The summer edition of the Scottish Episcopal Institute Newsletter reports very good news on the forthcoming academic year, with the biggest intake of new students in many years.
The addition of an extra five Associate Tutors will also enable new courses to be taught, and for the first time the Institute will be able to offer modules in biblical languages.
And in further exciting news, there are details of how the Institute is going to be able to add a Postgraduate Diploma and an MA to its list of awards.
Elsewhere in the Newsletter, you can read about a Day in the Life of the Rev Canon Ian Barcroft, Provincial Director of Ordinands, who describes his involvement in the discernment process while giving a glimpse into how he clears his head away from work as a volunteer at Aberlady Nature Reserve (as pictured).
Canon Barcroft says of his role in the development of those exploring their sense of vocation: “For me, this privilege heightens the responsibility I carry for the SEC, but in order not to feel burdened by this, I offer my daily prayer, and start the day by reminding myself, as I have always done in priestly life, that what I receive comes my way as a gift – even some of those difficult deliveries from the courier of the Holy Spirit left on the doorstep – because the people I relate to through each day are a gift to me, the Church and the world.”
In other news, the Rev Dr Richard Tiplady was recently invited to contribute to an international project set up to help congregations make deliberate connections between the biblical principles of sustainability and daily life today.
In a piece entitled ‘Take nothing but photos; leave nothing but footprints’ which draws deeply upon his love of mountaineering, Richard reflects upon Mark 6:1-13, Jesus’ instruction to the Twelve to travel lightly and live frugally in their work of mission. In a probing reflection, he challenges us to examine the over-consumption in our lives and to focus upon reducing, not simply re-using and re-cycling.
Full details and more SEI news can be found in the joint July-August edition here https://www.scotland.anglican.org/wp-content/uploads/21-07-July-2021-SEI-Newsletter.pdf
Meanwhile, materials for the upcoming academic year have today been sent to the students; other members of the SEC may like to access the new Initial Ministerial Handbook or use the Prayer Cycle.