Tabor vice president commissioned, delivers convocation address
Dr. Lawrence Ressler, vice president of academics and student development at Tabor College, was commissioned by colleagues Monday, then delivered the year's first convocation address to the student body.
In the Scripture verses read aloud, John 1:43-46, Philip tells Nathaniel that he has found Jesus, the one whom Moses wrote about in the law. In response, Nathaniel asks if anything good can come from Nazareth, to which Philip encourages him to "come and see."
"I love Philip's response to Nathaniel: 'come and see,'" said Ressler. "Now that is the sign of a confident believer."
When Nathaniel went with Philip, he found that Jesus was the Messiah, just as Nathaniel had promised.
"I think there are some worthy parallels between this story of Philip and Nathaniel and education at Tabor College," said Ressler. "There are cynics around us who question the value and validity of education in small Christian colleges."
Society expects great things from Ivy League and public educational institutions, he said. But small Christian colleges?
Tabor College's mission is to prepare people for a life of learning, work, and service for Christ and his kingdom. The college seal speaks of knowledge, faith, character, and truth. The core values are learning, service, participation, and community.
"The cynics have every right to wonder if we are doing what we say we are doing," said Ressler. "When the cynics come to Tabor, will they find empty words?
"For nearly 100 years, Tabor has been committed to offering an outstanding education from a Christian perspective. For nearly 100 years, Tabor has been taking cynics and turning them into believers who do indeed say, 'Tabor is a great place.'"
