Wake up!

  That's what my me-maw used to shout (usually annoyed) on the Sundays when I didn't want to get up for church.

Can't I stay home just this once?

"Audra Gayle Kennedy. You are going to church. No, you may not stay home."

Sigh.

Has this scenario ever happened to you?

Did you know that Milo P. Jewett, one of the chief founders of Judson College, used to do the same thing? He would stand on the front steps of Jewett, rap his cane, and strongly encourage the ladies to follow him to church.

Why?

  That was the very first question I asked as a freshmen.

"A long, long time ago, I can still remember..."

  Julia Tarrant Barron was busily preparing her home for a meeting. A group of local town leaders recognized a need. Young women needed the opportunity for a higher education.

It was at this meeting that Judson Female Institute (Judson College) soon became a reality.

Miss Barron paid rent for the building where the first classes were held. Meanwhile, funds were being raised to build a school. In 1839, the "Baptists of Marion (Siloam Baptist Church) donated $22,000 for the first permanent building."*

Rose Sunday?

Rose Sunday became a tradition on September 15, 1915. However, it dates back to the beginning of Judson, and in the 1900s the celebration of Founder's Day.

It is simply a time of remembrance and celebration.

The first weekend of the fall semester is spent commemorating Judson's past. Seniors cut the ivy, which the underclassmen weave together. This is symbolic of the intertwining of our sisterhood with Judson girls past.

On Rose Sunday, the seniors walk down the front steps of Jewett Hall to meet the president. The underclassmen hold up the ivy chain as we walk down. Then, we all proceed to Siloam Baptist Church.

Just like those before them...

I interviewed a lot of Judson girls past and present for this blog.

The resounding message they all wanted to share was:

  Do not take this time for granted.

In the Old Testament, the Israelites were always setting up monuments of remembrance. These monuments were reminders of God's goodness, mercy, and sovereignty in their lives.

As a senior now, I get it.

I understand why my grandmother took me to church, why we celebrate Rose Sunday, and how both have come to shape my life.

Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a workman who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth.

2 Timothy 2:15