It's been a while since I posted partly through a rather busy life. I've also been trying to complete my next portfolio and still have some way to go on it. However reading a friends blog she talks about thankfulness.and it made me think about what I have to be thankful for. This is particularly important for me at the moment as college life isn't easy and it is so easy to slip into negativity and forget all the wonderful things God has done for me. So here goes with a few things I have to be thankful for:
A wonderful husband
Living in a beautiful place and being on the 4th floor having spectacular sunsets to watch
The friendships both here at college and around the world
Three wonderful sons, and two lovely step-daughters and 4 grand children
A very supportive mother who is always ready to listen
Two great sisters
What looks likely to be just the right curacy for me
Good health
God's love which is expressed in all the above
And much much more
Now to go and enjoy some more
Friday, 25 November 2011
Thursday, 10 November 2011
Called to be Incarnate
One of the questions asked of anyone considering ordained ministry is - why must you be ordained to serve God'? A good question and one which each ordinand has struggles with. My own answer had in it an element of wanting to bring God to the people and the people to God and therefore an element of called to be incarnate- as Jesus was God incarnate. Today I have read the following quote on a blog I had just started reading
' God calls us to follow and journey, but He also asks us to settle and be incarnate in the community we are and to show them His presence'It really made me stop and think. I believe I am called to be incarnate as a curate and a vicar but have I really taken on board what it means to be incarnate amongst the people I now live wit? Am I truly trying to be Jesus to the college Community? If we all were truly living out that calling here at college would college look any different to how it does today? K my husband often moans about what he sees as unchristian attitudes among other ordinands. I'm not going to comment on that. Rather I am going to reflect and pray that I would truly be what God has called me to be amongst this community for the remaining months. Its not something I should be thinking I will take up once I'm in curacy!
' God calls us to follow and journey, but He also asks us to settle and be incarnate in the community we are and to show them His presence'It really made me stop and think. I believe I am called to be incarnate as a curate and a vicar but have I really taken on board what it means to be incarnate amongst the people I now live wit? Am I truly trying to be Jesus to the college Community? If we all were truly living out that calling here at college would college look any different to how it does today? K my husband often moans about what he sees as unchristian attitudes among other ordinands. I'm not going to comment on that. Rather I am going to reflect and pray that I would truly be what God has called me to be amongst this community for the remaining months. Its not something I should be thinking I will take up once I'm in curacy!
Wednesday, 9 November 2011
Worship
College life for the past week has been busy ( So what's new?!)
Our group was responsible for leading worship over last week and then today I was responsible for planning and leading the mornings Group worship. On Friday evening I planned and led a Service of the Word- an alternative to our college regular pattern of Common Worship or BCP evening prayer. The idea is to plan a service which would be pretty standard in an average parish church that didn't use straight evening prayer. I really enjoyed the challenge, and in fact used a standard structure from evening prayer but used modern songs and hymns rather than plain song and canticles. The comments I have received back have been positive which is always encouraging.
Then this morning I planned an act of worship for the group around Isaiah 6, using an interactive reading of the scripture and then various stations around the room to encourage people to reflect and pray on the reading. Again I really enjoyed the experience of planning this worship. In fact I know that the opportunity to plan and lead worship is something that makes me feel alive and fulfilled in a way that writing essays- however much I may be interested in the topic - doesn't. I'm having to sit hard on my patience as I wait for the time when I shall have finished college and be out living the life I feel called to.
In the meantime -back to that essay!
Our group was responsible for leading worship over last week and then today I was responsible for planning and leading the mornings Group worship. On Friday evening I planned and led a Service of the Word- an alternative to our college regular pattern of Common Worship or BCP evening prayer. The idea is to plan a service which would be pretty standard in an average parish church that didn't use straight evening prayer. I really enjoyed the challenge, and in fact used a standard structure from evening prayer but used modern songs and hymns rather than plain song and canticles. The comments I have received back have been positive which is always encouraging.
