So, another term begins. As usual it’s been far too long between posts, but I think I am going to have to stop apologising for this. I’m sure that you, the reader, would prefer quality over quantity!
Christmas has been and gone all too quickly – there was the usual coming and going of family and friends, both new and old. Now that college has returned to some semblance of normality, we have welcomed back some others who have been away for the holiday and begun our term’s studies together.
I say “some semblance of normality” because this week was not part of the full Oxford term, and the college community have been taking part in various Themed Study Weeks, or TSWs as we affectionately call them. As a BA student I don’t have many of these during the first two years I am here, so it’s been quite a change to my regular routine. There are quite a few different things we can do, ranging from a week experiencing other faiths, to a residential visit to a hospice. I focused on marriage and family life, the “matching” part of the “hatching, matching and dispatching” that are at the heart of parish ministry.
There’s been a lot to take in this week. After a morning looking at the wider picture with the theology of marriage, we had an afternoon looking at the actual service itself. There’s a bewildering array of choices for any couple to decide on, although many of the differences are quite subtle. There’s the obvious choice about using the word “obey” in the bride’s marriage vows, but these days it’s possible to leave out any reference to children from the preface (where the minister essentially explains the “point” of it all – so that’s a pretty significant departure from previous prefaces which have made the bringing up of children a central aspect of marriage), and many other choices besides. The work we began on the Monday was continued on Thursday, when we had a visit from a very knowledgeable parish priest (and author of an impressive-looking marriage preparation course) who took us through the whole idea of marriage (and wedding) preparation. In between, we spent two days working with two people from Relate, looking at the wider issues around relationships and issues couples might have.
All in all, it was a useful reminder that after these three years of training are up, we are going out into the world to be alongside people at these great moment in their life. It’s a really exciting prospect, and I think there was a great deal of enthusiasm in the group to be looking at one of the “bread and butter” aspects of ordained ministry, especially in how it relates to the theology that we’ve been studying. Just this morning, we were looking at how the Church’s understanding of marriage can be related to a social doctrine of the Trinity (since our relationships reflect the essential social nature of God in God’s relationships within the three persons of the Trinity).
There were plenty of questions unanswered at the end of the week, and I’m sure this won’t be the last time we discuss marriage. After this weekend though, it’s back to reality with a bit of a bump: I have a collection (mock exam) on the Old Testament on Monday morning, and a tutorial on Paul’s attitude to women timetabled for Wednesday afternoon.
Best get back to the books, then…
Grasping at Holiness 