Reflection on BAP : 14-16 May 2012

I attended BAP at Shallowford House, Stone, Staffordshire between 14-16 May 2012. BAP is the conference mechanism used by the CofE to discern whether Candidates offering for Ordained Ministry and sponsored by their Diocesan Bishop, meet the Ordination Criteria.

 The panel is organised with 16 candidates attending, split into two syndicates. Six Assessors are appointed, three to each syndicate. The Ministry Division administrator for Ordained Ministry attends as the Panel Secretary.

 The Assessors cover three main areas; Vocation, Pastoral and Educational. They assess against several of the nine criteria for Ordination, with a necessary overlap for some criteria. For example, Vocation impinges on all of the other eight criteria.

The journey to Shallowford for me was 174 miles, with many candidates travelling much further. One flew in from the Diocese of Europe in Spain.

Shallowford house is a former country house, set in its own grounds, which was left to the Diocese of Lichfield about 60 years ago for use as a Retreat and Study Centre. The house, much modernised, retains its Victorian charm and the grounds are well kept, with lovely gardens and fields to walk in, one of which has a Labyrinth cut into the grass. It is a peaceful setting, which despite the presence of the West Coast main line railway running past it, seems in some way, to have retained its aura of a country house.

Meeting the candidates and assessors was a joy. Every single one was enthused and very aware of why we were there and the significance of the deliberations over the three days.

Day one of the panel consisted of settling in, briefings and worship and a lively exercise in getting to know each other, ending at about 9 pm. Part of this was the completion of a Personal Inventory, which was challenging to complete in the 40 minutes allocated.

Day two of the panel commenced a routine of Worship, Meals, Delivering Presentations, Chairing a discussion on the presentation (and contributing to the discussion in turn). Followed by one to one interviews with each of the three syndicate assessors on their respective subject areas. In my case, I slightly abandoned the script for my presentation, but was able to bring out the missed points in the discussion phase. All of us in the syndicate joined in with supporting and encouraging our contemporaries, by being attentive and engaging in the discussion(s) making the process, while a little pressured by time constraints, enjoyable and productive. One assessor, observing, saying that they really wanted to join in, but had to remain neutral - which is I believe a compliment to the quality of both presentations and discussions.

 Interviews: After lunch we moved to individual interviews, I had one (Vocation) on the the second day and a further two on the third day. I had gone with the Bishop’s words in my mind. “Not to much preparation and rehearsal” and “concentrate on one or two things” and “be yourself and enjoy the process”. I did exactly that. Whether or not I prepared enough, will not become clear until the results are announced late next week - but I was challenged by each interview, particularly the one on Vocation. I found all of them enjoyable, and actually found myself laughing at some of the things I shared with the assessors.

Pastoral Exercise: We also had to complete a pastoral exercise over the three days, which involved writing a letter of not more than 500 words on a set pastoral situation. The exercise challenged me, but I thanked God for the insights of the preparation of a diocesan panel and one day of pre-BAP activity earlier this year, prior to BAP.

The people. Overall, everyone was fantastic, both assessors and fellow candidates. There was much humour about, as well as story telling as we recounted to each other our individual journeys, each were unique, and each were inspirational. They came from vastly different backgrounds from someone already in Lay Pioneer Ministry to those involved in Fresh Expressions and New Wine arrangements, it really helps to widen the perspective of someone involved in parochial lay ministry and perhaps even gives insights into how future vocation may change and take you.

The Worship was organised and provided by the assessors. We had a compline, two HC, One MP and one Day prayer during the 2.5 days together. The choice of hymns, Psalms etc was inspired and corporate worship, despite the variety of traditions was wonderful. Time was plentiful for quiet prayer, for walking the grounds and labyrinth and to just ‘be’.

Social. There was a bar open, but I found myself so tired each evening, finishing at 9 pm, that I didn’t avail myself of it. But, we had ample opportunities to socialise during meal times and free-time between interviews and on the many, useful tea/coffee breaks provided in the programme.

