I'm so glad I was wearing a big heavy woollen robe this morning, it was -2c and the church heating had broken in the frost!
Any nerves I'd been feeling disappeared the minute I stepped up to speak and I really, really enjoyed delivering my address (again!). It has definitely given me the confidence I need to go now to my placement church and experience a different style of worship.
By the end of my 6 weeks there I will no doubt have gained some extremely useful experience and skills to help me move forward on my journey.
The mental shift into the role that I hope to fulfil is beginning, and I'm very excited by this and extremely thankful for God's guidance at every step. I'm very glad I listened and heard His call and took the leap of faith when I took His hand and asked Him to show me what He had planned for me.
So far I have experienced only joy and fulfilment and my life has taken on a new and amazing dimension that is better than anything in the world.
Life is so much brighter, richer, happier and worthwhile with our Lord and Christ in it.
God bless us every one!
Sunday, 29 January 2012
Wednesday, 11 January 2012
The Power of Prayer
In the last few months, as friends, family and aquaintances become more aware of the journey I am on and as I myself become more 'Godly' in my outlook and attitude (if you understand what I mean by this), I am finding myself increasingly consulted in matters of morality, the giving of advice and quite often, I'm asked to pray for someone.
Now I don't know if this is because of the fact that I have offered myself up for ordination and have a life deeply grounded in Christ, or even because maybe I, to them, have changed in such a way that I display more of the virtues of a priestly person than I did before, but this is what's happening.
I don't hesitate of course, I gladly agree to pray for that someone or that situation; I remember them in my Night Prayers and have them mentioned in church during Intercessions. I also have them on my mind at times of impromptu praying, whenever the need to pray comes upon me.
Which makes me ask the question: Even if you are not a churchgoer, have no real faith in Christ, or are simply not interested - Does the knowledge that someone is praying for you give you a feeling of well-being and some measure of inner peace? Does it enable you to go about your daily life safe in the knowledge that someone spiritually 'has your back'?
It's an extremely important thing, having the responsibility for someone's spiritual well-being in your hands. How you treat that well-being and what you do with it are of tantamount importance and should not be taken lightly. It is a God given gift to be able to pray for someone, a precious task to be handled with delicacy, care and loving attention at all times.
So I ask you this - and I don't mean for you to necessarily think of me as that person, just because you know me but "Does having someone pray for you help you to cope with a difficult situation?"
I'm inviting you to please add your comments below, I'm very interested to know how this question makes you feel.
I'd also like to know if you would be interested in 'Prayer Requests' whereby you give me the name(s) of people who are going through difficulties that you would like me to pray for, or even if you yourself need the occasional prayer to help and guide you.
Bit of a different post this one, as you've probably gathered but please work with me on this, it should take just a few seconds of your time.
God Bless.
Elaine
(And funnily enough, just as I finish typing this, another prayer request is received)
Now I don't know if this is because of the fact that I have offered myself up for ordination and have a life deeply grounded in Christ, or even because maybe I, to them, have changed in such a way that I display more of the virtues of a priestly person than I did before, but this is what's happening.
I don't hesitate of course, I gladly agree to pray for that someone or that situation; I remember them in my Night Prayers and have them mentioned in church during Intercessions. I also have them on my mind at times of impromptu praying, whenever the need to pray comes upon me.
Which makes me ask the question: Even if you are not a churchgoer, have no real faith in Christ, or are simply not interested - Does the knowledge that someone is praying for you give you a feeling of well-being and some measure of inner peace? Does it enable you to go about your daily life safe in the knowledge that someone spiritually 'has your back'?
It's an extremely important thing, having the responsibility for someone's spiritual well-being in your hands. How you treat that well-being and what you do with it are of tantamount importance and should not be taken lightly. It is a God given gift to be able to pray for someone, a precious task to be handled with delicacy, care and loving attention at all times.
So I ask you this - and I don't mean for you to necessarily think of me as that person, just because you know me but "Does having someone pray for you help you to cope with a difficult situation?"
I'm inviting you to please add your comments below, I'm very interested to know how this question makes you feel.
I'd also like to know if you would be interested in 'Prayer Requests' whereby you give me the name(s) of people who are going through difficulties that you would like me to pray for, or even if you yourself need the occasional prayer to help and guide you.
Bit of a different post this one, as you've probably gathered but please work with me on this, it should take just a few seconds of your time.
God Bless.
Elaine
(And funnily enough, just as I finish typing this, another prayer request is received)
Sunday, 8 January 2012
I now work 6 days a week......
....including Sundays.
Since I gave my first address, sermon, or whatever you'd like to call it, the pace has picked up in my church life and I'm now looking forward to starting my new placement, which will begin soon, where I'll be gaining some more diverse hands-on experience of church and ministerial work.
Loughborough is a very big town in comparison to some, and although there are many churches here, All Saints with Holy Trinity is seen as the parish church of Loughborough. It's very beautiful and has many historical features dating back hundreds of years. It was built in around 1330, in Norman and Saxon times, with later additions to the building dating back to around the 14th and 15th century.
I met with the vicar of All Saints last week to discuss my going on a work placement there during the Spring. This will involve more of the work I'm already doing at Breedon, but on a more intensive scale. Being town based, the church is open for services almost every day; Morning and Evening prayer, midweek Communion services, Midday prayer and more.
