This weekend we congratulate Rachel Knight on completing her time at Ripon Theological College, fondly known as ‘Cuddesdon’, and Ordination as Deacon, as we welcome her to the Ashbourne Group of Parishes as she takes up her Curacy with us.
It so happens that Maggie and I also trained at ‘Cuddesdon’. That was a long time ago, but we have good memories of our time there and still well remember the studies, some more than others! Although we did not get any training on how to administer church hall furniture, or get a hearse out of a ditch, or the risks of having a donkey in Church on Palm Sunday, we were given good sound advice about the preparation of Sermons.
“Start planning the Sermon at least a week before, make copious notes of thoughts, add to them during the course of the week, draft the Sermon, read it to one self, check it, edit it, repeat process etc until satisfactorily polished!”
I am fairly certain that Rachel’s training will have been much the same but, no doubt, she will soon find out that, with the best will in the world, real Ministry doesn't afford one quite that luxury!
Probably the biggest challenges are in working with Schools. Typically, as happened to me recently, on a busy Monday, I received a request to speak theologically the next morning, for less than ten minutes to 200 children aged 5 to 11 years on the topics of ‘Justice’ and ‘Responsibility’.
Well, with some evening study and prayer, by the Grace of God I delivered the task with the children having an understanding of the importance of fairness and equality, accountability for one’s action, both negative and positive, all framed in Jesus’ instruction to ‘’love your neighbour as yourself’ and to treat others as you would be done by.
There must be a wider Sermon in there somewhere! Meantime, hopefully, this will serve as a reminder to us all of Jesus’ saying and the need for Justice and Responsibility.
With blessings
Nigel