Farewell Blessing

My farewell Chaplain’s Corner is bittersweet. I am quite excited about my move to Denison University next week and broken-hearted to leave the community here. 

Both the University of Lynchburg and Denison are in the book Colleges that Change Lives—and Lynchburg has certainly changed my life for the better. 

The community around the Dell has helped me raise my daughters and supported me when I have struggled. There is something truly special about being a Hornet. (The Denison mascot is The Big Red Buzzard, so I’ll leave that here.)

I leave you with the Blessing I wrote for Baccalaureate last spring:

May God who began this good work in you
carry it through to completion.

May you continue to hunger for knowledge,
To know that one’s mind must always grow.
May you always be at home in the library,
And have the time to participate in culture.
May you spend time in conversation.
And may tomorrow dawn with things yet unknown.

May you stretch far enough to see life from another’s point of view.
May you be open to a perspective that questions your certainty.
May you understand an uncomfortable feeling as an opportunity for growth.
May you never fear offering an apology.
May you be of strong enough character to ask the hard questions.
May you care enough to want equity and justice for all souls.

May you know a life of balance, taking time to enjoy life and be a person of gratitude.
May you take time to love and extend a hand in service to others.
May you find discipline and accountability.
May you always be true to your authentic self.
May you find the simple path.
And whatever challenge you encounter, may it deepen your spirit.

May your life know wholeness, and may you be well.
May your body endure,
May your mind be clear,
May your spirit know joy.
May you have the support you need for your emotional life,
And when you feel broken or fragmented,
May you return to wholeness again.

May you continue to discover the gifts and talents bestowed upon you;
May you have the time to listen carefully to the divine call upon your life.
May you continue to discover and live your vocation,
Even as it changes and reshapes across the decades.
May you have a future full of Hope.

May you know the lifelong gift of being a hornet.
You will never be without community, never without support.
May you use your knowledge wisely,
Both the knowledge and critical thinking you learned in the classroom,
And the values and virtues you learned across the campus.
May your memories be strong and true,
May your friendships be lifelong.

May you always be a Hornet-Human,
Open to new ways of thinking
Open to new ideas.
May you use your knowledge carefully,
And pursue Wisdom always.
May you listen fully, without judgment
May you speak with compassion,
May you talk with respect.
May you value Diversity.
May you strive to Include everyone around your table
May you work for Justice, for everyone, and in every system.
May you be a Leader, a true servant-leader, who always builds others up.
May you change your part of the World for the better,
Encouraging others to be Hornet-Humans too.
Amen.

Blessings,
Stephanie