Moore College graduation

Last night (Wed 12 March 08) was my graduation from Moore Theological College. 104 people were graduating, 45 of us with the Bachelor of Divinity degree.
It felt funny to be with my Moore College buddies again, but in such a formal environment. I'm used to just hanging out with them, seeing them in t-shirts & jeans - not those huge bulky heavy hot academic gowns.
My parents were there; I also had guests from church & Subcontinental Bible Ministry. Everyone congratulated me, told me how proud they were of my achievements... my host family, George & Lyn, gave me a bunch of roses (!), SBM gave me a card. It was a great celebration, I felt very honoured.
I hope this doesn't sound overly pious... but I never thought of my studies as academic achievement. The real value for me was always the increased clarity into what the bible actually says - so I can explain it to other people more accurately, and worship God more thoroughly myself. So getting the actual degree is almost an afterthought. The real value is in being deeply confronted by the word of God, and having it work me over for four years.
Which is why I like the way Moore graduations always emphasise the ongoing ministry that the graduates are involved in. It's not the degree itself that matters; it's what the experience of study has done to you: who you have become; and what you're going to do with it.