TIME-HONORED TRADITION: Augustana Sermons Shine Through Seniors

TIME-HONORED TRADITION:

AUGUSTANA SERMONS SHINE THROUGH SENIORS

| BY GRETA STEWART

At 21 years old, would you have the courage to stand up in front of a group of people and give a sermon and talk about your faith? To say it may put you out of your comfort zone is probably an understatement for many. However, the senior sermon has been an Augustana tradition for more than three decades and one that has become a pillar to the university’s core value of Christian.

Campus Pastor Rev. Ann Rosendale ’04 says the senior sermon became a weekly event when former Campus Pastor Rev. Dr. Paul Rohde began his role in 2001. While the senior sermon is not a required part of any class on campus, Rosendale knows firsthand what it feels like to stand at that podium at such a young age and give a sermon to her peers.

“I still remember what I preached about and the song that was played. Now looking back, I cringe a bit at what I said and how I said it, but it’s also a chance to see how my theology and preaching has evolved. I was very grateful for the opportunity to practice preaching in a safe and encouraging space. I was thankful to be able to do some working out of my own theology in public, which is a practice that, even now as a more seasoned preacher, I still enjoy because it keeps me both humble and honest,” recalled Rosendale.

NO PREREQUISITES REQUIRED

Rosendale says it’s important to note that not all students who give a senior sermon go on to seminary. In fact, the vast majority are not pre-seminarians. Most are simply students of deep faith who want to share how their faith informs their life. This is precisely what Augustana hopes to achieve in its mission of “integrating faith with learning and service.”

Jack Talcott, a government and international affairs, history and philosophy major, who is also pursuing a minor in Spanish, gave his senior sermon in October 2020 and said, “I remember committing myself to give a sermon after seeing upperclassmen give them when I was a freshman. I started considering it very seriously the summer before my senior year.”

The Brandon, South Dakota, native says as a freshman, he looked up to the seniors and thought they had a lot of courage. Talcott said, “I had a solid faith before starting my time at Augie. I was raised in a very strong Christian household and had incredible opportunities to connect with many Christian organizations growing up. However, I have always had a bit of a fear of public speaking, so it’s safe to say I always considered those who spoke in front of crowds to be brave. I especially thought this about those who were vulnerable enough to share their testimonies in front of their peers.”

Elizabeth Yoder, majoring in government and international affairs, religion and classics, also gave her senior sermon in the fall of 2020.

“Throughout the last four years, I have leaned into questions and doubts more than I did previously. Before coming to Augie, asking questions about God was synonymous with actively looking for answers and concrete evidence for those answers. Now asking questions means sitting with those questions and sitting in discomfort, knowing that even the idea of an answer is elusive. Any sort of ‘answer’ that I find is now rooted in people’s lived experiences instead of concrete evidence,” said Yoder.

TELLING THE STORY OF FAITH

If a student is new to public speaking, how should they prepare for their sermon? According to Rosendale, students should root their sermon in a biblical text of their choosing.

“Many select the common lectionary text (traditionally used by Lutheran, Catholic and other churches) appointed for the week,” said Rosendale. “Others choose a favorite Bible passage or story, one that feels especially relevant to their lives. It should tell God’s story, their story and the community’s story. A good sermon weaves the three together and makes connections between the biblical narrative, the senior’s life and all of our lives. That’s not an easy task.”

The campus pastor then meets with the senior a week or

“I had an idea of what God had put on my heart ... but working these thoughts into a sermon gave me a true understanding of what He was teaching me.”

- JACK TALCOTT ‘21

two before the worship service to talk through the service and sermon ideas.

“Senior sermons lift up the ability of lay people to proclaim the word of God,” said Rosendale. “You do not need to be an ordained pastor to share the good news or to speak about your faith. God calls us all to integrate faith into our lives and to tell others about it. Senior sermons give students an opportunity to tell the story of their faith out loud. Imagine if more churches adopted this practice of lay people preaching. Imagine the breadth of stories of God at work that we would hear.”

Talcott says throughout his last four years of college, his faith has been challenged, but in a good way.

“I have engaged in a ton of experiences that, in the past, I may have considered being outside of the comfort zone of my faith,” said the Augustana Student Association (ASA) member and future law student. “I’ve built relationships with students from different faith traditions, traveled to a country (India) rooted in religions completely outside of Christianity and taken classes in which I was presented with ideas that I had never contemplated before. These experiences deepened my faith an incredible amount.”

So, when it came time to think about his sermon, Talcott says he decided on two main themes: doubt and childlike faith.

“These were two aspects of my faith that I had really wrestled with over the past four years, and they tie together very well,” he said.

Talcott says he focused on the Bible passages of Matthew 18:1-5, and Psalm 13 prior to giving his sermon.

“In Matthew 18:1-5, Jesus instructs his disciples to become like little children in their faith and humility. Psalm 13 is a lamentation in which the Psalmist is wrestling with doubt.”

Rosendale says Talcott’s message is similar to what a lot of students his age feel.

“College is a unique time and opportunity in a person’s life to ask big questions about the world, faith and life. For many, it is time when faith becomes ‘one’s own’ in a way that it was not previously,” she said. “Students have the chance to explore different faith traditions and to get to know their own tradition more deeply. Sometimes this means that students will move away from the practices and beliefs that they knew growing up … they find deeper meaning and relevance in rituals like baptism and communion.”

Yoder, a Dickinson, North Dakota, native who has been involved with the Classics Society and the Lutheran Social Services (LSS) Center for New Americans during her time at Augustana, says her sermon was based on Matthew 25:31-46.

“I started spending time with Church on the Street my freshman year, a ministry with people experiencing homelessness, and this is the passage the ministry is rooted in,” said Yoder. “My time with Church on the Street has been incredibly influential on my faith journey and on my life in general, so I chose the passage because of how formative it has been for me and as a tribute to Church on the Street for all they have done for me.”

Seniors are also asked to plan the entire 30-minute worship service, which includes selecting songs and prayers. The sermon itself is usually about 8-10 minutes long. Most students involve their friends, and even their professors in the service, asking them to lead music, prayers, or other readings. Students always invite their family, friends and favorite faculty members to worship.

“It really is a proud moment for everyone to celebrate what God has done in and through the student preacher,” Rosendale said.

She even goes on to say some of the best sermons she’s heard in the chapel have been student sermons, “They have offered a perspective on holy scripture that I never would have thought of, and they make connections that are altogether new to me. Every opportunity to hear a senior preach in chapel is an opportunity to be amazed at the work of God in and through our students and the Augustana community.”

Yoder said, “You don’t have to be certain or steadfast in your faith to bring a sermon. My favorite sermons have been the ones spoken from places of doubt and uncertainty; the ones that ask God why the world is filled with so much awfulness. These are the sermons I have always most resonated with because they are the sermons that have remained relevant for me after I leave the chapel.”

When thinking about what he gained through his senior sermon, Talcott says it was simply an incredible opportunity for reflection.

“I had an idea of what God had put on my heart in this season, but working these thoughts into a sermon gave me a true understanding of what He was teaching me.” n