What's it like to be "on probation"

Reading Dave's latest blog I thought it might be helpful if I just wrote a
word or two about the things that happened to me as a preamble to fully
fledged ministry (whilst I was on probation).
Methodism tests it's
candidates physically and intellectually. It's people too have a place
in that judgement and rightly so. For two years you are subject to
critical examination and given all manner of tasks. Finally you are
recommended for ordination (always provided that you have not made
too many slip ups!

Talking of slip ups - at my first funeral I almost fell into the grave and joined B.G. on his appointment with destiny!!
Then there was the occasion when conducting a wedding at the Circuit
church when the bride failed to turn up and we all trooped off to the
reception without her (it being a shame to waste all that go0d food)!
Then there was a request to bury a lady from a Catholic family (with
the approval of the R.C. Father - who was a personal friend of mine)!
I suppose the most earth moving thing that happened to me was turning
up at the hospital to collect a dear friend recently deceased to find that
he had been cremated in error the day before!
Another distressing event was finding a mourning party trapped between two floors in a lift and having to disrobe, climb into the roof. and wind
them up. How did I ever make this appear a regular event!
Of all the weddings I remember the Gypsy Wedding was among the most
spectacular!
I could go on and on but must for fear of boring you....
Oh well, just one more. I remember a little boy coming up to me at a wee-
end retreat by the seaside and asking "Pastor could you please stop all
these girls chasing after me? "I'm spoken for". He was six years of age
at the time - I wonder what happened to him!
Needless to say he became the subject of many a children's address on
the theme "are you spoken for"!!

This brings me to what I am really trying to say this morning, Dave,
"life, like love, is a many splendoured thing". It's full of triumphs
and sometimes dotted with tragedies. They all work out once you
are settled on the way to go and persue it with true diligence.

Does that help? Remember that in any event I am always here
to bounce your ideas off as one who has been around and been given
the tea shirt - ultimately been ordained.