Atmosphere. The overall atmosphere was one of prayerfulness, mixed with some nervousness from some (including me) and trepidation on what to expect from the interviews in particular. There was pressure of time, but the reality is that most pressure is self generated by candidates upon themselves. But humour abounded and was evident from everyone. I actually think that the church has got this right, because having heeded the Bishop’s words, I actually enjoyed the process.

What Now?

 We all await with baited breath the outcome of the panel, which will be announced in a week or so. We can expect to be given the verdict by our DDO or Bishop. I hope and pray that I am recommended for Training, but know that it’s God’s will that is the overriding authority. I pray that it any vocation that I have is discerned in the wisdom and knowledge that I know the assessors possessed.

Things Happen - Thoughts on Suffering

Originally posted on the #digidisciple blog on 10th May 2012

Things Happen! – Thoughts on Suffering #BigBible @minidvr

BY 

BIGBIBLE

 – MAY 10, 2012POSTED IN: BIGBIBLE

http://spiritlessons.com/Documents/Jesus_Pictures/Jesus_025.jpg

I often wonder about things?  How and why they happen.  Perhaps ‘cause and effect’.  For an atheist ‘suffering’ is just an accident of nature, which might or might not have a scientific or philosophical explanation, but it’s one of their evidences that God doesn’t exist.

Coming from a Christian perspective, we believe that things happen because either God wills them, or because mankind, going against the will of God, causes bad things to happen.   ‘Simples’ as the Meerkat says.

However, life isn’t that simple and good and bad things happen all of the time, which cause me to stop and think, either ‘how wonderful’ or more often ‘how awful’, and I ponder on how and why God allows natural disasters and suffering to persist in the world?

It appears that Suffering is the  symptom of man exercising his free will and sinning.  Sin is anethmae to God, who sent Jesus to rescue man from his sin through his death and resurrection.  Our continuing sin, contributes to continuing suffering and allows God’s work to be seen in the word?  We haven’t got a good bargain there then!

It seems that God allowed the creation of sin and suffering in the first place?  This is the paradox.   Cause and effect equal cause and effect in a never ending cycle, until God’s will is done.  And it will only be done, when Jesus comes again.

Looking for guidance I find:

Isaiah 55.8 tells us that God thinks and acts on a level different from ours. He sees things from a much broader overview. From our perspective, it’s as though we were putting together a jigsaw puzzle with many of the pieces missing. What part of the picture are we failing to see?[2] God has a plan!

Paul says that “I have been crucified with Christ” (Gal: 2.2) and “I complete what is lacking in Christ’s afflictions for the sake of His body, that is, the Church (Coll 1.24).   He really underlines it with : “For it has been granted to you that for the sake of Christ you should not only believe in him but also suffer for his sake” (Phil 1:29).  God’s plan in fruition!

Jesus himself points us towards suffering for his sake. ““I can of Myself do nothing. As I hear, I judge; and My judgment is righteous, because I do not seek My own will but the will of the Father who sent Me.”  (John 5:30)God’s will is being seen to be done!

This is all well and good, but when we are seeing so much death and destruction wrought around the world and in people’s lives – how can we reconcile ourselves to the fact the we seem predestined to suffering, with no control over how and why it happens, even if our freewill is used for the good, there are so many others where it isn’t. It is a hard a burden to bear?  It’s certainly not the bargain we signed up to, we had no choice in it, it was created for us.

Ah, We’re told that God’s plan includes suffering to allow God’s work to be visible in the world.   So, cause and effect is God’s way of helping us to obey the two greatest commandments (Mark 12:28-31).  Because these two commandments underpin all of the law given to us through scripture and the biblical stories of the Jews as the chosen people.

I read this commentary:[3]

Ÿ Evil and suffering are real – not illusions. They are ‘intrusions’ into the good world God originally made. The bible tells how when Jesus came to earth he stood outside the tomb of his best friend Lazarus and saw the bereaved sisters:   When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who had come along with her also weeping, he was deeply moved in spirit and troubled. (John 11:33)  Literally he was ‘angry’ – death was seen by Jesus as a violent and horrible invasion into his Father’s world.

