Where we live out our faith at the corner of College Street and Glenn Avenue, just one block from Toomer’s Corner, we hear the word alumni often. It bounces off the streets of downtown, which are flooded with alumni every fall, and it echoes throughout the walls of the church, as we remember days gone by. The word binds people together, and it recalls the past.
The word alumni speaks of our roots. It says something about us. It talks about the places we have been and the groups in which we have been a part. It speaks of traditions, stories, and history. It is remembering signs in the windows of shop stores, celebrating the 17-16 victory after “Punt Bama Punt.” It is the memory of our freshman dorm, which still haunts us today. It is recalling the friendships forged and the memories cherished.
Entering the month of May is a fitting time to talk about alumni. It is the month of graduation, where we will offer our blessing on our college and high school seniors. On the last Sunday of April, we honored our college seniors, giving them a light to take with them out into the world. We marked this milestone in their lives!
On Sunday, May 6, we will also celebrate with our high school seniors. We will recognize them in worship and honor them during their Senior Banquet. As they become alumni of Auburn High School, we will give thanks for what they have meant to our family of faith, knowing they will always have their roots in this place.
On Sunday, May 27, we will welcome alumni back to Auburn FBC for the College Choir Reunion. The alumni of this choir, who are rooted in this congregation, will return to sing together. They will lead us in worship, as we give thanks for this ongoing tradition.
As we talk about the word, alumni, and its connections to the church, it is important for us to say that we will never graduate. The journey of faith borrows strength from the past, but it is a journey we will never complete. We continue to learn and grow, taking with us all we have gained and allowing it to lead us forward.
-Tripp