Thursday, February 22

In conclusion...

20 years ago this May, by the slimmest of margins, I graduated from Johnson Bible College in Knoxville.

Last night I attended a Homecoming Session at JBC where the retiring President, Dr. David Eubanks, gave the message. Dr. Eubanks is an incredible man of God, he’s been President since 1969. It’s hard to imagine JBC without him.

As a student we were always amazed at his servant’s heart and the incredible humility that characterized his leadership. As I think back, there is one particular thing that oddly stands out about Dr. Eubanks:

When he would preach in chapel, after about 25 minutes or so, he would say the phrase, “In conclusion…”. One would think it was safe to assume that he was almost finished. Well, 30 minutes and three more “In conclusions” later you were still assuming the same thing. He wasn’t much of a joke teller, but each time he said “In conclusion”, we always chuckled a little.

Well, last night was his last address to the Alumni as President…it really was “In conclusion”.

As I sat in that service last evening with hundreds of alumni, students, friends of the school, I thought about how there are some aspects of my faith that I try to separate myself from…parts that I’ve had to grow out of, grow past, work my way through. Things I’ve left behind so I can follow Jesus more closely.

Johnson isn’t one of those.

I’m thankful for my time there, (I sure wish I had studied more…one of my great regrets of life). I know so many people who want to cut themselves off, have nothing to do with the place they’ve gone to school, as if the college is at fault for something. I don’t get it.

So, in conclusion…Thank you Dr. & Mrs. Eubanks for your hearts and your leadership. May God bless you as you follow Him into this next season of your life…

Mark Nelson at 9:36 PM 4comments

4 Comments

at 2:05 PM  Anonymous said...

Mark,

I feel the same way with my time with you at Purdue. Sitting here 10 years later....I can't believe what God has done and the impact Purdue, yourself, and many others had during that time period of my life. Thanks.

Cameron

 

at 3:35 PM  Flawed Follower said...

I sat in the same hall as you on Wednesday night, thinking on my fondest memories of Dr. Eubanks and how my friends and I always saved our chapel skips for his sermons! To this day, I find myself zoning out as he meanders through his points and "conclusions", usually making a connection with Abraham Lincoln (whome he loves) and Christian faith. Although I never looked forward to his sermons, I did look forward to seeing him. President Eubanks is a man after God's own heart, and his love for God oozes into his love for people. That's what beckoned me to the overstocked gymnasium to listen to a dry sermon; it wasn't the words, it was the message lived out through a man of God. Yet, for all the esteem I hold for President Eubanks, I equally despise the words that Council leaders (those who make decisions at JBC) used to describe him. They labeled him as "Super", even going as far as giving him and Mrs. Eubanks his and her matching Superman tees. All I could think about as I sat in the back of the room was, "The audacity of those people!" No offense to the President and his wife, but when I look at their lives, I don't see something "super", I see something natural: a man and woman that have understood God's call on all His disciples and lived it out to the best of their human abilities. If Christians label those that show sacrific, love and compassion as "Supermen", then what does that say about the rest of the people who call themselves Christians yet live selfish existences? I think it would have been a greater praise to the legacy of President Eubanks if we as a group would have vowed to follow in his footsteps of service, therefore following in the footsteps of Christ. Thank you, Eubie, for showing me true discipleship... that's your legacy in my eyes.

 

at 9:09 AM  truevyne said...

Man, I missed another homecoming! And this one would have been so special as my old pastor was speaking. I still adore President Eubanks and Mrs. Eubanks. Did they mention where they'll live after the white house? It just seems fair to let them retire there, but maybe not so restful.

 

at 8:22 AM  Anonymous said...

Usually people look at me, get to know me a little bit, and assume I couldn't have thrived at JBC. The truth is that the rules never bothered me so much, in fact, I appreciated them. Also, I can't see how others wouldn't have benefited the same as me. When I look at my past there I feel like I actually lived out Dead Poets Society. It was that amazing to me.

I needed JBC. JBC, the people I met there, saved my life from mediocrity and scandal.

Well...maybe just mediocrity.

Here's to JBC--long live the Eubie Dome.

 

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