Minnehaha Academy Commencement Address – June 1, 2008

By Mr. David Glenn – “Trust and Believe”

I want to thank Dr Engstrom for asking me to be the Commencement speaker and to address the members of the Class of 2008 on this very “nefer’ occasion. To the surprise of some, I accepted the invitation immediately and enthusiastically. Giving this speech is something I really want to do. Some of what I have to say is serious, some is silly, and some is nostalgic. It is more or less a summary of the thoughts, philosophy, and experiences that I have accumulated over the years. I want to share these thoughts with you before I leave Minnehaha Academy.

Minnehaha has been a great place for me to work these past 42 years. I have enjoyed teaching and coaching at Minnehaha. I have enjoyed the support and friendship of the Minnehaha community: evidence of which was seen following my recent mishap with a baseball six weeks ago. I want to thank everyone for his or her thoughts, prayers, cards, e-mails, and gifts during my hospitalization, surgery, and recovery. The power of your prayers was powerful and comforting.

Minnehaha has been good to me in many ways. Both of my children, Kari and Scott, graduated from Minnehaha. Both work for Minnehaha today. Two of my granddaughters attend preschool at South Campus. Even my wife, Nancy, who has been a constant support for me at Minnehaha, worked briefly in the library in 1972. For all of this I am very thankful.

I have been asked many times this year, why are you retiring? My answer is simple - It is time. 42 years is enough. Then the following thoughts occurred to me. First, I came to Minnehaha in 1966, and I am now 66 years old. Second, I was born in 1942 and I have now been at Minnehaha for 42 years. These facts may be meaningless, but they are enough of a coincidence for me to confirm my decision to retire.

Friday, May 27 1966 was an interesting day for me. Nancy and I were getting married that night. That morning I interviewed for a teaching position at Minnehaha. I left the interview with little hope that I would be offered the job. When the job was offered to me, I almost didn’t accept for a number of reasons including that it was only a one year position. Nevertheless, for reasons I still don’t completely understand, I took the job.

After one year another teacher, Woody Larson, left Minnehaha, and I was able to stay for a second year. Two years became three. Three years became four. Eventually I realized that Minnehaha was the place I wanted to be, and I stopped thinking about going any where else. 42 years have now passed.

I am often asked how things have changed in 42 years. Let’s take a look. In 1966 we were in the middle of the Cold War, the Civil Rights Movement, and The Great Society. The War in Vietnam was in full swing as was the Space Race and the Arms Race. It was a time of turbulence and protest.

In 1966 a new house cost $14,000, the average income was $6,899, a new car cost $2,653, a movie ticket was $1.25, and gas was $.32 per gallon. In 1966 for the first time a US craft orbited the moon, all TV programs on NBC were in color, a direct dial international phone call was made, and disposable diapers appeared.

I have a cartoon in my classroom that I show to my World History classes. I explain to my students that I Identify with the cartoon 100%. In the cartoon a prehistoric man is troubled by life. He states “fire, the wheel, everything is happening so fast”. While the changes he is referring to happened over hundreds of years, the changes that have occurred at Minnehaha and in the world in the past 42 years have been significant and mind boggling.

Technology has certainly changed. In 1966 lessons were produced by handwriting or typewriter. Papers were copied on a hand cranked mimeograph machine. Movies were shown via a movie projector in which the film had to be threaded, and, if the film broke, it was spliced. We used film strip projectors that sometimes had a record or cassette to accompany it. We used blackboard and chalk. We actually put grades in a grade book, calculated our grades ourselves, and entered them by hand. When we gave research assignments students actually had to do serious research in books, magazines, newspapers, and encyclopedias. In other words, there were no computers with Edline, Google, e-mail, or PowerPoint. There were no VCRs, DVDs, or cable TV. There were no white interactive boards or document cameras. Is it any wonder then that I stand here with the prehistoric man in the cartoon and say, “Everything is moving so fast!”

So what else has changed? The building has changed. In 1966 we had one building at the North Campus with grades 9-12. The current library was our chapel. The library was in Ms Forsell’s room. The east parking lot was our soccer field. The old gym was where the new chapel is now. In addition curriculum and instruction has changed. The challenges and temptations that our students face today have certainly changed.

