‘Graduating? stay in touch…’
Good morning,
Today is the first day of the 2021 graduations… or it should be. It was in my calendar for today, and I should be collecting my borrowed gown, conducting a Service of Thanksgiving, giving the housekeeping announcement, processing alongside academics and clapping hundreds of new graduates. And not only today but every day until Friday.
Instead, for the second year running, I recorded prayers in Latin to be added to online degree conferral ceremonies, available to watch from the time each graduation would have happened here: https://www.st-andrews.ac.uk/graduation/watch-live/
I am sorry for all those people unable to gather this week with friends, family and supporters. I know that many people, while hugely appreciative of the online conferrals, will still try to return to St Andrews for an authentic graduation experience. Last year we hoped that would be this year. This year we hope it will be next year. And if we can gather next year, I promise no grumbles at the 27 ceremonies, the 27 housekeeping announcements, the 54 processions (27 in and 27 out), the 15 services of thanksgiving and the 15 garden parties. I only hope they’ll be ready in the mini-fudge doughnut factory. Here is an image from the last day of summer graduations we were able to hold in person, Friday 28 June 2019. Roll on many such days in the future.
If you are graduating this week, congratulations! The achievement of your degree is just the same regardless of how it is celebrated. I hope life beyond your degree will be interesting, rewarding and fulfilling, and that just a hint of the spirit of St Andrews will go with you. As there’s no chance to preach at a service of thanksgiving this year, I’m storing up sermon titles for next year’s jamboree. But even the titles on their own perhaps will be enough of a message:
Good Horn – Good Brakes – Good Luck
Earn Your Turns
Good good study, day day up
Rest and be Thankful
Intrigued? Come to a Service of Thanksgiving on the day of your graduation, whenever that day comes.
And what about the community of the Chaplaincy, of Companionship emails, of worship, discussion groups, interfaith activity and everything in between. Well, if you are leaving the University, your University email address will go up in a puff of smoke at some point in the future. So if you want to stay in the Chaplaincy’s loop, let us know a new email address and we can add it to the mailing list. Like us on facebook – https://www.facebook.com/mansefield/ Or even send us a postcard from time to time. We’d love you to stay in touch.
Wishing you every blessing, especially if you are receiving your degree this week. Congratulations from Sam, the whole Chaplaincy team, and from me.
Yours,
Donald.
Revd Dr Donald MacEwan
Chaplain