Ÿ  Ultimately, suffering is linked to our rebellion against our Maker. It is a reminder that the world we live in is ‘out of sorts’ with God and stands under judgment.  ‘Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all men, because all sinned–’ (Romans 5:12)

Ÿ  This does not mean that every ‘item’ of suffering is a direct punishment from God. This was a question the disciples asked of Jesus about a man born blind: ’Who sinned, this man or his parents?’ Jesus’ reply pointed them beyond the suffering to God’s rescuing purposes in himself – “Neither this man nor his parents sinned,” said Jesus, “but this happened so that the work of God might be displayed in his life.” (John 9:3)

Ÿ  Both man made suffering and ‘natural’ suffering should focus our minds on ultimate issues, causing us not so much to ask ‘Why doesn’t God do something about this?’ but “what is my response to this? How might I change?”

Finally, some enlightenment.  It’s not in fact God’s plan to allow suffering.  It’s not God’s plan to allow sin and death.   God’s plan was subverted by Man’s free will, and by the actions of Adam and Eve, tempted by the serpent, which caused original sin, caused the fall of man, caused mortal death and decay and caused sin and evil in the world.  If I change, perhaps others will change. If others change, we may get the ‘wave’ effect we see at large sporting events.  The stone cast in the pond, causing the ripples to spread wider and wider. God’s will coming to its true fruition.

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[1] http://spiritlessons.com/Documents/Jesus_Pictures/Jesus_025.jpg

[2]http://www.ucg.org/bible-study-aid/why-does-god-allow-suffering/?s=2&gclid=CKf60vP_6q8CFcohfAod31wt0A

[3]http://www.stjohnnewland.org.uk/qasuff.htm

TAGS: Questions, Suffering, The Bible

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Induction of Rev'd Lesley Crawley : 6 May 2012

Induction of Rev’d Lesley Crawley - St Mark’s Church, Upper Hale - Sunday 6 May 2012

On Sunday 6^th May 2012, I and my spouse Jen, were invited to attend the Induction of the Rev’d Lesley Crawley as an associate priest to her husband’s benefice at St Mark’s Church, Upper Hale, Nr Farnham in Hampshire. I had known Lesley, via the medium of the internet, her blog, via twitter and facebook for several years. I had participated with her blog, and she had in many ways, helped me to develop and to grow as a Christian, while also seeking to explore a vocation to ordained ministry.

We jumped at the chance to finally meet Lesley and her husband in person, and possibly to network with others attending the service.

The Induction service was conducted by The Bishop of Dorking, The Right Rev’d Ian Brackley. It included the commissioning of a new Ministry Team for St Mark’s and the Benefice.

We arrived, in true military fashion, early for the event. And were met and greeted by ‘Winston’ who explained what was happening. Another welcomer, directed us to Rev’d Lesley, who we met for the very first time. She made us welcome, but given it was a few moments before the service, we only had a brief conversation. We took our seats and almost immediately, Laura Sykes aka @layanglicana and her husband came and sat alongside us. After introductions, we prepared for the service.

St Mark’s is a mid-Victorian build church, with walls rendered externally with local stone. Internally, it has some really lovely wall murals and paintings particularly in the Chancel. It has been reordered in the recent past and is blessed with the addition of a parish centre, with modern facilities added onto the rear of the church.

The church was full to overflowing and the first hymn ‘Thine be the Glory’ played by a combination of Organ and music group, resounded to the rafters. I haven’t heard such singing in a parish church, outside of Christmas or Easter ever.

We moved into the service which was Common Worship, with appropriate adaptions for the induction and licensing of the ministry team. We both found it prayerful and joyful for those participating. The atmosphere was electric with anticipation and agape love was there in abundance. Bishop Ian delivered a warm sermon linked to the Gospel reading which prepared us for the induction and licensing.

Lesley’s induction and licensing was enlightening for both of us, who hadn’t seen one before. It was obvious that Lesley was happy and beaming as was Alan, her spouse and incumbent. It included the prayerful part and formal part of swearing of oaths, which highlights the place of the CofE as the Established Church with the Queen as Governor. It seemed incongruous in some way to mention the Book of Common Prayer, in a Common Worship service, but I rejoice that it retains an honoured place in this liturgy.

