Nearly there

This is the final week of my summer placement and what a brilliant placement this has been. I have learnt so much, grown so much and done so much. (The beer in the local has been a hardship to sample, too!). While all experience is beneficial, this placement was good too. The congregation, the minister, the location, my hosts - really, I couldn't have asked for a better placement.

I really feel, even in this very short period of time, that I have touched the lives of so many in Highland Cathedral and its parish. In many ways, that will be to a limited extent, but I look at how often Jesus only spoke to someone briefly and their lives were transformed forever. I pray that I can do that too, in his strength, of course.

The only thing I've found a bit of a chore about this placement has been the paperwork. Those who know me know I don't really like paperwork - I see it as a necessary evil. I know the report is necessary to ensure I am progressing within my own training and doing what is expected of me for my stage of training. I'm fine with that, but does it really need to be so long? So very long? Is it just me or is there a lot of repetition? And there's the questions for the first section basically asking how rubbish I am at something. While I know it would be wrong to not state areas of struggle or where improvement is required, surely it's also wrong to word the document in such a way that some candidates will feel they can't acknowledge where things have gone well? Last time round I did focus on the negatives, this time it's more balanced and I have acknowledged where I'm good at something as well as where I need to further develop.

Just a few more days and it'll all be over on paper. In practise all I have learnt and seen and experienced here will stay with me all through my ministry, wherever that may lead.