On the other hand I would argue that many things have not changed. Our students have not changed. The challenge and opportunity to teach has not changed. And, most important, Minnehaha’s commitment to be a school of Christian faith and excellence has not changed.

I have been asked about my plans for retirement. I don’t really have a master plan. Nancy and I will continue to live in Eagan. I am looking forward to additional opportunities for travel, to spend more time with my family and my grandchildren, and to get involved with volunteer opportunities in my church and community.

I am also considering the following possibilities:

• Become a batting practice pitcher for the Minnesota Twins.
• Become a professional football draft prognosticator and rival Shawn Zobel as the new Mel Kiper.
• Become a Guitar Hero professional and defeat Jake Scholl in the National Championship finals.
• Become a pizza shop owner on Lake Street and deliver pizza to Minnehaha - my pizza would come with a lock box so that Tommy Grimm would not have to worry about people stealing his pizza.
• Become co owner of a clothing store with Landon Collins. Together with the Close-up class we would market the G-Unit line of clothing.

In any case, I am confident that I will find plenty to do with my time.

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I have entitled the main part of my message “Trust and Believe”. I have chosen five areas of life and faith to talk about. These areas that have become important to me during my years at Minnehaha.

1. Trust and believe that God has a plan for your life. As you leave Minnehaha and proceed with the next phase of your life, trust and believe that God has a plan for you. Listen carefully for God’s voice. It may come to you loudly and clearly, or it may come in a still small voice. Listen, or you may miss it. When I was a senior in high school I had no idea what I was going to do with my life. I was often asked if I was going to follow in my father’s footsteps and become a minister. I would reply that I did not know. I went to St Olaf College, and, because I got an A in a History class the first year. I became a history major. In my Sophomore year I became interested in coaching so I went into education. When I graduated in 1964 I took a teaching and coaching job in Jackson, Minnesota. My plan was to teach in Jackson for two years, get married in 1966, go to graduate school in Educational Administration at the University of Minnesota, go back to teaching in a public school, and eventually go into administration. As it turned out my plan didn’t work out, and I ended up teaching at Minnehaha.

   Despite my original plans, and my initial disinterest in Minnehaha, something led me Minnehaha. Today I firmly believe that God was leading me, every step of the way, to Minnehaha and that Minnehaha was where God was calling me to be. Had I not been listening to God’s still small voice, I would not have come to Minnehaha in 1966, I would not have stayed all these years, and I would not have enjoyed the blessings that have come my way as a result of this calling. So listen for God’s direction in your life. Whether it is about your choice of college or career or friends or spouse; listen. Trust and believe that God has a plan for you.

2. Trust and believe in your spiritual foundation. My spiritual foundation was laid early in my life. I was born a preacher’s kid. I was baptized and grew up in the Lutheran church. Church services, Sunday school, Confirmation, and Luther League were all a part of my life. It was while attending Bible Camp the summer following 9th grade that I made a personal commitment to get serious about my Christian faith. I have since come to realize that my spiritual journey is part of a lifelong process. It is a marathon, not a sprint. I have spiritual ups and downs. I have my moments of inspiration and my moments of complacency and backsliding. I need to remember to rely on my spiritual foundation as I try hard to progress continually in my Christian faith.

   Seniors, I know that as you leave Minnehaha next year, it is going to be easy for you to succumb to the temptations of the world, to abandon or fall away from your spiritual foundation, to experiment with new ideas, and even to rebel against your spiritual foundation. May I encourage you to trust and believe in your spiritual foundation. Strive to progress continually in your faith, to rebound from times of failure, and to stay true to yourself.

3. Trust and believe that God will not abandon you in the face of temptation. Remember I Corinthians 10.13--”He will give you the strength to endure and so provide you with a way out”. In other words God will not allow you to be tempted beyond your power to remain firm. God will provide you with a way out. You will face temptation. How you deal with temptation is important. Let me suggest to you three ideas that may be of help in dealing with temptation.