The rest of the service seemed to fly by. There were so many communicants, that it took some time. It was great to receive the Blood of Christ from Lesley herself, strangely, it seems just appropriate on the day. The Choir sang hymns alongside the communion, ‘Will you leave yourself behind, If I call your name’ which is used in our parish and I love it. The closing hymn was the upbeat worship song ‘All the tree’s in the fields will clap their hands’ which I have sung before, the second rendition greatly sped up, caught me out, but in a nice way.

After the service there was the opportunity to mingle with the parishioners and to share food and drink informally and of course to have a wider conversation with Lesley and her husband Alan. In the end, I and my spouse spoke to a number of different individuals, my spouse being quite good at the circulating thing, while I remained static and spoke with those around me. I ended up in an Ecumenical conversation with Rev’d Alan and the local RC Parish Priest, Fr Dave. It’s surprising how much we have in common on a person-to-person basis. This is when what divides us disappears and you see the local church for what it really is an can be. A partnership in the community in the name of Christ.

Sadly, we had to leave before the bun fight finished, but departed heartened by our visit, and grateful for our welcome, the fellowship of everyone we met and of course the friendship pouring forth from Lesley and Alan.

We came away refreshed and joyful. I came away affirmed that at local level, in a completely different place from my own comfort zone, the church is alive, well and flourishing. That’s the story that doesn’t make the news, or get into the national media. Quiet work and pastoral care locally, building the kingdom day by day, hour by hour with each other.

The Sabbath #Bigread12 Blog Post

This post was originally posted at the #Bigbible, #Digidisciple blog on 10 April 2012

You are here: Home / BigRead / Easter Tuesday Mark 2.23-27 #BigRead12 with @minidvr

Easter Tuesday Mark 2.23-27 #BigRead12 with @minidvr

APRIL 10, 2012 BY BIGBIBLE LEAVE A COMMENT

The Sabbath:

In this passage Jesus and his disciples are seen to be picking ears of corn [1]and eating them on the Sabbath. Something which those who hated them, criticised them for it being illegal. Jesus makes the point very clearly that David, who was God’s annointed, had entered the temple with his soldiers while on the run from Saul, and had eaten the ‘Bread of thePresence’, which even the priests were forbidden to eat.  Jesus is drawing our attention to his authority as the Son of God, who the rules of man should not be applied to.  His quoted text says it all ‘The sabbath was made for humankind, and not humankind for the sabbath; so the Son of Man is lord even of the sabbath.’

Genisis 2:1-3 describes how God made the seventh day Holy, as a memorial to his creation which was ‘good’ and rested on the seventh day.   We are commanded (as were the Jews) in Exodus 20:8 to remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy.  But surely we should consider every day holy in the service of God, marking the Sabbath as a day of rest and worship of God.  Which seems to me to be my interpretation of God’s intention and the reason behind the commandment.

Pondering on this, I think back to my childhood in the UK in the 1950s.  In those days, Sunday was kept as the Sabbath, quite strictly.   For many working people, it was the only day that they got relief from work for the week.  Many attended worship in churches, shops were closed and only essential public services worked.  Even those who didn’t go to church took advantage of the Sabbath and pursued leisure activities and sport. Sunday was time for rest, family and prayer, not always in that order.   Public transport ran to a Sunday timetable, and pubs and entertainment establishments had very restricted hours.  If you lived in a remote community, Sunday was definitely not the day to have a mini-crisis to run out of milk, to break down.  Nothing would happen until Monday morning.  It was slightly different in more urban communitities, but even here things were closed and the Sabbath was observed to a great extent.

Now, some 60 years later, an enormous transformation has happened.  The Sabbath is only observed by those who practice a religious faith.  Sunday has been swallowed up in the busyness of life lived in a 24/7 economy.  This way of life is common to both rural and urban communities.  Shops are free to open for restricted, but fairly long hours.  Pubs and entertainment establishments can operate 24 hours in some places and secular work is a norm.   Even those who observe the Sabbath, are expected to work if thier employer requires it, or risk losing their job. It seems that society has bowed down the mammon and has allowed secular past times and activities to become more important than those who observe the Sabbath.

