WCHS Class of '13 Valedictorian gives exhuberant charge

It’s such an honor to be able to stand up here and address the Class of 2013 - my classmates, peers, and friends of four years--some, many more. I would like to begin by saying “Congratulations!”- We did it. We survived Mr. Pifer’s weekend-eliminating take home tests, anger-inducing physics problem sets, and Mrs. Hearon’s mind-boggling literary analysis. We’ve used vocabulary words, memorized Biblical timelines, and threw in a comment or two in Miss Bell’s Socratic seminars. We’ve done it all- and guess what? We made it.

 But did you know that a couple million other high school seniors have also done it all, and maybe even more? That thousands of others have engaged in the same “unique” extracurricular activities, excelled in the same academic disciplines, and pursued the same personal passions as we have? That countless other unfamiliar faces will also receive a piece of paper entitling them to begin a new chapter of life? Right now, sitting here in our caps and gowns, we are experiencing that “top of the mountain” sensation, when our hearts are nothing but blissful and carefree. We feel extremely special and honored. I know, because this is absolutely true of myself. I felt like a star at my grad party, basking in the numerous words of “congratulations” and later, gleefully opening gifts and cards (By the way, I’ve never received so many cards on one occasion...ever). This is indeed a special time in our lives, and I don’t mean to take away from that. But I think it’s wise to keep in mind, that truth be told, we’re not all that special.



We’re among millions of other soon-to-be high school alumni who are entering college, who will be searching for jobs, who also bear the label “senior” proudly in their minds. In some regards, we are nameless faces in a sea of graduates. Call me a "Debbie-downer," but this is reality.

 But fortunately, this isn’t where it ends. For this section of my speech, I must give credit to my senior pastor, who spoke about this idea a couple days ago. As I mentioned just a couple sentences before, though we do, in many ways, resemble every other graduating senior in the world, a foundational difference exists within us that sets us apart. And that ever-so-significant difference that we possess is called “purpose.”

 No, the concept itself is not unique to us. Tom Cruise, Warren Buffett, and Hilary Clinton have all defined and embraced what they think to be the purpose of life, but I’m not sure that in the long run, they will sense a deep fulfillment. So many in the world, and even among 2013 high school graduates, pursue their own purpose in life. They work hard in high school to get to college, then work hard in college to get a job, then work even harder to get a better job, then settle down and start a family, then hope that their work pays off in the form of a satisfying retirement. Much of humanity is analogous to hamsters on wheels. Some “hamsters” run hard, some don’t even break a sweat, but what every kind of hamster (or human) in between has in common is that they get absolutely nowhere.

 But we’re different- special, if you will. Because of the eternal hope we have in Christ, we’re not confined to the futile hamster wheels of the world. What a relief! (I think most of us would feel claustrophobic and bored pretty soon anyway). We have a divine purpose, and this time in our lives is as good as ever a time to begin contemplating the meaning of this truth. The Westminster Catechism states that “man’s chief end is to glorify God, and to enjoy Him forever.” But how do we glorify God? How do we enjoy Him, exactly? I believe that our individual answers to this vital question will be unique and distinct. Some of us may choose to glorify God by becoming successful engineers or scientists who enhance people’s lives; some of us may start businesses that cater to humanity’s physical needs as well as their spiritual ones; some of us may choose to raise godly children as a full-time stay at home parent. The list goes on and on. One thing that’s so beautiful about the Christian life is that God does not limit the ways in which we can glorify Him and thus fulfill our purpose in life. On the contrary, this over-arching purpose is extraordinarily multi-faceted.

 So how does this relate back to the Class of ‘13 and our graduation? Today begins a whole new journey for all of us- and also for the millions of other high school graduates. By worldly standards, we’re not all that special- but what distinguishes us in the here and now, and for eternity, is our special purpose. And when we begin to recognize this purpose and embrace it, we can study hard, pursue our passions, and enjoy life without having to worry about our lives resembling mindless hamsters on wheels. Because of Christ, we have hope and purpose. I sincerely hope that all of us come to acknowledge and embrace this powerful truth, and live our lives with genuine joy and gratitude, regardless of where we end up in the years ahead.

 On behalf of my class, I would like to extend my genuine thanks to our families who put up with us at home, our teachers who put up with us at school, and our churches who put up with us at, yes, even church. We could not have done it without your loving support and prayers. There are no words to describe or express our gratitude.

