Dear friends. I haven't published a Blog for 15 days now. I understand that this was bad and wrong of me and that I am a miserable sinner and probably ought to repent meekly kneeling upon my knees. However, I am making amends now.
So, Christmas Day has come and gone and we're now in that bit between Christmas and Epiphany which is called *looks it up* oh ok, The Christmas Season, fair enough. I've had a lovely Christmas consisting of a significant amount of Toblerone, board games and things made out of Turkey, the usual really. It was great to spend some time with the fam. Presents-wise we've come off rather well, and not only do I now have a large collection of scriptural socks but also a remote control Mini Cooper and a 32" TV to replace our old one which was so microscopic you couldn't really see what was on it. The Diocese also gave me a rather generous voucher which I have spent on Common Worship: Times and Seasons and Common Worship: Christian Initiation with some money still left over!
And so it's the end of 2011. If 2011 were a clock it would be 11.52pm, if it were the alphabet it would be a definite Z day, if it were a year it would be the 30th December which is what it is. It's been an important year for Paul and I. When we started this year I hadn't met the Bishop or been to a BAP, I hadn't even set foot on the Holy Hill, I didn't even really know what a Cotta or a Credence Table or a Canticle were. (I'm not absolutely sure what one of those things are now, won't tell you which though!) More importantly, I wasn't exactly sure where my life was going. I think we're both a lot clearer now and, for now, things seem to be going pretty well.
And now I come out of 2011 into 2012 with my arms laden with several Common Worship books and a large TV. What does 2012 hold, I wonder?
One thing's for sure, 2012 is going to be even more eventful than 2011. How do I know? Oh, I just do...
Friday 30 December 2011
Tuesday 13 December 2011
End of Term Review
Well, if abandoning your Blog for over 2 weeks is a crime (and experienced Bloggers say it is) I really ought to blog today. So here I am. Blogging. Hello.
You find me, at this time on a Tuesday afternoon, drinking tea in my pyjamas. Now, I know you're worried that I might miss evening prayer, but guess what? Term's over. The kitchens lie foodless, the Common Room fireplace flameless and the Common Room sofas studentless.
I can't believe I've done a whole term at Cuddesdon. (1/6 of my time here in fact!) When I look back to the 22nd September it doesn't seem that long ago, but it's amazing to think I've only known many of my fellow Ordinands for little more than 2-and-a-half months! And that the routine of 7.30am morning prayer, 8.30am breakfast, 9am lectures, 12.50pm lunch etc. etc. has only been mine for only that long.
If I'm honest, the MTh is still taking some time getting into. I thought I'd relish being a student again, and I do, sort of, but not in the way I used to. Unless I'm romanticising my time as an Undergraduate, which is perfectly possible. I'm reminding myself that reading academic books is hard, that I'm not always interested in the subject and can't always find something to say in seminars. But it's not all like that. We've studied some brilliant things too. African perspectives on Theology was great, and I even rather enjoyed Feminist perspectives on Theology (dives under desk to protect self from rapid fire from fellow MTh chaps.)
Bright Hour last week was a real highlight. It's sort of a variety show, but most of the jokes are on an ecclesiastical theme, you get the idea. I managed to make the second half only, as I had to rush back from Cutteslowe. It was great looking around the room at the familiar faces having a good time together. It's amazing how quickly community forms.
Of course, my real highlight has been the forming of that community. At the beginning of the term I feared that I would remember the names of my 70-or-so fellow ordinands, let alone spouses and children, but somehow that's clicked into place. Well, I'm still working on the children. Quite good at remembering pets' names though!
Tomorrow I'm off to the Bodleian to get down to some serious work on my first proper essay: 'What are the Implications of Doctrines of the Resurrection Body on Personal Identity?' I had to submit it to the MTh panel for approval a few weeks ago, and fortunately it made it through intact, and I'm enjoying reading on such a meaty subject. My formative essay, on Art, received a dubious 'quite good' from my Tutor. I wasn't that pleased with it, so I'm determined I'm going to throw myself into this one. And, hey, by sitting in the Bod, maybe I'll feel like I'm really studying at Oxford. And if I don't, does it matter? Probably not!
You find me, at this time on a Tuesday afternoon, drinking tea in my pyjamas. Now, I know you're worried that I might miss evening prayer, but guess what? Term's over. The kitchens lie foodless, the Common Room fireplace flameless and the Common Room sofas studentless.
I can't believe I've done a whole term at Cuddesdon. (1/6 of my time here in fact!) When I look back to the 22nd September it doesn't seem that long ago, but it's amazing to think I've only known many of my fellow Ordinands for little more than 2-and-a-half months! And that the routine of 7.30am morning prayer, 8.30am breakfast, 9am lectures, 12.50pm lunch etc. etc. has only been mine for only that long.
If I'm honest, the MTh is still taking some time getting into. I thought I'd relish being a student again, and I do, sort of, but not in the way I used to. Unless I'm romanticising my time as an Undergraduate, which is perfectly possible. I'm reminding myself that reading academic books is hard, that I'm not always interested in the subject and can't always find something to say in seminars. But it's not all like that. We've studied some brilliant things too. African perspectives on Theology was great, and I even rather enjoyed Feminist perspectives on Theology (dives under desk to protect self from rapid fire from fellow MTh chaps.)
Bright Hour last week was a real highlight. It's sort of a variety show, but most of the jokes are on an ecclesiastical theme, you get the idea. I managed to make the second half only, as I had to rush back from Cutteslowe. It was great looking around the room at the familiar faces having a good time together. It's amazing how quickly community forms.
Of course, my real highlight has been the forming of that community. At the beginning of the term I feared that I would remember the names of my 70-or-so fellow ordinands, let alone spouses and children, but somehow that's clicked into place. Well, I'm still working on the children. Quite good at remembering pets' names though!
Tomorrow I'm off to the Bodleian to get down to some serious work on my first proper essay: 'What are the Implications of Doctrines of the Resurrection Body on Personal Identity?' I had to submit it to the MTh panel for approval a few weeks ago, and fortunately it made it through intact, and I'm enjoying reading on such a meaty subject. My formative essay, on Art, received a dubious 'quite good' from my Tutor. I wasn't that pleased with it, so I'm determined I'm going to throw myself into this one. And, hey, by sitting in the Bod, maybe I'll feel like I'm really studying at Oxford. And if I don't, does it matter? Probably not!
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