Day by Day ...

(On Friday, September 17 I delivered the chapel message. That message follows.)

For me, this past summer was especially difficult. In May, I dealt with my first student death since becoming Bethany’s president. Calling Leah’s parents to extend the campus’ condolences is the most difficult thing I’ve done as president. I knew Leah and enjoyed watching her compete as a member of our volleyball team.

In July we lost Emeka. I knew Emeka and enjoyed watching him compete on our men’s soccer team. I especially enjoyed visiting with him when we would meet on campus.

In August, we lost Max. While I never had the pleasure to see Max perform, he will nevertheless be missed.

In addition to three student deaths, this past summer we lost Dana College, a sister Lutheran college, and whose president I knew well.

As if this was not enough, this summer I also lost one of my favorite professors from college. I knew Dick from my earliest days as a student and Dick was someone I visited with almost every time I returned to campus.

I don’t mean to be somber and I don’t intend to eulogize this morning. My goal is to find God’s teaching in all of this. What message is there for you and especially for me?

When I returned to my alma mater for Dick’s memorial service, sitting with friends I’ve known since college, I was reminded that 35 years ago – the fall of 1975 – I was a freshman in college. During the memorial service I also remembered a conversation I had with Dick during my sophomore year. He and I were visiting and I shared with him my life’s plan. It was a thorough and detailed plan that took me from college to retirement – covering about 40 years.

What I remember is Dick smiling at me and quoting Corrie ten Boom, a strong, Christian-woman born and raised in The Netherlands who during World War II helped many Jews escape the Nazis. She wrote, “I do not ask to see the distant scene, one step's enough for me."

“I do not ask to see the distant scene, one step's enough for me."

The earliest prayer I can remember that I learned as a young child is … Day by day, dear Lord, of thee three things I pray: to see thee more clearly, to love thee more dearly, to follow thee more nearly, day by day. Amen.

This prayer has been with me for as long as I can remember and for most days of my life, I’ve prayed, “Day by day …”

In Paul’s second letter to the Corinthians, Paul reminded them, and us, “Even though our outer nature is wasting away, our inner nature is being renewed day by day.”

Yet, with all the reminders … all the day by day … we find ourselves rushing to the future. We rush to our next class … we rush to our next meeting … we rush to our next practice … we rush to answer that call … we rush to respond to that email … we rush to update our Facebook status. Perhaps instead of rushing we should start focusing, start living … day by day.

I suspect almost everyone here is familiar with the Latin phrase, “Carpe diem – seize the day.” What I further suspect is almost no one here knows the rest of the line from Horace’s poem: “carpe diem, quam minimum credula postero.” That is, “seize the day, trusting as little as possible in the future.”

This summer reminded me that none of us knows what the future holds, though many of us rush to get to the future, which I guess is why Horace wrote, “trust as little as possible in the future, seize today.”

For me this is extremely difficult. I’m a planner and a future thinker. In many ways, I’ve not lived following that advice. I’ve lived for the future. Even if the future I dreamed didn’t happen. I’ve rushed to get there, where ever there is.

Now as a parent, I tell my son, in whom I see much of me, to slow down and enjoy TODAY. As a college president, I tell you as students, to slow down and enjoy today. At Opening Convocation, our speaker Marcus Newsom got it right. We need to live each day with passion.

That is why I chose today’s hymn, “Day by Day.” (ELW 790) Listen to the words …

Day by day, your mercies, Lord, attend me, bringing comfort to my anxious soul.
Day by day, the blessings, Lord, you send me draw me nearer to my heav’nly goal.
Love divine, beyond all mortal measure, brings to naught the burdens of my quest;
Savior, lead me to the home I treasure, where at last I’ll find eternal rest.

Day by day, I know you will provide me strength to serve and wisdom to obey;
I will seek your loving will to guide me o’er the paths I struggle day by day.
I will fear no evil of the morrow, I will trust in your enduring grace.
Savior, help me bear life’s pain and sorrow till in glory I behold your face.

Oh, what joy to know that you are near me when my burdens grow too great to bear;
Oh, what joy to know that you will hear me when I come, O Lord, to you in prayer.
Day by day, no matter what betide me, you will hold me ever in your hand.
Savior, with your presence here to guide me, I will reach at last the promised land.

In closing, let us pray for me, for Bethany, for all of us a new Day by Day … let us pray …

Day by day, dear Lord, of thee three things I pray:
to see the gift of each day more clearly,
to love each day my family and friends more dearly,
to follow each day the path you’ve shown me more nearly,
Day by day. Amen.