As I sat in the parish church yesterday between Morning Prayer and the start of the mid week communion service I thought- how special Wednesday mornings have been for me for some years.
Back when I first started worshipping at St Thomas Brampton and began the slow process of discernment towards ordained ministry the church would be open every wednesday morning from 9-12 for prayer and I set aside an hour every Wednesday to go and pray. It was a hard discipline at times but I benefitted so much from those silent hours in the church. This became especially inportant for the few months when I worked on a Sunday and so somtimes had to miss Sunday services.
Then when I moved south to Devon and worked for the Methodist church I could only worship in an Anglican church mid week and so would go to their Wednesday morning communion. It gave me the roots in the Anglican church that I needed and I loved the gentle service with a dozen other people. I came to feel very much part of that congregation and valued my time among them.
At college Wednesday's were group worship days so that rather than having morning prayer followed by communion we had an hour in Groups which we all took turns to lead a form of morning prayer, but with which we could be creative. Then in the evening we had our College Eucharist. So wednesdays remained a day set apart slightly different and still special.
Now I am in a team ministry and so on Sundays can be in any of our 10 churches- and often in three on one Sunday! Mid week we have a Communion service and I am realising again how valuable that time is. I serve for the Celebrant (oh and set everything up before hand) but otherwise this is one service when I can simply rest in God not having to be responsible for anything. that will change after July when I will occasionally be the one celebrating, but for the most part it is a time to simply 'be' on God.
As a prist that is something I need to continue to learn- how to be rather than do for God. We had a clergy Quiet Day on Tuesday- a time at the start of lent which the Bishop had arranged for us to come together and spend time learning, listening and being. The speaker- Stephen Cheey has written a book Beyond Busyness and he made mention of it in the last session reminding us that we are called to spend time with god bot rushing around doing all the time. This is cxomething I am trying to take to heart this lent. Next tuesday I shall have the opportunity of a quiet day for reading and will also spend some time with my Spiritual Director. I have also booked a week down in Sheldon to spend a few days before my priesting in quiet contemplation. I know that I need to spend more time with God as things get more involved in the Team and in my role as Curate.
Thursday, 21 February 2013
Wednesday's
As I sat in the parish church yesterday between Morning Prayer and the start of the mid week communion service I thought- how special Wednesday mornings have been for me for some years.
Back when I first started worshipping at St Thomas Brampton and began the slow process of discernment towards ordained ministry the church would be open every wednesday morning from 9-12 for prayer and I set aside an hour every Wednesday to go and pray. It was a hard discipline at times but I benefitted so much from those silent hours in the church. This became especially inportant for the few months when I worked on a Sunday and so somtimes had to miss Sunday services.
Then when I moved south to Devon and worked for the Methodist church I could only worship in an Anglican church mid week and so would go to their Wednesday morning communion. It gave me the roots in the Anglican church that I needed and I loved the gentle service with a dozen other people. I came to feel very much part of that congregation and valued my time among them.
At college Wednesday's were group worship days so that rather than having morning prayer followed by communion we had an hour in Groups which we all took turns to lead a form of morning prayer, but with which we could be creative. Then in the evening we had our College Eucharist. So wednesdays remained a day set apart slightly different and still special.
Now I am in a team ministry and so on Sundays can be in any of our 10 churches- and often in three on one Sunday! Mid week we have a Communion service and I am realising again how valuable that time is. I serve for the Celebrant (oh and set everything up before hand) but otherwise this is one service when I can simply rest in God not having to be responsible for anything. that will change after July when I will occasionally be the one celebrating, but for the most part it is a time to simply 'be' on God.
As a prist that is something I need to continue to learn- how to be rather than do for God. We had a clergy Quiet Day on Tuesday- a time at the start of lent which the Bishop had arranged for us to come together and spend time learning, listening and being. The speaker- Stephen Cheey has written a book Beyond Busyness and he made mention of it in the last session reminding us that we are called to spend time with god bot rushing around doing all the time. This is cxomething I am trying to take to heart this lent. Next tuesday I shall have the opportunity of a quiet day for reading and will also spend some time with my Spiritual Director. I have also booked a week down in Sheldon to spend a few days before my priesting in quiet contemplation. I know that I need to spend more time with God as things get more involved in the Team and in my role as Curate.
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