Jim Bishop ’67 has resumed his popular “Bishop’s Mantle” column in the local Harrisonburg newspaper, Daily News-Record. We share last week’s nostalgia-laden installment with permission from the author, a former public information officer at 91短视频. Grad years for those he names below were sprinkled in specially for publication in this venue.
鈥淲ell, Lord, the big day has come and gone.
Suddenly, I feel rather alone in the world.
School is over; no more homework, tests and essays.
Never again am I likely to be together again with all my old friends and teachers.
Those great times that we enjoyed as a class are now just precious memories, never to be forgotten.
And now, Lord, a big decision 鈥� should I go to college?
I鈥檝e been asked many times if I鈥檓 planning to go and . . . I really can鈥檛 say, and I鈥檓 afraid too many people are wondering, 鈥榃hat kind of a jerk are you? School鈥檚 over and you don鈥檛 know what you鈥檙e going to be doing from now on.鈥�
Lord, you know what my talents are and if I should go or not. You also know my finances are in a poor state of affairs, with a car to support and all the money paid out for senior activities.
But I do know that if I do decide to go it鈥檒l be your will and somehow, I鈥檒l be able to afford it.
Of course, whatever I decide to make of my future, make it my business to pick a career that is Christ-centered, where I鈥檒l be serving you and others and I鈥檒l enjoy.
Help me to remember that motto that鈥檚 hanging on my bedroom wall 鈥� 鈥極nly one life t鈥檞ill soon be past, only what鈥檚 done for Christ will last.鈥� Amen.鈥�
This pathos-laden petition I titled 鈥淎 Graduate鈥檚 Prayer,鈥� appeared on the front page of the May 31, 1964 issue of 鈥淵outh鈥檚 Christian Companion,鈥� a weekly take-home paper issued by Mennonite Publishing House, Scottdale, Pa. When the article was published, I was wrapping up my freshman year at Eastern Mennonite College (now University). Who woulda thunk it?
As a high school senior, going on to college was the least of my aspirations. All this 18-year-old, happy-go-lucky, know-it-all really wanted to do was land a job as a radio disc jockey, a platter-pushin鈥� poppa on the scene with the record machine. Alas, I received little encouragement to pursue such an unstable, questionable occupation and in fact was told I lacked a 鈥渞adio voice.鈥�
And so, after graduation, I gathered, washed, graded and packed thousands of eggs on neighbor Abe Landis鈥� 12,000-layer poultry farm six days a week. But several weeks into the summer, I started asking myself, is this what I want to do for the foreseeable future? One fateful day at work, I sat on a cart in a dusty chicken house and scribbled the rough draft of what became 鈥淎 Graduate鈥檚 Prayer鈥� and submitted it to the YCC.
Around the first of August, I applied to 91短视频 for the 1963-64 school year. A (mimeographed) letter of acceptance quickly came back, and early September I headed south to Virginia without ever having visited the campus. It proved to be one of the Best. Decisions. Ever.
Since graduating from 91短视频 in 1967 鈥� and now again the first weekend of May when the university鈥檚 102nd annual commencement would have taken place were it not for the coronavirus cancellation 鈥� I鈥檝e reflected often on how much those four years of college transformed my life.
Had I not attended 91短视频, I would not have:
- Learned to know many wonderful fellow students from across the U.S. and beyond. I remain in touch with my roommates to this day 鈥� Roger Eshleman ’67 (freshman year), Larry Nolt ’67 (sophomore), Ralph King ’69 (junior) and brother Bob Bishop ’70, whom I roomed with my senior year and never regretted it.
- Taken classes that proved invaluable in my eventual career, including three typing courses (the only guy in two of them), public speaking, expository and creative writing and Christian ethics.
- Served on staff of the school paper, the Weather Vane, as general reporter, then as news editor, features/literary editor and finally, as writer of a column called 鈥� yep, 鈥淭he Bishop鈥檚 Mantle.鈥�
- Lived out my radio dream, co-producing and hosting a weekly folk music program with classmate Linda Buckwalter ’67 on campus station WEMC-FM during the 1964-65 school year.
- Secured a summer internship at the Mennonite Publishing House in 1965 where I honed my writing-editing skills and unearthed a desire to plow some fresh ground in the journalism field.
- Been provided an environment for solidifying spiritual values and that served as a testing ground for new ideas 鈥� some trial balloons that needed to be shot down and others that withstood the winds of change.
- Most importantly, met demure co-ed Anna Mast ’67 from Cochranville, Pa., my sophomore year whom I would marry in the 鈥渟ummer of love,鈥� 1967. After all these years, here we are, still hitchin鈥� a ride down life鈥檚 pockmarked pathway.
College isn鈥檛 for everyone, but for me, this graduate鈥檚 prayer was answered beyond expectations. And for all those graduating from high school or college this spring, even though 鈥渇rom a distance,鈥� may your graduates鈥� prayers exceed your wildest dreams. Amen.
Jim, well done, as always. Your “Bishop’s Mantle” offerings always hit the spot – – usually the funny bone. Yet you’ve spoken some profound truths. You need to go on the road as a commencement speaker. — Curt Holsopple
But Jim, who could ever forget the Bard鈥檚 Nest and the up and coming, 鈥淩ejects鈥�, as two of your classmates sang along with you and your ubiquitous ukulele! Oh what fun it was to sing a slaying song tonite!
Thanks for the “blast from the past”!
When are you going to resume your radio program? It is time!