings us together in this singular moment of celebration and achievement, on the threshold of new life and opportunity. We come with a healthy dose of fear and trembling, wondering, what will I be? And Love answers back with the question, how will you live? And though the future is not without challenges, let us aim our minds bodies and spirits towards a life lived deliberately= choices made wisely that value that which is most sacred in our lives. Though we gather among thousands, in these few moments, we send our blessings to each individual graduate here today- that each of you will commit to bringing your best self to the future- letting your light shine to serve the earth and her people. For each of you are on a threshold, entering into a new passage. As you step into your success, give thanks and choose to bless the world with all that you are and all that you shall be.
Dear Allison: As you suggested, I read your blog to see what you said in your invocation at the FGCU graduation ceremony last Sunday. As I expected, it expressed words of wisdom as well as congratulations to the new graduates. As you know, I am a lifelong learner now working on an MA in history at FGCU. This institution has provided some outstanding experiences for me as I have studied there these last seven years. At this point I have completed all my course work for the MA and am beginning to work my way through a four and a half page list of books in preparing for a comprehensive exam in world history. The initial book, Maps of Time, by David Christian, presents an excellent account of a relatively new approach appropriately called Big History. This begins with the Big Bang and goes through the following 13 billion years up to the present: astronomy, cosmology, astrochemistry, geology, evolutionary biology, physical anthropology, archaeology, and finally conventional world history. Whew! Anyway, congratulations on a find Invocation, and wishes for many happy returns to such occasions. Don