The first few weeks

There's been a bit of a delay between starting this job, and writing about it. Not least because this isn't a job with regular hours, or a standard pattern, but a huge variety of everything.

It's not a 9 to 5 job, nor one that can be made to fit that pattern. And it's certainly not a case of only working Sundays. We are heavily reliant on volunteers - all churches are - and that means that a lot of business is conducted in the evenings. So while the daylight hours are occupied with funerals (and the preparation for them), midweek communion services, getting ready for next Sunday etc, etc, the evenings can also be busy. We could work all the hours available, but then our families would never see us, so we have to strike a balance.

I have the luxury of being able to take children to school or to be around when they get home and for dinner, but dinner has had to move to an earlier time, as I'll often need to be out by 7pm. It's a pattern that's still being worked out - and it's not easy....

A lot of time in July was spent hanging out with Sally - not quite going everywhere that she went, as there were also other people to trail too. The diary for the first week looked like this:

Monday 5th July (day after ordination) - Day off. What a great start, but a much needed opportunity to recover from the overwhelming weekend!

Tuesday - prayer and a briefing with Sally, home for lunch, then back to Lacock to spend time on the Blue Bus (more of that another time). Home for dinner, then a Ministry Team meeting, where I met the other ministers working in our group, either Licensed Lay Ministers (formerly known as 'Readers' or other clergy who are either retired or are licensed to serve in our team, including a former Bishop.

Wednesday - assisted Bishop John at a communion service at Corsham. Spent lunchtime at a 'chapter meeting' - a gathering of the local clergy of Chippenham and surroundings. In the evening went to the 'Team Council' meeting - where representatives of the Parochial Church Councils (PCCs) of the five churches in our team thrash out issues of common interest - the current topic of interest being the recruitment of a new Rector for Corsham, vacant since last November.

Thursday - Sally came round to train me how to lead Evensong - as I'd been scheduled to lead a type of service that I'd only ever been to once previously. Following that, a funeral at Corsham with Victor (a recently retired vicar) followed by a trip to the crematorium. After lunch, back to Corsham for a wedding. The two extremes of life in one day...

Friday - 'study day'. As curates we have time reserved for studying anything that takes our interest that's relevant to our job. We'll start with this as a particular day of the week and see if it works like that, or if I need to spread the hours around the week.

Saturday - a trip to the cinema was followed by another wedding at Corsham. At this stage I'm just observing weddings and funerals!

Sunday - my first proper Sunday in the job. I lead the main Lacock service and Sally preaches. I'm very nervous, for a variety of reasons, but Sally fills the gaps and it seems to go well! After this, a picnic that's open to all the churches as an opportunity to meet me and the family. In the evening, that Evensong service, including a micro-preach as my first chance to expound on the Word of the Lord in Lacock

The second week has an induction day in Bristol for all the new curates, a funeral, a burial of ashes, a leaver's service for Lacock primary school, a meeting with the National Trust (who own pretty much all of Lacock except the church), a wedding rehearsal, and a men's breakfast.

By the third week I've taken my first booking for a funeral, had two PCC meetings, met a nervous wedding couple, and visited a residential care home. And bought a car.

In the fourth week I collect the car, attend another funeral, take that first funeral, and pack for my holiday!