Day 18 Judges 2:19 – Judges 14:9
Once a month the students meet together in their respective denominations, the ‘denominational meeting.’ This meeting for mutual support and fellowship is an important opportunity for the students to raise specific issues or concerns as well as the chance to check and discuss aspects of training pertinent to the denomination, so a time of sharing formed part of the evening.
The meeting is convened locally and is supported and led by the incumbent minister for Kandy Methodist Church, currently Rev. Ravishankar Niles, who travels from Kandy to offer support and encouragement to the students.
Ann explained the evening to me and had invited me to attend, for at this gathering those leaving the college (having completed the 4 years study) are issued with their clerical collars. This as you can imagine is a moment of thanksgiving and also a time of celebration and as you might expect I was invited to say a word or two and then to pray – over or for the collars – and since go with the flow has been my maxim these last weeks that's precisely what I did.
Remembering from my own training and experience that clergy from other traditions pray over their clerical vestments I sought out something relevant. Likening the collar to the amice, (a rectangular linen cloth, which has the purpose of covering the everyday clothing), I explained that the priest when putting on the amice prays, “place upon me, O Lord, the helmet of salvation, that I may overcome the assaults of the devil.”
I also suggested that the collar is a physical reminder of our calling as minsters of word and sacrament, and a sign to all that we have been set apart for that same ministry.
Then we prayed - ‘May these clerical collars be signs and symbols of your presence in the world O Christ and in the daily life and witness of the one who wears it.”
Hot sweet milky tea and ‘shorts’ (snack, nibbles) were served.
Today I invite your prayers for the 8 Methodist students taking final exams over the coming weeks before, moving to take up their stations as probationary ministers, and the communities that will welcome them, aswell as the support work offered by Rev. Ravishankar Niles.
Students soon to be probationer ministers in the Methodist Church Sri Lanka;
Luke serving the Lord in Bibile
Hansini serving the Lord in Kandy
Jacob serving the Lord inThandueran
Jeyananthan serving the Lord in Nuwara Ely
Nithyajeevan serving the Lord in Mannav
Arun serving the Lord in Ravageevanam Killinochia
Rathnasiri serving the Lord in Ampara
Rayre serving the Lord in Galle
Once a month the students meet together in their respective denominations, the ‘denominational meeting.’ This meeting for mutual support and fellowship is an important opportunity for the students to raise specific issues or concerns as well as the chance to check and discuss aspects of training pertinent to the denomination, so a time of sharing formed part of the evening.
The meeting is convened locally and is supported and led by the incumbent minister for Kandy Methodist Church, currently Rev. Ravishankar Niles, who travels from Kandy to offer support and encouragement to the students.
Ann explained the evening to me and had invited me to attend, for at this gathering those leaving the college (having completed the 4 years study) are issued with their clerical collars. This as you can imagine is a moment of thanksgiving and also a time of celebration and as you might expect I was invited to say a word or two and then to pray – over or for the collars – and since go with the flow has been my maxim these last weeks that's precisely what I did.
I also suggested that the collar is a physical reminder of our calling as minsters of word and sacrament, and a sign to all that we have been set apart for that same ministry.
Then we prayed - ‘May these clerical collars be signs and symbols of your presence in the world O Christ and in the daily life and witness of the one who wears it.”
Hot sweet milky tea and ‘shorts’ (snack, nibbles) were served.
Today I invite your prayers for the 8 Methodist students taking final exams over the coming weeks before, moving to take up their stations as probationary ministers, and the communities that will welcome them, aswell as the support work offered by Rev. Ravishankar Niles.
Students soon to be probationer ministers in the Methodist Church Sri Lanka;
Luke serving the Lord in Bibile
Hansini serving the Lord in Kandy
Jacob serving the Lord inThandueran
Jeyananthan serving the Lord in Nuwara Ely
Nithyajeevan serving the Lord in Mannav
Arun serving the Lord in Ravageevanam Killinochia
Rathnasiri serving the Lord in Ampara
Rayre serving the Lord in Galle
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