Initially for approximately 6 weeks, my placement will involve observation, participation in leading services, serving, leading intercessions and reading. I will also be sitting in on pastoral visiting and vestry time with baptism families and wedding couples.
I feel a little nervous about this but know that as with Breedon, at first it IS nerve wracking but once I've done these things a few times, I'll be fine. I remember vividly the first time John asked me to lead Intercessions, I had very little idea of what this entailed and shook with nerves as I stood up to read.
The next thing to become nervous about is that during certain services, such as Communion, I will be wearing robes. A small thing you may think but huge for me!
I'm really, really looking forward to all of this and again, it is all great experience for me to take to my BAP towards the end of the year.
My Journey in Faith (JiF) course begins again next week, after a break for Christmas and the first thing on the agenda is to hand in our assignments. They are optional for those who seek to simply gain more knowledge of the church by taking this course, but compulsory for those who intend to go onto more formal ministry training. That's me. I hope.
Of the 5 assignments on offer, I was apparently the only one who decided to do the Theological Reflection (TR) assignment.
It sounds very grand and I suppose it is, but in touching on TR during one of our sessions recently, I found that not only did I 'get' the process and understand how it works, but I really enjoyed learning about it. TR is a recognised discipline which is designed to help to diagnose the causes and reasons for an experience that an individual or a group has, and using the TR method along with prayer, the power of the Holy Spirit and God's presence and influence on the proceedings, to analyse and discuss it in depth and to come to a decision as to what action to take in response to the experience. It is also commonly known as the Pastoral Cycle.
2000 words (2200 max) went by in a flash and I did have to do a certain amount of trimming of words to get it down to the permitted amount. I'm pleased with it, I believe I've done what has been asked and am looking forward to the result and any comments and help from the adjudicators when it's handed back.
In November and December I 'worked' 5 Sundays out of 8 and was mentally very tired by Christmas. I'm on Breedon's rota to do much the same in January and February before beginning at All Saints. I don't feel at all like I'm doing too much but I must take care not to overdo it.
Which reminds me, I MUST make an appointment to go and see my Spiritual Advisor and have a good chat with her about everything that's going on.
I might also try and squeeze in another one of those wonderful 'Quiet Days' at Launde Abbey soon, I know I'm going to need one!
Since I gave my first address, sermon, or whatever you'd like to call it, the pace has picked up in my church life and I'm now looking forward to starting my new placement, which will begin soon, where I'll be gaining some more diverse hands-on experience of church and ministerial work.
Loughborough is a very big town in comparison to some, and although there are many churches here, All Saints with Holy Trinity is seen as the parish church of Loughborough. It's very beautiful and has many historical features dating back hundreds of years. It was built in around 1330, in Norman and Saxon times, with later additions to the building dating back to around the 14th and 15th century.
I met with the vicar of All Saints last week to discuss my going on a work placement there during the Spring. This will involve more of the work I'm already doing at Breedon, but on a more intensive scale. Being town based, the church is open for services almost every day; Morning and Evening prayer, midweek Communion services, Midday prayer and more.
Initially for approximately 6 weeks, my placement will involve observation, participation in leading services, serving, leading intercessions and reading. I will also be sitting in on pastoral visiting and vestry time with baptism families and wedding couples.
I feel a little nervous about this but know that as with Breedon, at first it IS nerve wracking but once I've done these things a few times, I'll be fine. I remember vividly the first time John asked me to lead Intercessions, I had very little idea of what this entailed and shook with nerves as I stood up to read.
The next thing to become nervous about is that during certain services, such as Communion, I will be wearing robes. A small thing you may think but huge for me!
I'm really, really looking forward to all of this and again, it is all great experience for me to take to my BAP towards the end of the year.
My Journey in Faith (JiF) course begins again next week, after a break for Christmas and the first thing on the agenda is to hand in our assignments. They are optional for those who seek to simply gain more knowledge of the church by taking this course, but compulsory for those who intend to go onto more formal ministry training. That's me. I hope.
Of the 5 assignments on offer, I was apparently the only one who decided to do the Theological Reflection (TR) assignment.
It sounds very grand and I suppose it is, but in touching on TR during one of our sessions recently, I found that not only did I 'get' the process and understand how it works, but I really enjoyed learning about it. TR is a recognised discipline which is designed to help to diagnose the causes and reasons for an experience that an individual or a group has, and using the TR method along with prayer, the power of the Holy Spirit and God's presence and influence on the proceedings, to analyse and discuss it in depth and to come to a decision as to what action to take in response to the experience. It is also commonly known as the Pastoral Cycle.
2000 words (2200 max) went by in a flash and I did have to do a certain amount of trimming of words to get it down to the permitted amount. I'm pleased with it, I believe I've done what has been asked and am looking forward to the result and any comments and help from the adjudicators when it's handed back.
In November and December I 'worked' 5 Sundays out of 8 and was mentally very tired by Christmas. I'm on Breedon's rota to do much the same in January and February before beginning at All Saints. I don't feel at all like I'm doing too much but I must take care not to overdo it.
Which reminds me, I MUST make an appointment to go and see my Spiritual Advisor and have a good chat with her about everything that's going on.
I might also try and squeeze in another one of those wonderful 'Quiet Days' at Launde Abbey soon, I know I'm going to need one!
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