Schools of thought

For three days last week I was at something that felt remarkably like a UK workshop on accreditation in higher education. I wasn't in the UK for sure. It was being held at our wonderful Mission Centre (a Conference Centre by any other name) at the other end of the campus where meals are served overlooking the ocean and guests are looked after professionally and lovingly, thanks to Eta, Seru, Kasa, Raymond, Seini and the team. So I wasn't back in Croydon (no disrespect to Croydon...) but could have been, if the material under discussion and the language used to handle it was anything to go by. 

The issue at stake was how to ensure that places offering Theological Education across the Pacific comply* with quality* assurance* frameworks* nationally and regionally. (Spot the jargon *s) So for us, that's the Fiji Higher Education Council requirements (FHEC) and those of the Pacific Qualifications Framework (PQF). We did lots of spouting in initials. 

The body that's supposed to keep a handle on all this, with a 90 page working document of guidelines to prove it, is SPATS... 

...no no - nothing like that. SPATS is the South Pacific Association of Theological Schools whose constituency looks like this.

List of Member Schools

1. Banmatmat Bible College, Vanuatu
2. Bishop Patteson Theological College, Solomon Islands
3. Ecole Pastorale de Bethanie, New Caledonia
4. Ecole Pastorale de Hermon, Tahiti
5. Fiji Bible College of Evangelism, Fiji
6. Fulton College, Fiji
7. Kanana Fou Theological Seminary, American Samoa
8. Malua TheologicalCollege, Samoa
9. Marshalls Theological College, Marshall Islands
10. Methodist Davuilevu Theological College, Fiji
11. Methodist Deaconess Training Centre, Fiji
12. Moamoa Theological College, Samoa
13. Pacific Regional Seminary, Fiji
14. Pacific Theological College, Fiji
15. Piula Theological College, Samoa
16. Seghe Theological Seminary, Solomon Islands
17. Sia’atoutai Theological College, Tonga
18. St John the Baptist Theological College, Fiji
19. St Athanasius Coptic Orthodox Theological College, Fiji
20. South Pacific Nazarene Theological College, Fiji
21. Takamoa Theological College, Cook Islands
22. Talua Ministry Training Centre, Vanuatu
23. Tangintebu Theological College, Kiribati
24. University of Auckland School of Theology, New Zealand
25. United Theological College, Australia

So there we all are. Did you spot PTC?

Now it's a great and Godly thing to be working on 'quality assurance' across the board in Theological Education and I'm personally all for it. God's worth it and so are our Churches and Schools. Those who've been working on the finer details of the SPATS guidelines deserve rapturous applause and extra coconut cake for a start. What a job! So there was much in the workshop that was praiseworthy and encouraging.

But... and it IS a sizeable but. What's really, really tricky and frustrating and gets the teeth grinding for me is that because such large chunks of the standards and guidelines originate in non-Pacific contexts - the UK is dominant, but Australia and New Zealand are up there too - and are worked on in English medium, they just don't take root in natural soil somehow. There's real discomfort and dissatisfaction.

A professional theological educator who knows the Pacific well began by presenting on the topic of quality assurance and the kind of 'product' theological schools should be turning out. The right kind of minister, primarily. 'We all know what quality is when we see it', he said cheerfully. 'We can look at it and see the evidence that standards have been met'.

Mmm - well, we kind of know what you mean, but is there really consensus around something as slippery as quality? Does it translate into the Pacific context with the same assumptions and meaning as there might be in the UK? Is there a 'dynamic equivalent' (we like that term in mission studies!) which the Pacific recognises? 

Musing further on the translation aspects of it all, we open up a whole new can of tuna fish linguistically. How do you translate 'critical, reflective practitioner' into Samoan, Tuvaluan or Fijian, if you please?

In the lunch queue, I asked a Fijian colleague teaching at the Methodist College not far away how you translated 'quality' or 'standard' in i-Taukei Fijian. 'It depends what you're talking about', he replied, searching mentally for examples. 'If it's the quality of food - like meat from the lovo (earth oven) that would be a completely different thing from the quality of someone's essay, or indeed the quality of someone's life - like who a 'good' (quality) minister might be'. 