 To the Class of 2013: I’m so blessed to know you all and to have spent four years with you. You guys are incredible individuals, possessing so many gifts and abilities. Your passion, kindness, and leadership are admirable, and I know that we will miss each other dearly, and that we will be dearly missed.

 As we embark on a whole new journey, may we never forget where we came from, or more importantly, where we are going. And above all, may we never forget that we have hope, purpose, and meaning- that we are indeed special people, thanks to the grace of God.



by Joy Cho

Recipient of Daniel Award gives great encouragement to Class of '13

It hit me a couple months ago this year that every teacher I have lives for Christ and is as interested in my faith as in my academic development. Took me awhile to realize it but often the most profound things in life are the hardest to grasp. The greatest value of the teaching my class and I have received from our teachers rests not in the material but in their example of living as Christians. We have witnessed their faith in chapel and work ethic in class through trial and jubilation. Teachers, thank you. At the bottom line it is because of you that we made it through. 

 Well here we are. Twelve years of hard work to get back to where we had middle school chapel and wear dunce hats along with much too large of robes and have all of our closest friends and family here to watch. As I sat down to write this speech the thought of these clothes really got me thinking to whose idea it really was to wear this stuff. Now that I am officially a graduate I can finally join the ranks of the majority of adults who use Wikipedia as an authoritative source of information; well, except for that whole college thing, but those details are unimportant. In any case I found an article that recorded the history of this graduation garb. It actually dates back to a tradition in medieval times when all the graduates were clergy since that was the only option for university studies in the medieval age. For a commencement, they merely wore what was typical of clergy during that day: an oversized robe. This got me thinking that if we were really holding true to the roots of this tradition, we as well would wear what is typical of the day for commencement. What could go wrong with yoga pants, skinny jeans, and baggy sweatshirts? I discovered that the issue of academic dress became so important in the United States that in 1893 an Intercollegiate Commission met to create a detailed document of correct academic wear which was then followed by the American Council on Education approving this document in 1932 and revising it in 1959. The beauty of democracy and exaggeration of anything that could be profit yielding - America at its finest. And here is the part of the speech where I am supposed to say, “but there is hope because of these new graduates heading out into the world,” yet that would not be truthful. If I were to be truthful I would have to say that the world will be just as or possibly more evil, lost, and sinful when this new group of graduates goes out into the world. It is a sad fact of life to recognize that we are all human, capable of the very same evils and worse ones as anyone else. There thrives a much greater hope than any group of people; a hope which already exists now and a hope that promises to the future; a hope that was raised on the third day and a hope that rests on the final judgment day; a hope that assures us to see Jonathan and Mr. Anglea again. Jesus Christ is our and the world’s hope. 

 Another thing I pondered when writing this speech other than the whole clothing tangent was what I could say that would provide focus, clarity, and encouragement before we all part to our separate ways. I thought a lot about it and was eventually reminded of what I said before. We, ourselves, offer no hope. There are no words I can say and no Scripture I can quote that would change everyone’s or anyone’s heart. That is a work solely left to God. Without a doubt it remains our duty and joy to speak Scripture and attest to the hope of Jesus Christ, but only God can make the plant grow. So instead of saying there is hope because of this class, let me merely and simply remind us all that there is hope because Jesus has risen from the dead. Now our great part in this Divine story is to display, champion, adorn, and proclaim this hope of Jesus to the world. To do this effectively there are some things I want to remind us of. To display Jesus to the world we must first know Jesus and the best way to know Jesus is by reading His greatest revelation to us: the Bible. Joshua 1:8 says, “Keep this Book of the Law always on your lips; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it.” Second, to keep our focus on Christ we need to remain in constant intercession with Him as it says in 1 Thessalonians 5:17, “pray without ceasing.” Third, our human nature makes it easy and at times even natural to wander from the fold of God and because of this I plead that none of us would give up on the Church. Though the Church may have problems just like anyone else, it is God’s provision to us that we may bear each other up under trials and keep one another accountable in our relationship with Christ. Hebrews 10:24-25 says, “And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.”

