Members of the California High School Class of 2015, family and friends, gathered at the California Performing Arts Center Wednesday, May 13, for the Baccalaureate Service sponsored by the California Ministerial Alliance. The Prelude of "He Is Exalted" played by Dr. Gerri Ogle was followed by the graduating class marching into the auditorium in a procession to the traditional "Pomp and Circumstance." The congregational hymn "To God Be the Glory," directed by the Rev. Dennis Davis, Main Street Baptist Church, was followed by a Prayer of Invocation by the Rev. Eddie Schoeneberg, Main Street Baptist Church, a welcome by the Rev. Dan Rowlinson, president of the Ministerial Alliance and pastor of First Christian Church.
After a second hymn by the audience, "Faith is the Victory," the Rev. Frank Hensley, New Life Christian Center, read the Biblical scripture Jeremiah 29:10-14. The senior choir performed "There Is a Time", accompanied by Lisa Bleich and directed by Michele Bilyeu.
Senior Class Sponsor Linda Fulbright read the scripture Luke 10:38-42, after which the Rev. Eric Moore, pastor of California United Methodist Church, presented a message to the graduates, "Telling God Our Plans ... and other Dumb Ideas."
Moore began his message by speaking of friendships, and how rich they can be, especially with the differences between friends. "Odds are," Moore said," you and your best friends don't have the same interests." Probably there are different tastes in music, movies, world view and more.
"If both people in a friendship, marriage, etc., are just alike, then one of them is unnecessary," he said.
Such was the friendship between Martha and Jesus, as mentioned in Luke 10:38-42. Moore said Martha and Jesus were likely good friends, since Jesus went to her home for a meal, something that wasn't done in the Jewish community in those days between unmarried men and women. He said Martha then was so busy working to prepare and serve everything, that she was "worried and distracted by many things." She really missed the visit, but her sister Mary did not miss the point at all, hearing the truth which Jesus spoke.
Martha's plans didn't turn out quite as she thought they would, but that is nothing unusual.
"No matter what your plan is, or even if you have no idea what you will do, not every turn will go the way you want," Moore said. "Something unexpected will happen to everyone at some point in our lives and our plan ceases to be "The Plan'."
Moore then quoted Woody Allen, "If you want to make God laugh, tell him about your plans."
"This is not an invitation to not make a plan," Moore said. "It's not about the plans, it is about how we live those plans out."
"Not all life is about what we do," he said. "That is okay." He then went on to comment that it is a blessing if people's hopes and dreams go awry and then they prove themselves by adapting.
Following the message, the graduates came forward to be introduced to the audience by Dr. Peter Kurowski, pastor of California St. Paul's Lutheran Church. He was assisted in pronunciation of names by Henry Leon of Iglesia Hispanic Vida Nueva en Cristo.
Kurowski said that Woody Allen had another important quote, "Showing up is 90 percent."
"You have shown up and done your 90 percent," he said.
As each of the seniors present was introduced, they stepped forward and were presented with a gift of a miniature diploma by California Kiwanis President Bobby Roll and Past Kiwanis President Eugene Wickham. Small Gideon New Testaments were also presented through the Moniteau County Camp of Gideon's International.
This year $500 scholarships in honor of Ivan S. Dameron were awarded to Emily Thibon and Miranda Matthews presented by the Rev. Greg Morrow, First Baptist Church. Previous winners of the Dameron Scholarship were: Brianna Campbell, 2001; Sam Powell, 2002; David King, 2003; Clinton Scheidt, 2004; Andrew Perkins, 2005; Sara Jo Turner, 2006; Kayla Beth Jones, 2007; Ginnie Medlin, 2008; Drew Bolinger and Rachel Longan, 2009; Haley Karpowecz, 2010; Courtney Langkop and Oyuky Sandoval, 2011; and Karin Bolinger and Rachel Oerly, 2012; Tyler Kirchner and Jordan Brizendine, 2013; Libby Martin and Emily Ziehmer, 2014.
The Benediction was followed by the Recessional "Trumpet Air."