GRADUATION chapter 182

I removed this mornings "Saying Goodbye" post to insert two posts that should have preceded it. The post will be added back in on Friday.

My parents flew out from Lincoln, Nebraska for my graduation. They had retired to Hardy, Nebraska and Lincoln was the nearest airport. Hardy was a tiny place of about 200 right on the Kansas-Nebraska border. They shared a block with my brother David and his family. Each owned a half that were located two blocks from the one block city center. Dad liked the place because a train pasted by the back of their place once a day about mid afternoon. He would always check his retirement pocket watch to determine if it was on time or not. He also had the space for him to continue with his large garden.

I was the first in my family to go beyond a high school education so my parents were already elated. They didn’t even know what a Masters degree was. Just that it was important and I was about to receive one. They were also excited that I would soon be teaching in a Bible College. I was one of only two of my seven sibling that was continuing a walk with God. That made dad ecstatic.

Hoods are strange appearing things.
Each color has meaning:
while = arts, light blue = education
and red is theology,
thus Christian education

Biola and Talbot graduation ceremonies were held together on the college lawn. It was a very hot day. Don Sappington and I were only one person apart for the procession. His brother Ron was between us. It was hot as most June days were in Whittier, CA. I was sweating almost as soon as we stepped out of the preparation building. As it turned out, I was sitting on the aisle where the faculty would pass on their way to the platform. I turned and saw Dr. Bill Bynum (CE Professor at Biola) coming toward me with his bare knees popping out as he walked. But there were pant legs below the hem. Under his robe he wore shorts and the bottom of pant legs cut off and held below his knees with elastic. He also had a fake collar and tie at his neckline. When talking to him later, he said it was jus too hot for a suit. I got the giggles and didn’t know if I could quit.

How hoods are worn.

It was a very nice ceremony and cut reasonably short. The undergrads did not walk the platform but had degrees conferred as each department stood. Only the seminary grads walked across the platform. We wore our hoods (I bought mine knowing I would need it at CBC) and received the blank folder as we shook hands with the dean. There was a note inside telling us we to pick up our degree in the seminary office. I was a little miffed, but after meeting several friends, wandered to the office to return the robe and pick up the all-important piece of paper.

In the office I was asked to sign a doctrinal release. I was ticked when I read the release. I have never read nor was I told that we would have to sign a statement of theological belief to graduate. Talbot was often called the Western Dallas and was dispensational. I became livid. I told the girl behind the desk that I could not sign the document. “If you don’t sign, I cannot give you the degree. All the arguing that I had earned it, completed all the work, paid all my bills and was technically presented with it at the ceremony meant nothing. “No sign no get.” I needed that paper so I signed under protest telling her that I would sign but she needed to know I did not believe what I was signing. She was happy and I was disappointed, but had the paper. I also received a New American Standard Bible, which had just been published and released in 1974. Several Talbot professors were on the translation committee.

Many people in the church were interested in the meaning of names and Bill and Faith gave us name plaques for each one in our family. They have always meant a great deal to Della and I and still hang on my wall.