102 Days a Deacon

An odd milestone I know, and not because I missed 100 days but because it took me a little longer to write this than I originally thought.

100 Days!! Wowza. That is bonkers. That 100 days have passed since I was ordained. Time is a funny thing really, because it can go in the blink of an eye and feel like a lifetime all at the same time. And that is what the last 100 days gave felt like. It feels like only yesterday I was knelt before the Bishop, and yet it feels like I've been a curate forever (in a good way). A lot has happened, but there is still so much to do and learn.

In supervision last week I noted that I felt as though I'd been coasting since the 1st of July and that it now feels like the real work is starting. And that's a pretty accurate description of that time. At the start it was (and still is) about building and maintaining relationships, seeing what goes on and shadowing everything that was going on. In a way starting in July is a great way of doing this, you can get stuck in with what is going on, and then in August when a lot of activities take a break you can focus on the visiting lots of different people. Then come September, when everything starts back up, you have built a stable foundation of relationships and understanding with which to start work.

In the last 100 days there have been many highlights (and some challenges), it would take me forever to share all of them so here are a select few.

Make Lunch Club

In School Holidays Holy Trinity Prestwood runs a Make Lunch Club - working with TLG to provide nutritious meals to those vulnerable families who rely on free school meals during term time. Being involved is challenging and rewarding in equal measures, but it is most certainly a highlight of my Summer. Being able to build relationships with those families is so crucial. I am, and always have been, vocal about what constitutes 'church' and I think increasingly there is a move away from the 'main Sunday service'. That's not to say that the main Sunday service isn't important, it is and the Eucharist is still the foundation of my faith and gives me the strength I need to minister to all those I encounter, but it isn't fair to say that it is only those who gather at that service who are 'a part of the church'. Catholic mission is something that needs more focus, and how we take our catholic spirituality out into the community - as much as I love smells and bells, that isn't (for me) what being an Anglo-Catholic is about, it is not about staying cooped up in our churches saying as many Masses as possible (though I am a supporter of a Daily Mass) - it has to be balanced with life 'on the outside'. (but that is probably a whole other reflective piece of writing)

Make Lunch is a great example of meeting the needs of the community, it invites them in to the physical church building, provides them a nutritious meal and fun activities. Over the summer we groomed ponies, visited a farm, and played outdoor games. It was an absolute privilege to spend time with the families, to get to know them, and to share in their joy. I'm really looking forward to spending time with them again two weeks, and planning for Christmas.

Pastoral Care

Providing pastoral care to those in the parish is, for me, one of the core elements of parish ministry. It is an absolute privilege to journey with others on their paths, be that their spiritual journey or other. I was recently present for Viaticum and Extreme Unction, the act of last communion and anointing to prepare for death. I distributed communion and the words which I say multiple times on a Sunday morning suddenly took on an entirely new meaning: 'The Body and Blood of Christ, keep you in eternal life'. All of a sudden I was hit with the knowledge that this really was going to keep them in eternal life. It was a deeply profound moment, and made me realise that it is easy to take for granted words which we say so often, and to forget their deeper meaning. It's sad that it takes an extreme case to remind us of this, but for now I hold that memory with me each time I distribute communion - their meaning has become (for want of a better word) more real.

So the last 100 days have been a whirlwind, and I am loving it all. There is nothing I would rather be doing than what it is I am doing. I am right where I belong, right where God is calling me to be.