Shining in God's Heavenly Light

I haven't been blogging for a while. The plan to journal my experiences of pastoral care training on this blog kind of took a nosedive as the stream-of-consciousness, often confidential nature of what I am learning and writing doesn't sit too well here! I've also been busy doing other things like going on the school trip with my 5 year old and helping out in her class. Suffice to say the course is going very well; I have been offered a placement at the local hospital in the New Year, and I was presented with a Certificate that marked the end of my two years of general study in Christian Discipleship during our Harvest Festival at church this Sunday, which is the bit I want to blog about now.

As is often the case, I took three children with me to the Family Service. Usually FirstSister sings in the children't choir at the front, but this particular morning she didn't want to. ThirdSister seemed to want to make for the table of candles. SecondSister wanted to play with her friend. (Did I mention they were up extremely late at the Harvest Supper the previous night?!) By the time I had shepherded them all into a pew and walked around and around with ThirdSister before the service started, I felt exhausted. Often we pop into the Children's Chapel at the back and we were invited there, but I knew I had to be up to collect my certificate, so I had to wait. I think I had two photographs taken, one with a toddler under my arm, the other with her pulling me to go somewhere.

After the service I joked to the photographer (who was a church elder taking pictures for posteriority, rather than publication) that he had better Photoshop me, as I must have looked frazzled and harried. And he went and picked up the camera, and showed me my picture in the viewfinder. And I looked lovely! (Bear in mind I never look good on photos.) Somehow, with the sun coming through the stained glass windows, and the candles, and being surrounded by my children and my congregation and honoured with the gifts of God that allowed me to get to the end of a difficult course, I looked like I was shining in His heavenly light. Which, due to His blessings, I often am.

I don't often feel like I am, but sometimes, however hurried and worried I may be, it seems I can look it, too.

In which God reminds me to be humble!

It's a funny thing, this ministry lark. It requires to be taken very seriously, with years of academic and theology study, practical experience, and a deep understanding of God and how to lead others to Him. It's simultaneously a blessing and a burden - it's a calling from God, yet can require almost as much dying to self as parenthood does. God has gifted me with innate talents, which He, humans and learning can help draw out and mould me into someone worthy to do His work on this earth. I am simultaneously part of the church body, with my gifts no different from anyone else, yet set apart in a hierarchy of holiness established by church elders, who discern, with God's help, who will be chosen to undergo ministry training and be awarded the certificate, the pin, the robe, the privilege. I lurch from feeling overawed that God has blessed me in this way, ready to fall down on my knees, to realising that, oh my word, I really do know more than I knew this time last week due to the hard work I have put in on my learning and spiritual journey.

I emerged from an encounter with our new curate relatively unscathed, amused, and reminded that I need to seek humility on this journey at all times. I had returned some books to the vestry; I had borrowed them from two of our qualified lay ministers during the course I have just finished. Our curate examined one of them, whichhe did not recognise, and asked about it. Myself and a colleague discussed it with him, explaining its themes and usefulness. Although he has seen me leading the Pram Service, I'm not sure the curate knows about my/God's plans for my widening ministry (why would he?), so when he asked permission to pose a question, I assumed it would be about my status and role in church, what was around the corner, or something equally important in the spiritual scheme of things.

And this good man, whose sermon that night was amusing AND inspired, turned round to me and said to me in his still-Russian way:

Would you mind telling me what is it, the perfume you are wearing?

Now, don't worry, I know the man's wife and he knows I'm married with 3 kids, it wasn't that kind of question! But it was a gentle reminder - that when my mind is on the Big Things, or what I think are the big things, in life, someone else is seeing the superficial. 

And that's okay. Because I don't need to have ego or status to be doing God's work in the world; I just need to be doing it.

7 Quick Takes Volume 7

1

Last Sunday after I'd taken the girls to church my brother in law came over with my nephew, and the family had fun on the trampoline and then we went to the park. Turns out my sister in law (who is pregnant with her second baby) was on a spa day. A spa day! I think I've forgotten what one of those is. I did go on one when SecondSister was 6 months old, I seem to remember. (FIVE. YEARS. AGO.)

2

And funnily enough, Jen's Quick Takes reminded me that I harbour an inner me who may like to have a spa day and lie by the pool reading a book, rather than congregating in a family pool. Getting splashed. But when I described what you do on a spa day (have a little swim, eat a little food, get a pedicure, lie by the pool reading a book) my 7 year old got incredibly excited. Turns out it's her perfect idea of a day too. (She'd probably also enjoy all that talk about exfoliating when she had her facial or discussing favourite pop music with the manicurist.)

3

Second best to a spa day, though, is singing, and I was privileged enough not only to begin learning And the Glory of the Lord from Handel's Messiah, but to start practising Christmas carols! Yes, there is plenty of time until our group's concert at my home church, but we needed to check how well we can do them - and we are already sounding great! So lovely to think ahead a little to celebrating the birth of Jesus (and, ahem, be picking up a few stocking stuffers here and there.) (I promise, come Advent, I will go quiet on the subject; I will be waiting.)

4

I watched Downton Abbey this week. Maybe Anglophiles are what it's made for, but I just didn't get it. There were high production values, but it seemed like every other UK period drama I have seen before. Certainly no Brideshead Revisited. But I have set our machine up to record it every week. So wait until I have watched a few more episodes before I am addicted to a show I am underwhelmed by at first (just like with Buffy the Vampire Slayer, The Mentalist and, oh, every show I've ever watched.)

5

My course started this week. It was hugely positive. And hard work. As was the homework we got. Still, I love this early Autumn/beginning of the school year time. Even if I am still driving to pick up school shirts in a bigger size because FirstSister grew. Again.

6

Tonight is usually Date Night in our house. But, tonight, I had singing rehearsal and my husband is out participating beer and skittles with some of the men from our church. Luckily, I at least got a night of making packed lunches for school. And we have family movie night with a KFC scheduled for tomorrow, to look forward to :-)

7

Speaking of which...K.F.C.- what is it about you? (To be sung to the tune of NYC, from the musical Annie. Of course.) I don't think KFC takeaway went down well last time we had it in our house a few years back. The girls don't like baked beans or sweetcorn. Or coleslaw. I'm not that keen myself; I'm meant to avoid fatty foods because I'm prone to gallstones. But, I have this thing about getting a family bucket that contains a certain number of portions of fries and so on. (I remember being astounded I couldn't get fries there in the USA. Biscuits and gravy, but no fries!) And they have also spearheaded a donation to the United Nations' Food Fund. So it's off to KFC we'll go!

Have a good week everyone. Take an Autumnal walk over to Jen's original Quick Takes at Conversion Diary.