For many of us college will make us want to try to hide our faith because it would be easier but easier does not mean better. These integral parts of our faith necessitate us to be bold and courageous for Christ, not reticent or unassuming, which is hard to do, so we must pray for strength. If we commit ourselves to these things a little bit of Heaven will come to earth through our lives. We will naturally fulfill the great commission because the very way we go about life will testify to our God and we will be so full of Christ we will not be able to withhold sharing the good news. I have great confidence in this class. We ourselves will not offer hope or change the world, but we certainly will be the channels through which God’s change and hope floods the world. 

 By Robbie Beitman

Joshua Award recipient delivers powerful commencement challenge

Good afternoon! On behalf of Worthington Christian's Class of 2013, thank you for joining us for our commencement ceremony.

 So... We're finally here. It's pretty unbelievable, honestly. For some of us, including me, it's been 13 or 14 years of Worthington Christian education, depending on how many years of preschool we had. For others, it's been maybe a 6 or 7 year stay here at WC. A few people have jumped in just during high school - I think of people like Andrew, Alyssa, Seth, and even one of my newest friends, Stephen Becker, who was new to WC just this year. You guys feel like you've been a part of the family for much longer than that.

But for however long we've been at WC, I'm sure that we can all still agree that we're very grateful to so many people who have been involved in our lives thus far. Mr. O for teaching us that history is all just HIS Story. Mr. Clutz, who is no longer a bachelor to the rapture, for teaching us through his example that what other people think of you and your pursuit of God doesn't matter. Mrs. Fischer for teaching us that you really can't ever pray "too much..." - even if it's multiple times in one class period. Mrs. White for showing grace to my friends and I as we hid each others' textbooks around the room and as Jason and I relentlessly air-drummed all our favorite metal songs. Miss Bell, who faces obstacles doing everyday things and who I've never once heard complaining. Mrs. Klapheke for bringing the hammer down in Music Theory, and for teaching the choir about excellence in musical worship. Dr. Buzz for teaching us that laughter is good medicine. Mr. Anglea and the Anglea family, for the encouragement their journey of faith has been to all of us. We have so many people to be thankful for here at WC.

 Because the Joshua Award is an award about leadership, I'd like to thank those who have poured into my life and also those who have given me opportunities to lead. Mr. Heath, Jeff Mason, Dan Hermiz, Randy Kettering to name a few... Thank you for placing me in positions of leadership at school and church. Thank you for celebrating with me when I have done well, and encouraging me when I've messed up. I'm so thankful for you.

 Thank you mom and dad for loving me unconditionally, encouraging me, and for carrying my electric guitar gear around all over the place. Thank you for trusting Jesus and allowing your little boy to go so far away as he pursues God's calling for his life.

 Thanks to the Worthington Christian Bible Department for passionately teaching us God's Word, and about what it means to have a personal relationship with Jesus.

 I'm so thankful for the opportunity to have known Jonathan Blusiewicz, and for how God used his life to bring the Class of 2013 closer. Likewise, I'm so very thankful for our trip to the Dominican Republic. I'm thankful for getting to catch just a glimpse of the Kingdom of God, and for how the Lord used it to bring our class even closer.

 And that brings me to my challenge for you guys, my peers of the Worthington Christian Class of 2013.

 We know all this "stuff" now, right? That's what we call it at WC. The "head-knowledge" of the Bible. Well I would love it if that was enough. But you know as well as I do that it's not enough. As we go off to college, some of us will probably experience Jesus in a fresh, exciting way. Maybe the Worthington Christian education won't mean anything to us until we experience Jesus outside of our teen life, away from WC. But for others... Others of us will run away from Jesus, looking to anything and everything to satisfy us, before realizing that the only thing that truly satisfies was right in front of us at Worthington Christian.

 Let's go, Class of 2013. Let's not be men and women who have to go looking for satisfaction everywhere else and hit rock bottom before we decide to love Jesus. Let's not wait for the "A-Ha!" moment we think is coming. If you haven't already - let's start now. Let's chase after Jesus now with a passion that is insatiable. Let's allow Jesus to shine through us in a world that is filled with darkness. Let's remember what we've learned at Worthington Christian and apply it to our lives. It's not going to be easy in a world full of sin.

 But that's my charge to you, Class of 2013. Let's proclaim our faith boldly and without shame. Let's be leaders wherever God puts us. In a world full of people who are looking for answers, God has equipped us with a Worthington Christian education to lead. Just as Joshua led the Israelites into the Promised Land... Let's go and do the same. Thank you.

 by Josh Beatty