I remember in the last 2 years of my working life, I became a Christian.  I had quite happily worked innumerable Sabbath’s, but something had changed.  Jesus had become my Saviour and I had a new set of rules to live out and to live by.  All of a sudden, Sunday became precious.  It was the time that I could dedicate to worship, family and leisure.   In that last two years, I only worked on 2 Sundays, where it could not be avoided, but only if a dispensation was made that I could have time off to attend worship.  Conflict could have ensued, others who had to work, could have said that I was given preferential treatment.  But somehow God’s grace didn’t allow this to happen.  Those who I worked with having been surprised by my conversion, graciously allowed me the time and space to grow and to develop as a Christian and to practice my faith, which I had proclaimed openly in the work place.

I wonder how often that would happen in other work places?  I’m not sure, because I continually read of employers not being ‘faith’ friendly and that reasonable accommodation is not being made for people of any faith to practice their religion freely and in accordance with their conscience.

I don’t blame those employers or people who refuse to contemplate that Christianity or any other faith should be a special case,  they after all, are as entitled to their views as we are in ours.  But it just seems that something has been lost in the transformation and change of the last 50 years or so. That sense of graciousness,  of consideration and compassion for others, displayed by my work colleagues towards me, has been lost in many places. It has been subborned to the busyness of life, of the individual and their rights and the pursuit of wealth and personal happiness, not matter what the cost to our souls.

I wonder if it will ever be regained without a wholesale infusion of the Holy Spirit into people’s lives. I pray for it daily.

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[1]Image Ear of Corn http://www.fotosearch.com/photos-images/ear-corn.html

FILED UNDER: BIGREAD TAGGED WITH: #BIGREAD12, GOSPEL OF MARK, REFLECTION

#digidisciple post 10 Mar 2010

Originally posted at the The Big Bible Project on 10 Mar 2010

http://bigbible.org.uk/2012/03/week-2-saturday-10th-march-2012-john-213-22-bigread12/#comments

Week 2 Saturday 10th March 2012 : John 2:13-22 #bigread12

MARCH 10, 2012 BY ERNIE FEASEY 3 COMMENTS

Jesus Clears the Temple

Jesus Clears the Temple.[1]

Reading these passage today, I can imagine the scene as Jesus strides through the temple frontage, knocking over tables, whirling the whip around his head and flailing around with it.  Haranging those who had brought his ‘Fathers House’ down from a sacred space to a market place.  Reading between the lines, it wasn’t just usary and  moneychanging that was going on, possibly other, less salubrious transactions also took place in this central meeting place for the people of Jerusalem, Pilgrims and Visitors alike.  I have a vision of a wild eyed, longhaired, bearded, man shouting and flailing around with the whip at all and sundry.  Nobody escaping his wrath.   Putting it into context, if this happened today, say at the entrance of St Paul’s Cathedral, imagine the response.  Consternation, panic and rapid calls to the Police to come and round up this unruly interloper.   I wonder if anyone would take the time to stop and ask him why he was so angy?   The common cockney response would perhaps be “e’s got a bee under his bonnet, lets get out of his way”.  There’s a more serious underlying message as Jesus goes onto answer his challengers by telling them to “Knock this temple down and I will rebuild it in three days”(John 2:13-20).  He was of course alluding to his own death on the cross and the resurrection to come, his disciples listened and remembered this later.

I have pondered this in the light of the recent events concerning the Occupy London Stock Exchange Movement (@OccupyLSX) and the relatively peaceful occupation of the churchyard at the front of St Paul’s Cathedral.  They came in peace, they came to protest.  Jesus came to pray and was driven to protest by what he saw going on in the temple.   The occupy protesters were seeking change in how our whole financial system is managed, at how unfair and immoral some of their business practices are considered to be.   Jesus protested against the defilement of ‘His Father’s House’ by what was going on. Two seemingly different agenda’s, but linked.  In the eyes of the occupy protesters (and many others) the whole financial services industry has defiled our culture and society.  They’ve brought great hardship and suffering to many, not just their industry, but world wide, where the ‘credit crunch’ and its after effects will be felt for many years to come.  The financial institutions meanwhile seem in denial and carry on regardless, even continuing to pay obscene bonuses, metaphorically, spitting in the face of anyone who dares to criticise them.

