Pastor's Blog: We See You, Seniors
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Peter Tom Willis was a Birmingham boy who journeyed to Tallahassee to play football for Florida State. After his graduation and a brief stint in the NFL, Peter Tom returned to Tallahassee to do the “color commentary” for the Seminole radio network. “Colorful” was the right word to describe Peter Tom’s commentary. Whenever a Seminole would make a big play, Peter Tom would always say, “I see you, Warrick Dunn.” “I see you, Peter Boulware.” “I see you.” “I see you.” It was his way of recognizing the stellar performance of various team members.
I always thought that was a creative way of giving “shout outs,” which all of us can appreciate. We like recognitions as well. We like people to “see us” when we do something that merits notice.
This Sunday morning we’ll be honoring our high school graduates at both worship services. While some might question the value of spending time in worship marking someone’s academic accomplishment, I think it’s important for our graduates to know that we “see them” and celebrate with them and their families this signal moment in their lives. It’s also important that they know that we are sending them forth into the days ahead with our prayers and continued encouragement so that they might find themselves always in the center of God’s perfect will.
We have a rather large group we’re planning to recognize. So, let’s get ready to congratulate each of them on a job well done to this point in their lives. And let’s also be prepared to persist in our support so that they might always have the assurance that their church will be there for them in the days ahead. After all, many will come back to Mountain Brook and the Birmingham area, and we will most certainly need their developed gifts and abilities to be as effective in fulfilling God’s mission for our church as we possibly can. Besides, these graduates need to know that MBBC isn’t content with just being their church until they reach young adulthood; we want to be their church “for life,” and to invite them to stay with us so that all of us might know and help others to know the life more abundant to which all of us have been called in Christ Jesus.
“Do not let your heart envy sinners, but always
be zealous for the fear of the LORD. There is
surely a future hope for you, and your hope
will not be cut off”
(Prov. 23:17-18).