CHESTERTOWN — In a commencement address he titled “From Here to There,” Pastor Josh Rendulic on Friday night told the graduating seniors of Chestertown Christian Academy that there were five obstacles they could count on being faced with as they navigate the journey of life.
He called them “potholes” — other people, pain, temptation, disappointment and self — that would need to be paved over to get from here to there.
Shortcuts and detours are not options.
The safest, truest route is to trust God with all your heart, mind, soul and spirit, said Rendulic, the pastor of 25 years at nearby Hope Fellowship.
This was the 46th commencement for Chestertown Christian Academy. The 10 seniors represent one of the largest graduating classes in recent memory.
They are, listed alphabetically: Kyra Lei Espejo, Emilee Martina Gauss, Andrew Brian Lloyd Jr., Olivia Claire Loller, Nicholas James Meikle, Emily Elizabeth Norris, Kellan Michael Peet, Sophia Elizabeth Price, Mitchell Owen Quillen and Brianna Marie Villers.
In what has become tradition, CCA celebrated its commencement on the eve of the extended Memorial Day weekend with ceremonies in the adjoining Chestertown Baptist Church. The formal ceremony took place in the front of the church in the altar area, where Pastor Rudy Draper handed out diplomas and Principal Lynn Poore turned the tassel on the cap of each of the graduates.
In his invocation and greeting, Pastor Draper spoke about being in “wonder and awe” of the graduates, whom he believed could achieve anything with God’s help.
Principal Poore described commencement as an opportunity “to celebrate a momentous occasion in the lives of these exceptional individuals.”
“It is with great pleasure and immense pride that we come together to honor not only their remarkable achievements but also their unwavering dedication and commitment to excellence,” she said of the Class of 2025.
Kyra Espejo was the class valedictorian and Brian Lloyd the salutatorian.
In voting by the faculty, high school juniors and their senior classmates, Lloyd was chosen as Mr. CCA and Sophia Price was selected Miss CCA as the best representatives of what it means to be a Chestertown Christian Academy student.
Espejo received the Chestertown Lions Club Scholarship. She is headed to Chesapeake College in the fall to follow the Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics tract.
Lloyd received the Christian Character Award, the Rock Hall American Legion Post 228 Auxiliary Scholarship and the $1,000 Sarah and Rachel Baugher Scholarship.
He has an interest in becoming a bivocational pastor while also pursuing a trade, and will be taking courses through Liberty University, according to a CCA spokesperson.
The three graduating seniors who shared the dais worked Mark 12:30 into their speeches: “And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength. This is the first commandment.”
The title of Lloyd’s speech was “Strength in service: Using our abilities to make a lasting impression.”
Strength entails more than physical power. It’s also perseverance and dedication, Lloyd said.
He challenged his classmates to “serve people around you to make a positive change.”
Price spoke about “wholehearted living,” casting aside uncertainties and accepting that you are in the right place. It’s about aligning our hearts, minds and souls with God’s path for us, she said.
“In this world, there are many things that can distract us from God and his word, especially in an important time such as this,” Price said, noting that college and career are foremost on her mind as she transitions from the security of high school into the “uncertainness of the real world.”
“The mind of Christ: Shaping our thoughts and decisions by God’s word” was the title of Espejo’s speech.
Acknowledging that there are plenty of temptations, she said it was important to ask for God’s guidance when making decisions because “the choices we make from this point on will shape the world we live in.”
“Every little thing we do, whether it be school related, job related or sports related, let it all be related to the glory of God,” Espejo told her classmates.
Commencement speaker Pastor Josh Rendulic, whose wife teaches math at CCA, seemed right at home in the pulpit of Chestertown Baptist Church.
“I may preach at a different church,” he said, “but we’re all on the same team. Team Jesus.”
He put a contemporary spin on the story of Joseph, the favored son of Jacob, whose envious brothers sell him into slavery in Biblical Egypt, where he eventually ends up incarcerated. After correctly interpreting the dreams of Pharaoh, Joseph rises to second-in-command in Egypt and saves Egypt during a famine.
Some of the “potholes” that Joseph encountered are “some of the very same potholes that you will need to navigate to get from here to there,” Rendulic told the graduates.
Pothole No. 1: There will always be people in your life that will criticize you, who will not encourage you.
Sometimes they are people who are very close to you, as close as family. They will talk about you and discourage you.
“Don’t let other people stop you from living your dream,” Rendulic said.
Pothole No. 2: Pain, hurt and betrayal.
Sometimes pain makes us think we’re not headed in the right direction.
Rendulic’s advice?
Go through pain, not around it.
Testing of your faith leads to perseverance, he said.
“Pain is going to be a part of the journey. Expect it,” he said. “It’s OK to carry pain with you. Just don’t get stuck. Don’t let it stop you from moving forward.”
Pothole No.3: Temptation, which can be a dream killer.
Temptation always promises to make your life better, but it can ruin families, destroy friendships and cripple you financially.
To stay on track, make the hard right decision.
“Resisting temptation may not pay off right away, but in the big picture it does,” Rendulic told the graduates. “Do the right thing. … It’s always the best choice in the long run.”
Rendulic reminded his audience that Joseph never gave up on his dream or his faith in God.
Pothole No. 4: Disappointment.
It’s difficult to stay encouraged when your dream is delayed, but keep trusting that God has a plan.
Pothole No. 5: Selfishness, vanity and ego.
What’s in it for me? What can I get out of this?
“Don’t ever think that the dreams that God put in your heart are all about you,” Rendulic said matter-of-factly.
God’s dreams are all about using us in the lives of other people.
As he wrapped up his speech, Rendulic emphasized that God uses hurts and disappointments and trials and tribulations for good.
“You have to keep trusting God as you pursue your dreams in the journey from here to there,” Rendulic said.
“You have to make a decision that you are all in, all the time, that God is going to be the center of your life,” Rendulic told the graduates. “Until then,” he said, “you’ll be susceptible to the potholes.”
The presentation of diplomas, with each graduate being called to the dais, followed the commencement address.
Then, after being passed the “torch of excellence,” the rising seniors in the Class of 2026 led the recessional to a recording of “Pomp and Circumstance.”