Ultimately, Jesus was crucified by those who hated him.  He died, but rose again with the promise of new life and hope for us all.    This promise and hope which we hold to,  provides the inspiration for change of heart, mind, transformation of lives.   In some way, the motives of the occupy protesters were aligned with this.  They wanted change, transformation of a system unfit for purpose.  They wanted new hope for everyone, that fairness and transparency and ethical behaviour would be introduced either by government or through their highlighting the shame of those responsible for the mess they created.

Now, Jesus is alive again, he lives in and with us all of the time.  His name is called on and blessed. The Holy Spirit works in us and in the wider world.   Occupy has been challenged, sued, moved on, but their spirt is unbowed.    They will keep on campaigning for the things contained in the Gospel stories, New hope, new life and doing what we do for the greater benefit of all, not for a narrow minority.

Jesus and @OccupyLSX have much in common.

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[1]Image of Christ in the Templehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christ_Driving_the_Money_Changers_from_the_Temple_(El_Greco,_Washington)

Preparation for Bishops Assessment Panel (BAP)

I had a brilliant day yesterday with 13 other ordination candidates at a pre-BAP preparation day.

We had a briefing on BAP, what to expect and some do's and don’t’s. I met yet again with loads of people who had been on courses with me over the last year or so. It was very affirming to see them still sharing a similar journey.

One, young candidate goes to BAP next Monday. The rest of us have differing dates over the next three months. I and one other candidate are going to the same BAP in May, so we are now tying up arrangements to travel together.

Our group  studied some Pastoral Exercises and delivered our presentations and were offered constructive comments from our fellow candidates. 

As I went up to deliver mine, I abandoned the script and just spoke from the heart and mind. It was me!   I was comfortable, not stilted by the written script.  It appeared to go down very well. It's a very brief outline of i-church and internet outreach - connected to the Mission and Evangelism criteria. It was well received and I was offered some good comments to take on board for BAP itself.

All documentation is complete and handed in, only to be asked for 6 passport photo's, which were not on the 'required’ documents' list.  Visit to the local photo machine next week.

We all felt prayer had been said for us, and we were thankful for all of their prayers now, and ongoing. I now have just under 3 months to prepare and reflect. The discernment process has been a growth experience and I'm loving it all.

Who Discerns? #digidisciple (@minidvr)

JANUARY 10, 2012 BY BIGBIBLE LEAVE A COMMENT

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c8/Albrecht_Dürer_043.png

Following last months post[2]on ‘the call’, I’ve moved on to the next word ‘Discernment’.  I thought  about the old joke about “How many Vicars does it take to change a light bulb? Answer – None, as they’ve already seen the light”.Perhaps the question should be, “How many Vicars does it take to discern a vocation?” I’m not sure that I have a complete answer to that one..

Discernment[3] has many different definitions,  but the one that I feel  fits  quite well when discerning a vocation seems to me to be: “Perception of that which is obscure”.  As the vocation can be pretty obscure to those involved.

God’s Will need to be discerned.

The individual seeks to discern where a call to ministry could be taking them, it can be a painful, slow process, requiring a great deal of trust in God and hope that his will for you to be discerned fully.

The Spouse/Partner needs to be aware of the vocation. Their  discernment and understanding and support for the life changing things the vocation will bring will be essential if the vocation is to be fulfilled.

The Parish Priest seeks to discern with the individual their possible vocation.  This is the first  formal  step in the discernment process.  They pass on the offer for ordination to the wider church.

The Parochial Church Council might be involved in discernment, particularly if they going to have to support any future ministry.

