A class above
One sunny morning last March the phone rang. It was a friend asking me out for coffee. We chatted about what we had been doing and I mentioned my great love of reading, especially theology and history.
My friend said, ‘Bernice you HAVE to study, you have to STUDY’. I was shocked! This had not been on my agenda.
My life had taken a U-turn, directed by the Lord, totally unexpected.
I was 71 years old. My life was full. I did not want to be hemmed into tight schedules as I had been for years as a hospital registered Nurse. But my friend was adamant. As we left, I said laughingly, ‘What have you done? I am leaving as a different person’.
I had a lot to think about. What about my beloved garden and all my friends? I prayed and thought about the decision constantly. I made an appointment at Australian Lutheran College (ALC), part of the University of Divinity. I decided I would not study, but at least I should find out about it.
On the day of my appointment my trusty Mazda would not start! I had no time to wait for the RAA (roadside assistance) to come. I could catch a bus, but the stop was three-and-a-half kilometres away. I began to walk, very briskly! After nearly one kilometre, I knew I would not make it in time.
A voice inside told me to hitch a ride. Along came a nice young man who drove me to the bus stop.
At ALC, Tania Nelson, the Head of School of Theological Studies, gave me all the reassurances for the unspoken reasons I had for not studying. When I left, all I had to do was to return with the completed enrolment forms for the Diploma of Theology.
My life had taken a U-turn, directed by the Lord, totally unexpected. My year as a deaconess student aged 17 at Concordia Seminary had been one of my best years. I never dreamt I would study theology again, especially at this stage of my life.
People have asked what I want to do when I finish studying. My answer is that I’m going to continue doing what I’ve always been doing: talking to people about Jesus.
I successfully completed the first unit, The Christian Faith, in the second semester last year and have taken on two units for the first semester this year. It has been challenging and exhilarating. I have learnt so much and I continue to grow in loving relationship with the Lord. The garden has not been neglected, but loved and appreciated as much as ever. The Lord has been good!
Bernice Koch is a member at Bethlehem Lutheran Church in Adelaide and coordinator of the Sunday Bible studies there. She is a keen reader, gardener, baker and traveller. She will travel to Germany with the ALC’s study tour in July, a country she lived and worked in as a nurse in the early 1970s.
Incentive to study
People like Bernice can study at no cost. If you are a pensioner or retiree meeting eligibility requirements, you can apply for FEE-HELP. You do not have to repay the debt until you earn over the threshold (see http://www.alc.edu.au/education/current-students/higher-ed-student-information/academic-fees/about-fee-help/). Also the FEE-HELP debt does not pass on to the next generation. So eligible students can have the joy of enriching their lives and through them the lives of others regardless of their financial circumstances.
Contact ALC at:
a: 104 Jeffcott Street,
North Adelaide SA 5006
e: alc@alc.edu.au
p: 08 7120 8200
More information: ALC website.
This feature story comes from The Lutheran March 2016. Visit the website to find out more about The Lutheran or to subscribe.