   1. As a part of your spiritual foundation, make a conscious decision ahead of time to know and do what is right. Prepare for possible situations. Don’t be caught by surprise. You know what is right. Do not let yourself compromise. Be prepared to do the right thing.
      
      Example – When I was in the 8th grade, I was trying hard to be “one of the guys”. We played football in the park, and there was a lot of swearing taking place. Unfortunately, I was soon swearing with the best of them. One day one of the kids stopped and said to me, “Glenn, you swear too much”. I was stunned. I immediately made a conscious decision to stop swearing, and I did. It can be done.
      
      
   2. Don’t flirt with temptation. Let me tell you the story of the bulldozer driver.
      
      A construction company was building a road over a mountain pass. As they approached the top of the mountain pass the bulldozer driver became afraid of the heights and quit. Three candidates were interviewed for the job. The first candidate when asked how close to the edge of the cliff he would go replied, “one foot”. The second candidate replied, “six inches”. The third candidate replied, “I plan to stay as far away from the cliff as I can”. He was hired.
      
      The best way to stay out of trouble is to stay away from it. There was a time when I thought I was strong enough to handle temptation all by myself. I was wrong. Every time I flirt with temptation I get in trouble. So do as the bulldozer driver did. Avoid places where you can get in trouble. Don’t hang out with people who can get you in trouble. Choose your friends wisely. Don’t flirt with temptation.
   3. The greatest aid in the time of temptation is prayer. You do not need to struggle alone. God will give you the strength to resist temptation. He will provide you with a way out. Ask for God’s help. Trust and believe that God will give you the strength to resist temptation.
      
      
4. Trust and believe in prayer. I am not very good at leading prayer and I don’t pray as often as I should, but I believe in prayer, and I pray. Much of my prayer is silent and meditative. I try to pray often. I pray while I am driving to and from school. I pray while I am mowing the lawn. Before games I pray for a clear head in order to be able to make good coaching decisions. Many of my prayers are brief. Many are songs that run through my head. Such as:
   
   • O Dear Lord, these things I pray
   • Come, now is the time to worship
   • What a friend we have in Jesus - Take it to the Lord in prayer
   • Let me do my very best and pray about the rest
   
   I believe in the power of prayer. Find your time to pray. Find your way to pray. Remember to praise God in prayer, to thank God for the blessings he has given you, to confess your mistakes and ask for forgiveness, and to ask for help in times of trouble. Trust and believe in prayer.
   
   
5. Trust and believe that you are a witness. Like it or not, you are a witness. One way or the other, you are a witness to something. I used to worry about not being a good witness. Gradually I came to understand that I was being a witness simply by the way I was living my life. That everyday in class, on the field, in the halls; everything I did and everything I said was being a witness one way or the other. I have thus tried to be a positive witness to my Christian faith in everything that I do. I have tried to teach and coach in such a way that people would know that I cared about my students and players and that I would be a good example and role model for them. Too many times these days we have famous athletes and entertainers who argue they are not or do not want to be role models. They try to make us believe that they can behave however they want, and that it does not matter. They are wrong. They are witnessing to something.
   
   Example – Many years ago I had my students take turns leading worship in homeroom. One young man told me he had a Christian rock band that would lead worship. The band turned out to be a drummer and the young man playing a zither. As they began to play, it became obvious that they were making a big joke of the occasion. Their “music” consisted of nothing but loud screeching noises. Shortly into the song, the young man pulled out a hatchet and began chopping up the zither. Wood and pieces of wire flew everywhere. I sat there stunned with my mouth open. Then one of the girls got up and walked out.
   
   You need to understand that what you say, or do not say, and what you do, or do not do, is quietly but effectively sending a message to the people around you. You are witnessing to your faith, accidentally or intentionally, positively or negatively whether you know it or not. There were two witnesses in my home room on that day. One positive and one negative. My question, then and now is, “What kind of a witness are you going to be?” Trust and believe in your ability to be a positive witness to your Christian faith.

In closing, Seniors, it is truly an honor for me to retire/graduate from Minnehaha with you. Congratulations on your accomplishments and graduation. I wish you the best of luck in your future endeavors. I hope and pray that you will be true to yourself and your faith. And may God be with you and bless you. Thank you.