The Church  operates a  ‘Discernment’ process. This explores the authenticity and validity of a  vocation.  It seeks to discern God’s will for the gifts that you offer and how they might be best deployed.  This is delegated by the Diocesan Bishop to a Diocesan Director of Ordinands (DDO) perhaps with assistants.

Spiritual Director (Accompanist) A vital part of any vocational journey, the SD is there to assist and support the candidate in their journey of and growth as a Christian.  Their support for the candidates as they wrestle with discernment is vital.

The DDO works with a candidate exploring a vocation. Once they discern that a candidate is ready to move forward (or for the offer to be declined) they advise the Bishop and arrange attendance at a form of selection.

Bishops Advisors appointed by the Bishop (some Ordained, some Lay) to conduct an assessment of  candidates to discern  to whether they meet some or all of the nine criteria for ordination and be capable of having a successful ministry.  They make an initial recommendation to the bishop.

The Bishop meets a candidate to discern for himself whether his DDO and Advisor’s reports are accurate. Ultimately, his discernment (and discretion) is the vital one.  It is solely within his remit whether a candidate goes forward for selection and training and eventual ordination.

Bishops Advisory Panel (BAP) (National Selection). Takes the candidates away to a secret location and carries out a formal discernment (selection) process which tests, assesses, evaluates all aspects of a candidates suitability for training.   The BAP makes a recommendation to the diocesan bishop of Yes, No, Not Yet. and the training path for successful candidates.

The Bishop sees the candidate after BAP and gives them his decision. He has the discretion to overrule any recommendation of the BAP if he discerns a different path for training and eventual ordination.

Theological Colleges The discernment process doesn’t end after BAP, it continues throughout training and formation for ministry and various individual’s will be consulted and submit reports on progress to the bishop through the DDO during training, which could be stopped at any point, up to and including ordination.

Post Ordination The Bishop, DDO and the Training Incumbent and those involved in Continuing Ministry Education will continue to operate the discernment process throughout curacy and through to a post of ‘First Responsibility’.  The individual will continue to discern their vocation throughout their life and service in ministry.

Pitfalls and Hurdles and Hoops to Jump Through.  Although not announced as part of the discernment process, they are as much part of it as the candidate, Vicar, DDO, Bishop, Bishop’s Advisors. They are either natural or artificial barriers to candidates testing a vocation through to fulfilment.  Some seem quite arcane, some parts are quite obscure, what seems to be clear throughout is that it’s God’s will that is being discerned, not that of the individual, Vicar, DDO or Bishop.

I’ve probably been in every pit, hurdled and jumped quite a lot in the process so far, with still some way to go.  But I’m still here ready and waiting for the call to be discerned.

The Holy Spirit. Without the Holy Spirit’s involvement, God’s will would not be fully discerned.

Prayer and Theological Reflection: Are two essential ingredients to the process as are personal qualities such as acceptance, patience, perseverance and a good sense of humour.

May God’s Will be done.

THE WILL OF GOD

The will of God will never take you:
Where the grace of God cannot keep you
Where the arms of God cannot support you
Where the riches of God cannot supply you
Where the power of God cannot endow you

The will of God will never take you:
Where the Spirit of God cannot work through you
Where the wisdom of God cannot teach you
Where the army of God cannot protect you
Where the hands of God cannot mould you

The will of God will never take you:
Where the love of God cannot enfold you
Where the mercies of God cannot sustain you
Where the peace of God cannot calm you
Where the authority of God cannot overrule for you

The will of God will never take you:
Where the comfort of God cannot dry your tears
Where the Word of God cannot feed you
Where the miracles of God cannot be done for you
Where the omnipresence of God cannot find you

Everything happens for a purpose
We may not see the wisdom of it all now
But trust and believe in the Lord

That everything is for the best!

Author Unknown

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[1]Picture of Job by Albrecht Durer (1471-1528) from Commons WikiCommons

[2]http://bigbible.org.uk/2011/12/called-to-what-minidvr/#.TunhbLIr27t

[3]http://www.thefreedictionary.com/discernment  Accessed 4 Jan 2012

This post first appeared at the #bigbible project on 10th Jan 2011