Fortunately, it was then indeed time to enjoy some 'quality' local lunch fare from the Mission Centre kitchen....

My recent veg shopping from Suva market including fab local cauli!

Theological Education by Extension won't escape the rigours of new accreditation processes either, but perhaps we'll excel on enthusiasm. A few weeks back we did a workshop in Labasa and some assignments are now coming in on the back of that from students - average congregation members - having a go at a Certificate (entry) level Introduction to Biblical Studies course. I enjoyed the spirited writing in these!

Let's read the Bible and go 'Wow - my my my!!' more often eh? Then more wows urged on with highlighter pens...

The author had written on the assignment's cover sheet...

And a timely reminder that I should similarly learn to discipline myself, even though I'm a Methodist Mission Partner. Might you add your own personal sentence at this point?

And then, blissfully distant from the world of accreditation and assignments, a baby was born. Crystal Valerie (oh yes!) Tuilomani Kalouniviti made her entrance on 26th July to the absolute joy of her parents Lome and Koli. She is my namesake - yaca (pronounced yatha) and what a delight and honour that is. God Bless her and her wonderful parents as their new family takes shape.

Allow me to introduce you: on the day we first met, and then all dressed up and raring to go home from hospital. 

Thanks be to God for baby Crystal - so sparkling, precious and new.

Sporty and Spiritual

You've been following the 2015 Pacific games in Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea of course. No? Why ever not, pray? Latest coverage c/o Fiji Village here.


Team Fiji in the running for 8 gold medals today

By Ronal Deo and Meli Tavaga

Saturday 18/07/2015

Men's Beach Volleyball team Wise Raratabu and Waisale Suka

Team Fiji is aiming to win gold medals in Netball, Boxing, Hockey, Beach Volleyball and golf in the final day of Pacific Games.

Fiji Pearls will meet the PNG Pepes in the gold medal final at 3pm today.

Fiji remains unbeaten in netball after a successful victory over Samoa 64-48 in the semifinal playoff last night.

In the men’s heavyweight 91kg boxing division Fiji’s Viliame Vitukalulu will fight Tahitian Boxer Heimata Neuffer in the gold medal final at 1pm.

In the welterweight final Fijian boxer, Winston Hill will face Louis Danglebermes of New Caledonia in the gold medal final at 1pm.

In the light heavy weight division, Sina Ruata will fight New Caledonian Boxer Luke Hema in the gold medal final at 1pm.

In women’s hockey, Fiji will play Papua New Guinea in the gold medal final at 3pm today.

Yesterday Fiji thrashed Tonga 21-1 in the semifinal.

The men’s hockey team will also take on Vanuatu at 4.30pm today in the gold medal final.

While in Beach Volleyball, the Men’s team has qualified for the gold medal final at 4pm today against Papua New Guinea.

Looking at the medal tally, Papua New Guinea is still leading with 76 gold, 62 silver and 57 bronze, New Caledonia is in second place with 57 gold, 47 silver and 52 bronze, Tahiti is in third place with 35 gold, 30 silver and 36 bronze.

Team Fiji is in fourth place with 29 gold, 39 silver and 34 bronze.

We got gold in the men's singles lawn bowls too. Splendid effort, chaps! Here's Semesa Naiseruvati...

Not to be outdone, Pacific Theological College had Sports Day today and we all leapt about on the main field in various directions doing all sorts of things from egg and spoon races (well, small citrus fruit and spoon) to volleyball. White team against blue team. White won (our team) but only because of the agility and enthusiasm of our younger players! I expect some revealing photos will inevitably get circulated on social media, at which point I'll take a view on whether they're appropriate for mission partner blogging...

The warm up for Sports Day was Tabata, ably led by Filemoni and Elena. I didn't know about Tabata before coming here and so Googled it...

Tabata training is one of the most popular forms of high-intensity interval training (HIIT). It consists of eight rounds of ultra-high-intensity exercises in a specific 20-seconds-on, 10-seconds-off interval. It may only take four minutes to complete a Tabata circuit, but those four minutes may well push your body to its absolute limit.

