You have received an education here that is quickly vanishing in America: a one-room school, a Christian education, with an emphasis on the basics. You will be able to take some unique experiences with you. You live in a small rural community. You know about raising food and feeding families, about the bounties that God gives us in this earth. Life is using and appreciating the creation God has given us. Yousee and live this real life around you every day in the farms and communities nearby. You are ready to learn more about the world because you have seen it already yourself.

In your Christian school you have also learned eternal lessons. You know what sin is and what forgiveness is. So many people in the world today have no idea about those subjects. They choose for themselves what they think is right; therefore they often make wrong choices. When they start to experience troubles in their lives, they don't know where to turn.

Through your parents, your pastor, and your teachers God has given you the foundation of Christian faith. You know that He guides you in the right path, He forgives you when you fail, and He promises you a place in His eternal home. Whatever you will face in your life, you know that you can turn to your loving God and your loving family. You will face challenges and difficulties in high school and college. But because God has taught you His Law and Gospel, you are ready to face those challenges.

Your school is rare: a rural school, a Christian school, a one-room school. To some it might seem old-fashioned or outdated. In other ways, it's on the cutting edge. One of the big concepts in college education today is "learning communities." The idea is that instead of sitting in lectures, then going back and simply doing assignments on your own, you work with other students in and out of the classroom. That sounds like Scarville Lutheran School to me. While you are working on your math, another group of students is studying English. You learn the basics and then you learn to work on your own. And the teacher is there for each one of youwhen you have a question.

You have found out that education isn't simply listening to the teacher and getting all the answers. Education is learning how to learn and how to study. You have gained independence in your learning, something you can use through your whole life. You can think on your own, you can learn on your own.

You've also learned that we live in a community. It's not just your class and your friends that are important. That's a challenge you will surely face in high school with tensions between freshmen, sophomores, juniors, and seniors. You are ready for that too. And you have a broader perspective on life, so that you can overlook the silly comments people too often make to each other. You can be a leader in being friends with all kinds of people.

Another thing you take with you from this school and this community is a sense of fun. The laughter I find here is wonderful and refreshing. Learning shouldn't be boring and drudgery. It should be fun. In reality, you find more excitement when, after working hard at understanding something, you can say: "I get it! I understand it!"

Our minds and our bodies need rest and relaxation as well. Your leisure activities will also refresh your mind and body so that you can work hard and study hard.

Graduates, in this rural, one-room, Christian school, you have been given wonderful training and you have had many important experiences. Many were good. And there were probably a few bad experiences. Remember that we learn from those, too. Take all your experiences with you. Learn from them. And grow with your new experiences. Learn all that you can, and have fun learning.

You've learned life and faith and eternal life. You're ready to go on.

God bless you as you do.

Mark DeGarmeaux is chaplain at Bethany Lutheran College. He was the guest speaker at the Scarville Lutheran school graduation service for Connie Bloedel and Jon Rank on May 21, 2004.