Then this morning I planned an act of worship for the group around Isaiah 6, using an interactive reading of the scripture and then various stations around the room to encourage people to reflect and pray on the reading. Again I really enjoyed the experience of planning this worship. In fact I know that the opportunity to plan and lead worship is something that makes me feel alive and fulfilled in a way that writing essays- however much I may be interested in the topic - doesn't. I'm having to sit hard on my patience as I wait for the time when I shall have finished college and be out living the life I feel called to.
In the meantime -back to that essay!
Thursday, 3 November 2011
A quiet interlude!
Normally yesterday would have been the first quiet day of the term. Last year that involved total silence around the college buildings from compline on Tuesday evening until 8.30am on Thursday. However this term due to other events in college the day became condensed. We met for compline on Tuesday evening and then a talk from +Michael, followed by silence. Wednesday we were in silence from waking and had morning prayer followed by +Michael's second talk then a couple of hours for reflection followed by silent lunch, service in the middle of the day and third talk by +Michael. Then just an hour later the bell went for the end of silence and we collected outside near the new building s for the blessing of the stones. This was a celebration of the college and the new building work. From that those of us in the choir or altar party went to church for rehearsals. This was followed at 5.15pm with a Service for All Souls.
The quiet day retreats are never easy in college but this last one has been anything but retreat like. We seemed to rush from one place to another not just physically but spiritually without time to reflect and absorb what we had heard. The change as well from quiet reflection, to celebration and back to the reflective requiem style service left us all a little disorientated.
Our thoughts have been fed back - and I do appreciate that it was an unusual combination of events that wouldn't normally happen. It reminded us all that when working in parishes we need to carry a single thought through a service.
After all that I am shattered and wishing it was half term this weekend and that I had been sensible and booked a few days away instead of staying in college and doing placement on Sunday.
The quiet day retreats are never easy in college but this last one has been anything but retreat like. We seemed to rush from one place to another not just physically but spiritually without time to reflect and absorb what we had heard. The change as well from quiet reflection, to celebration and back to the reflective requiem style service left us all a little disorientated.
Our thoughts have been fed back - and I do appreciate that it was an unusual combination of events that wouldn't normally happen. It reminded us all that when working in parishes we need to carry a single thought through a service.
After all that I am shattered and wishing it was half term this weekend and that I had been sensible and booked a few days away instead of staying in college and doing placement on Sunday.
Sunday, 30 October 2011
A glimpse of the future
Today was one of those days when I got a glimpse of what my future Sundays may look like. I feel called to rural ministry and in our modern church that means not just a single parish to look after but a number of parishes forming a benefice. My Sunday placement this year is a benefice of 3 churches all within 3 miles of each other. This morning I set up at the village parish church where the college is but didn't have top serve as it was a songs of praise service. The service finished at 10.40am and then it was a quick tidy up and putting things away before driving up to a second church where I was preaching. I arrived just as the clock struck for the 11am service. I was greeted by the Vicar asking me read the Gospel and to also do the intercessions and to serve at the Eucharist. Intercessions the only unexpected in that lot. Home form church for lunch and then out again at 3pm ready for a Service of Light to remember those that have died in the cluster of churches over the last 3 years. The church was packed- far more than I've seen at any other service in the cluster unless the whole student body is in the congregation.
It certainly spoke to me of the need for the church to offer this service and the pastoral needs it meets.
Home now and relaxing for the evening before back to essays tomorrow! Oh and I have an evening prayer service to prepare, a service of the word for next Friday evening and a morning worship to put together for the following Wednesday. I love this practical preparation for worship now and learning for the future.
Things are also progressing slowly with my curacy.
It certainly spoke to me of the need for the church to offer this service and the pastoral needs it meets.
Home now and relaxing for the evening before back to essays tomorrow! Oh and I have an evening prayer service to prepare, a service of the word for next Friday evening and a morning worship to put together for the following Wednesday. I love this practical preparation for worship now and learning for the future.
Things are also progressing slowly with my curacy.
