Update

Ok, so my last post was a bit of a rant - and it was almost a whole week ago. Things have been getting a wee bit better since - not just so many annoyances in class since. Well, none that I want to discuss on this sort of thing anyway.

Over the weekend I was in County Fermanagh, on my annual visit - for the purposes of the Diocesan Confirmation Weekend (that is, Down and Dromore diocese). But for the second year in a row, we were joined by the young people and leaders from Kilmore, Elphin and Ardagh as well. We had about 160 kids (or so) who will be Confirmed in the next couple of months, and had the opportunity of supplementing their own rectors' teaching with a focussed look at things like What it means to be a Christian, what Christians believe and practice, and then what the Church is.

The craic was also mighty - although on Saturday night I had to crash and was in bed by 10.30pm, because I was so tired and feeling a bit rough. But eveyrthing else went on around me - and I think I even heard some of the D-I-S-C-O as I was falling asleep! Saturday afternoon was a wee bit of a traditional adventure - out into the country town of Enniskillen, although with the added excitement this year of going further afield to Ballinamallard and back by Tempo!

We now only have two weeks left of term, and also, two weeks until I go to Venice! But before Venice, there are those two essays to be done, for Liturgy and Systematics, and already the 'extra' things that have to be done in and around college are mounting up to press out the available time for reading and writing of essays. Things like the hooley tomorrow night for Shrove Tuesday - perhaps the last bit of official fun until Easter; the watching of films on Wednesday night for Old Testament, to analyse in our learning of critical methods; College Fellowship on Thursday night (although I don't mind this one, and rather am looking forward to it) and after that, the official supper in the Principal's house for 1st and 2nd years; and that is just this week... So if we were just concerned with the studying, things would be fine, but with all the other things, it leads to me being tired, and distracted, and without much time!

I suppose, though, that this is a good lessson to learn here and now - about focusing on the important things (the study of God's word), and to have it as the one big commitment, around which everything else rotates. Because, as we were encouragingly told in Homiletics last Wednesday - we have been called to the Ministry of the Word, and no matter what else we do, the thing that we bring as ministers which is unique, is God's Word. Nurses, and social workers etc don't bring this to the situations they encounter (normally), whereas it is our life's ministry. So we have to give adequate time to the preparation of and study of the Word to be preached. So for all the 'bad' classes here, we do have some gems - so thank you to Tom for this insight, presented clearly and forcefully!