Today we honor our seniors who are graduating from high school as well as those from our congregation who are graduating from college.  These are men and women who have completed this great task and are now entering into a new phase of their life.  We all have these moments of transition in life.  Sometimes our transitions of life are big but other times they are small.  But regardless of the transition, there is always some kind of change that comes with it, perhaps it is a change of atmosphere, a change of responsibility, or a change of task.

One of my favorite passages for this time of year is found in 1st Timothy chapter 6.  Paul has and continues to mentor Timothy, but Timothy is now out on his own.  Paul has entrusted Timothy to work with the church in Ephesus while Paul goes on to other churches.  And so he closes out 1st Timothy in chapter 6 with this charge to Timothy.

“But you, man of God, flee from all this and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness.  Fight the good fight of the faith.  Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called when you made your good confession in the presence of many witnesses…I charge you to keep this command without spot or blame until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ…guard what has been entrusted to your care.  Turn away from godless chatter and the opposing ideas of what is falsely called knowledge, which some have professed and in so doing have wandered from the faith.  Grace be with you.”  1st Timothy 6:11-21

To our graduates, to all those going through any transition in life, and to all members, I give this charge: Flee evil, fight the good fight, and remain faithful.