Eastern Mennonite University - Shenandoah Yearbook (Harrisonburg, VA)

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Sa ’ Message Dear Graduates of 1952, I extend sincere congratulations on the achievement of your goal. One more lesson and I shall speed you on your way: make the cross of Christ central in your life. Paul de- termined “not to know any thing... save Jesus Christ, and him crucified.” This centrality of the cross gives your pattern for life. The cross is the basis for true belief. As Paul measured all gospels by the Gospel of Christ, so must you. You need to measure views and emphases of faith and works, security of the believer, faith healing, and prophecy, by the Gospel. The truth in these areas does not draw attention away from the sufferings of Christ. It is the basis for victorious Christian living. From Revelation, the Book of conflict, come these words, “They overcame him by the blood of the Lamb.” In the shed blood of Christ lies the power for the defeat of Satan. It is the basis for preaching. The Gospel is still “the power of God unto salvation.” Of this Gospel Paul was not ashamed. It was that which fired him for those great evange- listic campaigns in Antioch, Philippi, Thessalonica, Athens, Corinth, Ephesus, and Rome. It has given drive to the Evangel ever since. Finally it is the basis for composure in the present strife. We can trust the Lamb who is standing in the midst of the throne. With this sure foundation you can go forward conquering and still to conquer, and I pray you may all be faithful. In love, Chester K. Lehman 11

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pean ' esSAGE The great mission of the church to preach the Gospel to all the world calls for many young people who are ready to serve and who have a compelling conviction to witness for Christ. Paul said, “‘as much as in me is, I am ready to preach the gospel.” Whatever in you relates to potential service needs to be consecrated to this great task. Realizing that Christ has made abundant provision for your own redemption and that the message of the Gospel is the instrument of salvation, you cannot escape the implications of this hour. I recom- mend to you the noble example of the Apostle Paul. He traveled from place to place in deep conviction that Christ must be made known and that men everywhere must be saved. With an unconquerable heart he labored incessantly and sacrificingly within the sphere of Christ’s own working, who worked in him mightily. He was willing to spend his life for Christ and to be spent for the furtherance of the Gospel. In the light of your training, in the light of your calling, and in the light of your own personal indebtedness to Christ, you stand at the point of decision. Are you ready to aban- don self for God? Are you ready to live dangerously in the power of the resurrection? Are you ready to move under the impulse of the compelling conviction that Christ must be made known? Are you willing to spend and be spent for Christ and the church? The an- swer to these questions will determine the usefulness of your life. We commend you to the will of God and to His eternal purpose in the church. —John R. Mumaw 10

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SD yrth of High Sie ’ eSSAGC Dear Class of 1952, Greetings in Him in whose name you go forth. We are living in a time of turmoil and unrest. Our economic, political, social, educational, and religious structures are infested with doubt, distrust, uncertainty, crime, greed, strife, and hatred, which are gnawing at the very heart of our national life like termites in the foundation logs of a building. The stress and strain of our modern life together with little or no hope of a future lead many to seek relief and comfort in various forms of sin and vice. Innumerable attempts are made to divert the mind from a state of reality into a feeling of apparent indifference toward false security and happiness. Such is the world you are facing! Is not the root of all this confusion a lack of faith? People no longer have faith in the government, in the churches, or in the social order. Can we go forth with a living faith in Christ and thus meet the challenge the world presents us? As Christians our faith rests in Christ Jesus, our Foundation Rock and Cornerstone. Can we make our faith real and living so that lost souls, discouraged individuals, and hopeless mortals can see in us a trust, peace, and hope that lifts us above the present tensions and fears? Should not the life we live radiate the sweet influence of Christ’s presence? This is your task and challenge. First, you will need to know Christ as a living personal Saviour; secondly, you must yield yourself to Him in willing obedience; thirdly, you will need to pray continually for the indwelling of the Holy Spirit to show you the way of a Christian missionary. Only then will you be able to help those who do not know Him. May the Lord richly bless you as you leave the campus and go “Forth in His Name.” —D. Ralph Hostetter