To be honest, I think we were doing a slightly less specific and serious version, which was fine by me...

From the sporty to the spiritual. It was, as ever, a joy to lead the Holy Communion service in the PTC Chapel last Friday morning.  Here's what it looked like..

This last hymn is included in PTC's hymn book and is by Elizabeth J Smith. We sang it to the tune 'Duke Street', with an awareness, I think, that all our churches - of whatever denomination - need this kind of wake up call.

My reflection (mini-sermon) was as follows:

Mark 6.56 – They begged him that they might touch even the fringe of his cloak; and all who touched it were healed. 

The fringe, just the very edge, just the tassel (κρασπέδου/kraspedon in the Greek) perhaps, of the prayer shawl that the law required a Jewish man to wear. We can find the instructions about this in Numbers 15 and Deuteronomy 22.12. Tassels hung there as a reminder of the commandments. 

At the end of this passage, which we can find quite emotional if we really enter into it, the most vulnerable people, the sick desperate for healing are brought by their friends and relatives to lie on mats at the market place, begging to touch even the fringe of Jesus's garment, because they dare to believe the healer’s power will be there. Cultural superstition? Traditional expectation? Or the prompting of the Holy Spirit – today there is something for me – God’s power is at work for me, even though I lie or sit at the very outer edge of society, even at the fringe. 

Whenever we think about this touching of Jesus’s garment, I reckon most minds go back to the familiar Gospel story of a particular woman in the crowd who reached out to touch; to make contact with Jesus for her own healing. In Matthew’s version - chapter 9 – and in Luke's version - chapter 8 - she’s had severe bleeding, a shameful thing culturally, and the text is clear that she touches the edge of his cloak in hope. In the NRSV - the fringe. So it’s the same message as in our reading today from Mark – the ones on the very edge of society are reaching out to grasp for hope at the very edge of the garment. 

But it’s interesting to remind ourselves that Mark’s gospel has already told the story of the woman with severe bleeding earlier on in his account of Jesus's life – in chapter 5 – and Mark actually doesn’t mention that ‘tassel’ word – or the very edge of the garment. That detail is missing. And Mark adds a little extra something too – Matthew and Luke don’t have it – in Mark 5.27 – this woman had heard about Jesus for herself. She’d also had money to spend on doctors, we're told, so maybe a women not quite so on the edge economically? Who knows. She had heard, Mark tells us, about Jesus and she makes a decision to get near to him and places herself – very controversially – saying: If I can just touch his clothes. Not merely the edge or the fringe. The cloak, the clothing, the garment. The ‘begging’ word is not here, nor is that attitude of, ‘If I may be permitted to touch just the very edge because it’s all I’m worth’. The crumbs from under the table....'  No. Perhaps she says - let me reach out for more than that. 

Drama:

Dr Rayappan has kindly agreed to play the role of Jesus for a few moments and I'll take the role of the woman who reaches out. Watch and see which of these two scenes speaks to you most powerfully.

1. Jesus is walking around – not looking at the woman – she approaches very timidly – crouching – just reaching out for the very edge of his garment – a fleeting touch - then immediately retreats in fear.

2. Jesus again is just walking around – not looking at the woman – she approaches much more intentionally and boldly, moving alongside him and grasping his arm in a firm grip. He turns to look.

In Matthew, Luke and Mark’s versions of the woman’s healing – whatever the touch looked like – edge or full garment - God’s power through Jesus was hers. All the gospel versions are clear on that. God’s amazing grace and abundant mercy laughs in the face of human discrimination. It doesn't ask first, who's teetering on the edge or who's at the centre. Jesus has compassion for ALL the crowd who are like sheep without a shepherd and teaches them all many things without first separating them into faculty and support staff, residential and extension students, BDs and MThs and so on and so forth - the many categories of humanity we seem to invent at PTC.