Sunday, 23 October 2011
Space
Time has passed quickly with essays to write and the normal life of college. Slowly we are being reshaped as a community with the new ordinands becoming very much part of the fellowship here. It's strange but this year I seem to need space more and so spend less time in the college environs even though I chose this college partly so as to be living on site! It has also been good over the last few weeks to welcome back for visits those who left last year and to hear their stories of curacy.
Its been a strange few weeks as I prepared to go north to look at a curacy- the visit was last week and then I spent the day in York on the Saturday while K attended an AGM. The opportunity to take communion in the Minster was wonderful but the crowds round York made me feel hemmed in and lack of open churches made it difficult to find the space I needed.
As far as the curacy is concerned it all looks positive and I shall be making a return visit in December. Some time after that I shall hopefully be able to say more about it.
In the meantime I am continuing as sacristan here at Cuddesdon and also doing placement duties at two other churches in the cluster. As a result I attended an Emmaus course on Thursday evening- rather an odd one as all those attended had been christian for a number of years so we were looking at Augustines definition of sin alongside Kant and Schleirmicher (?Spelling) The others seemed to enjoy it though I missed having any real biblical study. that said it was good to be back in a small group situation. This morning I led morning service of the word at one of the churches. I had only worshipped there once before and on that occasion it had been a family service so I was caught out occasionally where they did things slightly differently to what was printed. but at the end my placement supervisor said I did well so its one more learning experience! Next week I'm preaching there- subject All Saints!
In the meantime I shall continue with writing my essay on how grandparents can pass on their faith and look at my dissertation on the use of the church building in mission to Tourists. Oh and its half term at the end of the week- we get 1 and half days off so I'm off to see my youngest son.
Then we have a quiet day when we return so perhaps I'll get some of the space I need then!
Its been a strange few weeks as I prepared to go north to look at a curacy- the visit was last week and then I spent the day in York on the Saturday while K attended an AGM. The opportunity to take communion in the Minster was wonderful but the crowds round York made me feel hemmed in and lack of open churches made it difficult to find the space I needed.
As far as the curacy is concerned it all looks positive and I shall be making a return visit in December. Some time after that I shall hopefully be able to say more about it.
In the meantime I am continuing as sacristan here at Cuddesdon and also doing placement duties at two other churches in the cluster. As a result I attended an Emmaus course on Thursday evening- rather an odd one as all those attended had been christian for a number of years so we were looking at Augustines definition of sin alongside Kant and Schleirmicher (?Spelling) The others seemed to enjoy it though I missed having any real biblical study. that said it was good to be back in a small group situation. This morning I led morning service of the word at one of the churches. I had only worshipped there once before and on that occasion it had been a family service so I was caught out occasionally where they did things slightly differently to what was printed. but at the end my placement supervisor said I did well so its one more learning experience! Next week I'm preaching there- subject All Saints!
In the meantime I shall continue with writing my essay on how grandparents can pass on their faith and look at my dissertation on the use of the church building in mission to Tourists. Oh and its half term at the end of the week- we get 1 and half days off so I'm off to see my youngest son.
Then we have a quiet day when we return so perhaps I'll get some of the space I need then!
Sunday, 9 October 2011
Getting on with it
College normal time table resumed this week and I spent most of the week preparing and then giving my presentation on my summer placement. I was amazed at how difficult I found it- I used to be a teacher so giving presentations wouldn't be a problem. The delivering the presentation went fine but I'd struggled to know at what depth I should theologically reflect. Anyway its out of the way now and with just 4 lectures a week for this term I should be able to get on with my final portfolio and dissertation.
This week sees the journey north for curacy interview. However this weekend has thrown up some spanners in the works. I'm not in a position to share that at the moment but would really appreciate prayer that I would truly know God's will and peace at this difficult time.
Thanks in anticipation :)
This week sees the journey north for curacy interview. However this weekend has thrown up some spanners in the works. I'm not in a position to share that at the moment but would really appreciate prayer that I would truly know God's will and peace at this difficult time.
Thanks in anticipation :)
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