Indonesia Journal; Friday, Graduation Day

23 September; Friday; 4:30 PM

Hard to describe the day; it was amazing. A spiritual high. When they told me that graduation was a big deal, their word for big deal was different than what I thought. Graduation is a big, big deal. Pastor Ferry picked me up about 8. We got to the school and people were already starting to arrive for the 9 AM service. The men were all in black and dark blue suits and the women were in formal dresses, like prom dresses. This was a big deal. I was way underdressed in my sport coat and wrangler slacks. I was wearing a tie but I was the only one not in a suit. The graduates and faculty were all getting into their full academic regalia.

There were 8 graduates. Some were receiving their bachelors degree and others the masters degree and others the pastoral certificate. Pastor Dickie, one of the elder pastors and teacher at the seminary, said that one man had been working on his degree for 14 years and was graduating today. For the others it has been a four-year journey.

Men from the government arrived, from their department of Christian education. Families and church families were all gathering in the school’s newly renovated chapel. It is a building with open windows, concrete floor, tin roof, chairs and wooden benches. By 9 the seminary teachers and I, along with the graduates were ready for the procession into the chapel. And it was hot today. We marched in behind the national flag and the school flag and took our seats on the stage. The graduates came in behind us, with the keyboard playing “And Can it Be,” an old Methodist hymn that has recently made it into the Baptist hymnal. It is a wonderful hymn on the love of God and the cross of Jesus Christ.

Introductions were made and the service began. The message was one of the first things on the program. I preached from 1 Timothy 4:16, a word for the graduates to pay close attention to their own spiritual growth and their doctrine, and to stay with it, with the promise of a great and joyous reward. Then a history of the school and its mission and vision from the president, Pastor Ferry. They introduced each graduate and we sang several songs. By about 10:30 I was sweating so much I thought, why go to the hot springs tomorrow, I feel like I am already there. It was hot, but no one seemed to mind. I noticed that they don’t sweat much. Everything was done very meticulously and intentional and with great awe and respect. This was a big deal.

They handed out the diplomas and Bibles (thank you FBC Kingsland) and the student who was recognized as Magna Cum Laude gave a speech. Then one of the men from the government spoke, then came the highlight of the service. Pastor Dickie went down and called the graduates to come and kneel while the faculty along with several pastors from the congregation encircled them. They surrounded them with prayer, singing a beautiful prayer, very softly over them. Then the pastors all extended their hands over the graduates and Pastor Dickie led in prayer. They pray a long time as I have already mentioned. This was a long prayer and I could tell by the “AMEN”s and the tears it was a meaningful one as well.

After the prayer everyone took their seats and one of the faculty gave a blessing. Then they arranged the graduates in the middle and the faculty on either side of them for pictures. I stepped away but they insisted that I get in the pictures. Then we spread out along the front and one by one, from the congregation the people came by and shook everyone’s hand. This took a while, then more pictures and then we all went next door to Pastor Ferry’s church, the Hope Baptist Church where I preached last Sunday and had a huge meal together.

After the fellowship the pastors and their wives gathered back in the chapel for a Q&A time with me. The questions these pastors asked were so insightful and challenging. I have done this in Uganda, in China, and in Bangladesh. It never ceases to amaze me the similar questions, struggles, and joys that pastors have no matter what country and culture they serve in. And they all have questions about America. One pastor asked what kind of spiritual impact 9/11/01 has had on the US. Another said that he had heard that in some of the states they were recognizing homosexual marriages and wondered if it was true. Another asked how the economy had effected the giving of the church members and how the church was responding to the world recession. Another wanted to know what the role of the pastor’s wife was in the US churches. Another asked what I thought about a pastor who was not making enough money in his small church and if he would be compromising if he took a second job. There is not enough space to share with you how I shared with them but it was a wonderful time together. And they also asked if I knew Governor Rick Perry.

 I asked them about their missions program because I had heard that the church in Indonesia was becoming very missionary. They shared their vision for church planting and reaching every tribe on every island in Indonesia. There are thousands of islands in Indonesia, spread across thousands of miles of ocean. Pastor Ferry’s church has a preaching point with a young pastor on one of those islands that is a 24-hour ferry boat ride away. They said that it is called a preaching point until it has 30 families, then it becomes a church. The mother church supports the pastor until then, after 30 families, the church takes care of the pastor. We handed out Bibles to the pastors (thank you Burnet/Llano Baptist Association) and took more pictures. After these questions and answers we promised to pray for each other and to join together in praying for revival.

The pastors and students in my class then went to the classroom and took their final exam. Pastor Ferry is going to pick me up in the morning for a day at the hot springs “up on the mountain.” I found out today that “the mountain” is right beside one of their active volcanoes. They said not to worry, it’s just a small volcano. It has been an amazing day. Thank you for your prayers, and “thank you, God, for Your amazing love in Jesus Christ and for His Beautiful Bride, the Church.”