Letter 4-2006. Practice.
25th April 2006
Dear friends,
Now it is time to share a bit from my four weeks of parish practice. I had four good weeks, with lots of work and not much else. After having met the rest of the class, I am very happy that I got the chance to try so much, and that we had more active participation than observation though we were supposed opposite.
I had my practice in Nedre Stjørdal parish, where there are three churches and a chapel. I was together with Eldfrid-Marie, whom I study with and have come to know this year. I got new class mates when I came back after one and a half year break. We have come to know each other well, and I was happy to go to Trøndelag in the middle of Norway together with Eldfrid-Marie, who is born there and wanted to go there. I have seldom found someone I cooperate so well with. We agreed that we complete each other in such a way that we should find two close posts, each take half of each post, so that we can continue the good teamwork. We said again and again that we were so happy to be the two of us, with the counsellor we had, at the place we were.
The cooperation with the pastors was also good. I wondered how the guidance would be, and how many tasks we actually would get. I had no reason to worry. Our counsellor Inge had the programme ready. He had heard that we took any challenge, so he challenged us. We also worked with another pastor in the parish, Per Erik, and gained a lot from that. I had the chance to join him when a primary school class from the village came to the chapel to learn about the Ascension. Some of them were very eager about zombies, and Per Erik and I together tried our best to explain that Jesus was not a zombie. Yes, it was a challenge.
We were lucky to celebrate a family service in the same chapel on the day of the Annunciation to Mary. I was going to give the sermon, and I dressed as Mary. Children who were normally eager, were not quite that outspoken when Mary asked where she had come on her way to Elizabeth. Then it is good to have the father from a baptism family who can answer, and to have an allied angel showing up on the pulpit. Children songs were communicating, and I can admit that they were funny to sing with the movements in alb and a blue woollen blanket over my head.
The next Sunday we could not play us through the service in the same way. It was more serious with a Eucharist service with the celebration of the 50 years anniversary of a local foundation. I have given a few sermons before, so I was not that nervous about being Mary in the chapel. At the Eucharist I was the one to officiate most of the liturgy, which I approached with more respect. I was lucky to get the chance to practice in the church, and got some good help from the organ player. I should have understood that the tips were difficult to remember when I was in action. Clear pronunciation of r’s and e’s was not my focus when the church was full and I was in front of the altar. Anyway, there must be something to work on.
It was enough to remember both before and during the service. There where two baptism families to talk with, two godparents were there to read some of the texts. To confirmants were acolytes, one knew the tasks, the other didn’t. Students and employees from the foundation participated with music, texts and information. An unexperienced caretaker was doing his job, and there were an organ player, a preacher (Eldfrid-Marie) and a counsellor to “take care of”. I wonder how many hours before the service you need to come to have time to warm up the voice. I was not quite satisfied with it during the service. But it was so much to chant that it became better after some time. Though the start of the litany and the prefation was a bit weak, the end was not that bad.
After the service we had coffee hour with the chance to give us feedback, and the congregation knew how to encourage the students. They had many positive comments. If we on beforehand thought that this practice might be the first and last time we tried to chant, I was quite convinced that I can try again. In addition to this short feedback from the congregation, we have continually got evaluation from Inge. Now it is almost strange to do something without anybody commenting what I do or asking why I did it as I did. Some barriers are broken, some confidence gained. When I in the evening the same Sunday was one of two officiating at a youth service with a simple liturgy, I felt it was not a problem at all.
I have not only had respect for officiating in a Eucharist service. I have also been a bit afraid about participation in funerals. Our seminary did not ask us to participate in funerals. They asked us to be present and observe. But these students taking any challenge were ready to try a little. After observing the first, I had the responsibility for the text reading and the homily in the next. It went well, and I was actually a bit surprised how much easier I found that than to observe. I had a role and I knew what to do.
What I was most afraid about was that I would not manage to be professional meeting others’ mourning. I wondered if the memories from my father’s funeral would be so strong that I would not manage these new funerals. It was not a problem. It was a different situation, and I had a very different role. It was a bit surprising to me that the memory not was the greatest in these incidents, but rather after the Eucharist service when I officiated. When I went skiing that day, I felt how I missed something. If my father had been alive, he would probably have been there skiing in front of me. I think he would have come to Trøndelag to be there when I had my debut officiating. If he was not there physically, he was with me anyway.
When we came to Stjørdal, both Eldfrid-Marie and I expressed clearly that we did not know if we were going to be pastors. It would have been funny to count how many times we were told that we could during those four weeks. Some people clearly meant that we had to. I enjoyed the ministry. I liked the tasks. But if anybody thinks I am sure now, I still need to say “I don’t know”. A vocation to the priesthood does not become clear to me so fast. But I have come further on the way, I have more to reflect on. The way continues.
“Almost pastor” greetings from Hanne.
