Nigel Wright

Handling Illness & death - Lament is allowed

I post the following with the permission of a friend who was sharing her thoughts as we reflected on the late Rob Lacey.

"I didn't really know much about Rob Lacey other than his book, the word on the street, but I do feel quite affected by the news of his death.  Having read what's in the back of that book about some of what he had gone through, one can't help feeling what an incredible person of God he was....  It is right for us to rejoice when God heals, as was the case for a while for him as well, but at the same time, we are made to remember our lives here on earth are only limited part of God's greater plan, which we cannot understand now.  But that fact hits us sometime really hard, doesn't it, and I guess it is right that it does..."

It is the focus on it hitting us really hard... not so long ago...

Reflections...

"It’s a mixed experience studying on a course when you are trying to juggle work, home life, church and just living! It’s strange too when you feel competent doing your job but totally incompetent as a theology student! However, it appears that this is a common experience and part of what they call ‘formation’. I feel I am learning a lot of new things, some of which are fascinating and encouraging and inspiring and others which are infuriating, boring and unintelligible. Perhaps that is what the church is like too??"

Rachel

Reflections...

"Get up. Arrow prayer. Has my son found his P.E.kit okay? Yes!! Kiss goodbye. Off he ambles. He has all the time in the world. Husband emerges from bathroom, daughter stirs in her bed. I’m off to meet my tutor. Traffic not as bad as I feared. Just make it for 10.30. Good chat. We talk about the course, Pastoral and Practical Theology. How’s the placement going? Great, Learning loads, No time for reading though! Write an essay – that’s got to wait until the end of term. What about the next stage? Half way though the course so you need to think about the sort of parish you’d like to go to. Where do I start? What should I think about? Time to go. Be in touch soon. Back home for lunch. Then off to placement. Arrive at chaplaincy. All is calm, but that’s before the storm. Then it breaks – one’s cut upon the health care wing. Got to tell another her niece has been murdered...

Reflecting on reflecting!

I came across this today courtesy of the prodigal Kiwi(s), food for thought in the reflection process:

Jacques Ellul, “belief provides answers to people’s questions, while faith never does,” notes “faith is not the business of signing up to intellectual propositions. It is, rather, the business of trying to live and move and have our being in God, source of life and love…”

Reflections...

“Difficult to say how I feel about the course at the moment, it feels a bit separated from the real world....a long slog with short bursts of elation when you discover that you have passed something....so distant from the work I feel called to do that it drains me in a way that actually working a parish does not, in fact the opposite is true, I am re-energised by parish work.

At the moment, given the opportunity I could sleep for

Britain

.....

Good luck with the blog,”

Caroline

Reflections...

"exactly half way on, I can say I am honestly excited about being on the course. (Perhaps one of the best things that happened in my life as God's gifts!)  Thanks to the course itself and encouragement from tutors and fellow students, I have been able to take some unexpected turns in my faith journey, which have helped me grow much deeper in my questioning of our understanding of God and of our place in His mission in this world.  All of this touches me to the core, as I cannot help but sense God's grace, giving me the courage to journey on to live the 'here and now' and to discover whom I am called to be and become..."

Ikuko

Reflections on training...

I have asked a few of my friends on the course to share a little snap shot of life in the midst of ordination training and will be posting them over the coming days.

I am very grateful to them for doing so, as the training is a time of great emotional and spiritual surgery/ upheaval/ exploration and therefore by definition,  something very personal.

As always on this blog, I aim to ensure no confidences are broken and the freedom to explore on the course, without hindrance, is not jeopardised by this blog.

Image courtesy of Matt's Blog