The Spirit of WVWC is Alive and Well and Growing!
In the past couple of weeks I have seen it and heard it everywhere. I met with two classes full of freshmen to explain to them why we are having Founders Day and what that might entail. I gave a very brief history of the school, and shared that there would be speeches and awards, and that they would see representatives of the Orange Line (including me for the very first time in all these years – but that is probably another entire blog full of emotions).
Founders Day is also one of the very few times that they can experience the full community of WVWC (past, present, and future) all in one place. The truth is that most of them were planning to attend, but under varying levels of protest. This is not unusual – in fact I have experienced this with decades of classes of my own, classmates of mine from long ago, and even some colleagues on the faculty! I explained that they would see new trustees installed (and what those are), and also they would see Alumni Awards bestowed. Click on the link below to read about these people. They are all beyond impressive and amazing. No really……do it. Especially if you were not in Buckhannon on Friday afternoon!
Some of the experiences during this weekend included:
- Hundreds of Alumni greeting each other, remembering stories sharing news. Children of these alumni with eyes glowing and thinking about when they can come here to be part of it all – already feeling included, but beginning to dream their own dreams.
- Trustees meeting with current students to see what their dreams were and how they could find ways to help those dreams come true.
- Faculty reuniting with former students and being excited about the ways that those students had turned all of those dreams and classes and assignments into lives full of meaning and progress.
- President Moore inviting Wesleyan Society members at the breakfast on Saturday morning to close their eyes for 30 seconds and visualize the people who had made an impact on their lives here. That was not nearly long enough to cover them all, but when he asked for names to be shared, it was an impressive list of faculty and staff from over the decades. He explained that all of that was still happening here, but then shared names of those teaching and leading now. Names change, but the experience is the same.
To top off the weekend, the Chapel Service on Sunday morning was wonderful. You can see the full bulletin by clicking here: Founders Day Chapel Service 2024.
Speaker, Monty Brown (Class of 1974), completely blew me away with his sermon. With his wonderful storytelling style, he wove a tale of a little girl and her grandfather. Working from a passage in Ephesians, Chapter 3, it ranged from their bond through the years to the wonder of Disney’s Figment to the fact that grandpa had found something even more amazing than that. “Now to him who by the power at work within us is able to accomplish abundantly far more than all we can ask or imagine, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.”
The Founders would have been excited to see all that has come of their work in the 1800s. WVWC in 2024 is more than they could ever have asked or imagined.
Just when I thought that was the highlight of the weekend, Dean of the Chapel Jonathan Acord included a closing prayer adapted from the United Methodist Book of Worship. It was the perfect way to tie together all of these experiences throughout the weekend.
Homecoming Prayer
Eternal and loving God, today we give thanks to you for your goodness through all the years of worship and witness in this place.
For your grace in calling us to be your people, for your love revealed to us in Christ your Son, for your gift of the Spirit and the joy of salvation:
We give thanks, O God.
For those who established this College, for their faith and vision, for their gifts and abilities:
We give thanks, O God.
For those who have been members of this community, for those who have given freely of their time and money, for those whose wisdom guided our College:
We give thanks, O God.
For those who have taught and served here; for all who have confessed here that Jesus is Lord; for all who today help cultivate student leaders:
We give thanks, O God.
Give us the assurance that we too belong to that great cloud of witnesses, and that, by your power that is at work within us, we too may accomplish abundantly far more than all we can ask or imagine.
Amen.