No, God doesn't favour the full garment and neglect the fringe. The question is whether WE believe the outer edge, the fringe, the margin is all we’re ever permitted to grasp at? A place which will keep us in our place. Or, whether we dare to grasp intentionally, and maybe culturally inappropriately, for some more of the real garment.

Not because we, in ourselves, are ever worthy. We're not. But because our amazing God has a passionate love and longing for those at the fringes to be first at the feast. 

We also enjoyed singing Kevin Nicols' hymn for Holy Communion, deeply profound in its sheer simplicity. For now, I'll leave you with that. God Bless.

In bread we bring you Lord, our body's' labour

In wine we offer you our spirit's grief.

We do not ask you, Lord, who is my neighbour?

But stand united now, one in belief.

For we have gladly heard your Word, your holy Word

And now in answer, Lord, our gifts we bring.

Our selfish hearts make true, our failing faith renew, 

Our life belongs to you, our Lord and King.

The bread we offer you is blessed and broken, 

And it becomes for us our spirit’s food.

Over the cup we bring, your Word is spoken;

Make it your gift to us, your healing blood.

Take all that daily toil, plants in our heart’s poor soil, 

Take all we start and spoil, each hopeful dream.

The chances we have missed, the graces we resist, 

Lord, in this Eucharist, take and redeem.

I watch you - you watch me

Let's start this post with a dip into 18th century Methodism and the splendid 'strategic plan' John Wesley had for practical, pastoral care of Methodist members. For the full article, visit the Wesley Centre online.

Give us a smile John....

On Thursday, April 25, Wesley called together in London several earnest and sensible men, told them of the difficulty of knowing the people who desired to be under his care, and after a long conversation they adopted the new plan of classes. "This was the origin of our classes at London," writes Wesley, "for which I can never sufficiently praise God; the unspeakable usefulness of the institution having ever since been more and more manifest."

It was soon found impracticable for the leader to visit each member at his own house, and so it was agreed that the members of each class should come together at some suitable place once a week. Wesley writes: "It can scarce be conceived what advantages have been reaped by this little prudential regulation. Many experienced that Christian fellowship of which they had not so much as an idea before. 

They began to bear one another's burdens, and naturally to care for each other's welfare. And as they had daily a more intimate acquaintance, so they had a more endeared affection for each other."

After the division of the society into classes there came the institution of weekly leaders' meetings. The leaders were untrained men, and the objection was raised that they had neither gifts nor graces for such a divine employment. Wesley, however, quietly remarked, "It may be hoped they will all be better than they are, both by experience and by observation, and by the advices given them by the minister every Tuesday night, and the prayers (then in particular) offered up for them."

On February 23, 1743, John Wesley sent forth the General Rules in his own name, and on May 1 Charles Wesley's name was signed to the important pamphlet. The society was defined as "a company of men, having the form and seeking the power of godliness, united in order to pray together, to receive the word of exhortation, and to watch over one another in love, that they may help each other to work out their salvation." 

All very edifying, you might say, but any particular mission-partner-in-Fiji connections? Not half! We were summoned this week to do exactly the same as Wesley urged: to watch over one another. They missed out the 'in love' bit, but never mind - I'm sure it was implied - as our new Schools Neighbourhood Watch scheme was inaugurated in style.

We'd had a talk in College from the local police about it all with a big emphasis placed on neighbourhood policing and community relations. 'I watch you and you watch me' is the catchphrase, and as there are nine schools in our immediate neighbourhood - primary, secondary and adult theological - we won't be short of folk to watch over.

Here we are on launch day waiting to march to Suva Grammar with students from other local schools. Once inside the grammar school grounds, there were formal speeches from chief guest the Deputy Commissioner of Police, cake cutting and the unveiling of huge sponsored billboards - one for each school. After the formalities, afternoon tea in abundance was served of course, followed by terrific entertainment from the Police band who are just amazing and full of humour too. You're never quite sure what they're going to do next, with or without an instrument. 

And yes, there was a shiny new sponsored billboard unveiled for our College. 

It came as a bit of a surprise though, to discover that Theological Education is now apparently sponsored by Tuckers ice cream.

O taste and see that the Lord is good....