Today is the International Day of Conscientious Objection

World Council of Churches – News Release

CONSCIENTIOUS OBJECTION SEES POSITIVE GLOBAL TREND BUT SERIOUS PROBLEMS REMAIN

In spite of a global trend to better recognize the right to conscientious objection – which is marked with an International Day on 15 May – those who exercise that right are often discriminated against, persecuted, repeatedly punished or sent to prison in many countries, first results of a study being conducted by the World Council of Churches (WCC) show.

Funerals

Funerals are the most exhausting services in my repertoire. Four hours from the arrival of the funeral directors with the coffin to the departure of the mourners after afternoon tea and I feel as though I’ve just put in a twenty-hour day. But when the family thank me and tell me that the service was wonderful, good, lovely, just what their mother would have wanted – nothing I do is more satisfying.

Happy Easter – and au revoir

Christ is risen!
He is risen indeed!

Easter services and wedding yesterday went wonderfully. Such a pleasant change to the four funerals I’d done before. (And, yes, I have heard all the: “Four funerals and a wedding? isn’t it meant to be Four Weddings and Funeral?” jokes.)

Heading off to Queensland tomorrow for a week of sleeping and reading and (hopefully) getting along with my mother.

Take care and have fun.

So what exactly is it that I do?

I’m trying to write my report for the various congregational AGMs that are coming up. I thought that it would be interesting to use the vows I made at my ordination to organise the report. But now I realise how much of what I do has nothing to do with the vows I made at my ordination.

Does this mean I’m doing things that aren’t actually part of being a minister; or that the ordination vows cover a very small section of what a minister’s job actually is?