Diary of a Novice Minister - 6

KAMAL WEERAKOON is combining full-time study at Moore College with ministry at St Anne’s, Strathfield. He shares his trials and joys as a trainee minister.

What I’ll miss most

A lot of my classmates are leaving at the end of this year. They’re taking the three-year Bachelor of Theology, and getting out while they have the chance.  Some of us – like me – are sticking around for a fourth year.  This made me think. What’ll I miss most about Moore, when I leave?  The exams? NO! Next option...The study and reading? Probably not. We have to read all these big scary books, full of high-falutin’ language and complex logic and no pictures.  And sometimes (often?) I ask “What’s this got to do with ministry?”. 

The lectures? Yeah, kinda. I really admire our lecturers. They have a genuine passion for their subjects (even the guys who teach Greek and Hebrew – scary…).  They work hard to communicate well.  Last year, the whole faculty had a couple of days training in teaching technique. Things have never been the same. 

Their friendships? Hmmm. Now we’re on to something. Before I came to college, I thought they’d be these serious, sober intellectuals, who were always thinking profound thoughts. Now I know they’re friendly and approachable.  Each of them has a cheerful eccentricity; I’m trying to catalogue it. I’d tell you what they were, except they’d get their revenge by failing me…

My friendships with other students help me study. The best thing I did in first year was form a study group. The five of us have stuck together these last three years, and shared insights from class, study papers, books and resources, stresses, joys, birthday parties. I remember earlier this year we were trying to work out the pastoral implications of where people go after they die. We’d skated over the issue in class.  Do they go to heaven? Hell? Do they get annihilated? Go into limbo? Soul sleep?  Something else? But it was in study group that we thought about what to say to a grieving mother who says “My baby died of SIDS – where is he now?”.

We’re a pretty diverse lot; there are plenty of people whom I wouldn’t normally socialise with. They could’ve stayed in the secular world, built themselves a nice comfortable career.  But they’re taking the risk of full-time ministry.  That’s impressive. 

My brothers and sisters, my colleagues, my companions: I salute you. 

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