Holiday challenges

I'm a bit behind with my blog, but though term may have finished I have still been working hard! No putting my feet up just yet!

In the past two weeks I have experienced two aspects of ministry that have led me to sit and reflect. Firstly, I started my special context placement at the Hospice. Secondly, I returned to the north (before it snowed) and preached at my 'home' church.

Ten weeks into my training was I really ready to face what it means to live with a terminal illness? The honest answer is no. How do you approach people? What do you say? From my first day I learnt 'be yourself' and that a smile goes a long way and from my second day it important to listen, but not just to what is said, but what is unsaid too. Though these are important things for me to remember when I go back to the Hospice in February to complete my placement, they are also important lessons for ministry. If I can't be myself or am not able to listen to the silence as well as the chatter, being a minister is going to be even tougher!

The second challenge of my first two weeks of the holiday was returning to Newcastle and preaching at St George's. Going back to what has been 'home' for the past seven years, you'd think would be easy and would ease the pressure on it being the first time of preaching since starting college. Err no... I think it might have been one of the hardest services I've had to lead so far and one from which I have definitely learnt. Going back as the visiting preacher is definitely not easy!

So life's little challenges continue, but soon it will be Christmas and then the New Year! As I don't think I'll get back to my blog till after Christmas now, to all my readers may a wish you a very happy and peaceful Christmas.

It all started over 2000 years ago in the Holy Land...

So here we are, the end of term! I am now a 12th of the way through my ministrial training! Where have the last 10 weeks gone?!

We are now in the season of Advent, travelling the road to the manger, the first of so many journeys within the New Testament, as well as being the start of THE journey. But for me and for I think I can safely say my fellow students and even lecturers, journeying is not just what we read and study about in the Bible, we are all living a journey. It is a personal journey, but at times we have fellow travellers, sometimes they are great company, other times you wish they would just leave you alone. But with our fellow travellers we share the highs and lows of road.

This to me sums up what I have experienced here in Cambridge over the last 10 weeks. This journey that I'm on started 30 years ago and I have met many fellow travellers along the way. Some I am still travelling with, some I've parted company from. However, now I am on a new piece of road, travelling with a new set of people with whom to share my blister plasters. It has been tough, but there have been some great views and words (oh and puddings) that have kept us going.

So as Christmas approaches and we travel towards the manger--to my fellow travellers (past, present, future), thank you for your company, it has been great!