Dear friends,
Now it is time to share a bit from my four weeks of parish practice. I had four good weeks, with lots of work and not much else. After having met the rest of the class, I am very happy that I got the chance to try so much, and that we had more active participation than observation though we were supposed opposite.
I had my practice in Nedre Stjørdal parish, where there are three churches and a chapel. I was together with Eldfrid-Marie, whom I study with and have come to know this year. I got new class mates when I came back after one and a half year break. We have come to know each other well, and I was happy to go to Trøndelag in the middle of Norway together with Eldfrid-Marie, who is born there and wanted to go there. I have seldom found someone I cooperate so well with. We agreed that we complete each other in such a way that we should find two close posts, each take half of each post, so that we can continue the good teamwork. We said again and again that we were so happy to be the two of us, with the counsellor we had, at the place we were.
The cooperation with the pastors was also good. I wondered how the guidance would be, and how many tasks we actually would get. I had no reason to worry. Our counsellor Inge had the programme ready. He had heard that we took any challenge, so he challenged us. We also worked with another pastor in the parish, Per Erik, and gained a lot from that. I had the chance to join him when a primary school class from the village came to the chapel to learn about the Ascension. Some of them were very eager about zombies, and Per Erik and I together tried our best to explain that Jesus was not a zombie. Yes, it was a challenge.
We were lucky to celebrate a family service in the same chapel on the day of the Annunciation to Mary. I was going to give the sermon, and I dressed as Mary. Children who were normally eager, were not quite that outspoken when Mary asked where she had come on her way to Elizabeth. Then it is good to have the father from a baptism family who can answer, and to have an allied angel showing up on the pulpit. Children songs were communicating, and I can admit that they were funny to sing with the movements in alb and a blue woollen blanket over my head.
The next Sunday we could not play us through the service in the same way. It was more serious with a Eucharist service with the celebration of the 50 years anniversary of a local foundation. I have given a few sermons before, so I was not that nervous about being Mary in the chapel. At the Eucharist I was the one to officiate most of the liturgy, which I approached with more respect. I was lucky to get the chance to practice in the church, and got some good help from the organ player. I should have understood that the tips were difficult to remember when I was in action. Clear pronunciation of r’s and e’s was not my focus when the church was full and I was in front of the altar. Anyway, there must be something to work on.
It was enough to remember both before and during the service. There where two baptism families to talk with, two godparents were there to read some of the texts. To confirmants were acolytes, one knew the tasks, the other didn’t. Students and employees from the foundation participated with music, texts and information. An unexperienced caretaker was doing his job, and there were an organ player, a preacher (Eldfrid-Marie) and a counsellor to “take care of”. I wonder how many hours before the service you need to come to have time to warm up the voice. I was not quite satisfied with it during the service. But it was so much to chant that it became better after some time. Though the start of the litany and the prefation was a bit weak, the end was not that bad.
After the service we had coffee hour with the chance to give us feedback, and the congregation knew how to encourage the students. They had many positive comments. If we on beforehand thought that this practice might be the first and last time we tried to chant, I was quite convinced that I can try again. In addition to this short feedback from the congregation, we have continually got evaluation from Inge. Now it is almost strange to do something without anybody commenting what I do or asking why I did it as I did. Some barriers are broken, some confidence gained. When I in the evening the same Sunday was one of two officiating at a youth service with a simple liturgy, I felt it was not a problem at all.
I have not only had respect for officiating in a Eucharist service. I have also been a bit afraid about participation in funerals. Our seminary did not ask us to participate in funerals. They asked us to be present and observe. But these students taking any challenge were ready to try a little. After observing the first, I had the responsibility for the text reading and the homily in the next. It went well, and I was actually a bit surprised how much easier I found that than to observe. I had a role and I knew what to do.
What I was most afraid about was that I would not manage to be professional meeting others’ mourning. I wondered if the memories from my father’s funeral would be so strong that I would not manage these new funerals. It was not a problem. It was a different situation, and I had a very different role. It was a bit surprising to me that the memory not was the greatest in these incidents, but rather after the Eucharist service when I officiated. When I went skiing that day, I felt how I missed something. If my father had been alive, he would probably have been there skiing in front of me. I think he would have come to Trøndelag to be there when I had my debut officiating. If he was not there physically, he was with me anyway.
When we came to Stjørdal, both Eldfrid-Marie and I expressed clearly that we did not know if we were going to be pastors. It would have been funny to count how many times we were told that we could during those four weeks. Some people clearly meant that we had to. I enjoyed the ministry. I liked the tasks. But if anybody thinks I am sure now, I still need to say “I don’t know”. A vocation to the priesthood does not become clear to me so fast. But I have come further on the way, I have more to reflect on. The way continues.
“Almost pastor” greetings from Hanne.
posted by Hanne at 1:22 PM
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