Talking about #christian things with the #wife

Training to be a Rev with the dear old CofE does take some time.  

First there is all that discernment to sort out whether God really is calling a person to the vocation of being a priest. 


In addition to discernment,(say 1 or 2 years), some Diocese also like you to have attended one of their 3 year courses - so add another year or 2.



The prospective priest then has the education bit for the theology degree - so thats another 3 years.  

Then there is the 1st training/apprentice placement as a Rev Curate or something similar for 3 or so years.  

And then its onto the 1st appointment as a vicar or team member or whatever.  

In traveling this path there is a lot of learning - about yourself, your faith and - of course - about theology.

I list all of this because one of the things I've noticed is how it affected my faith discussions with my wife as she traveled the path to be a Rev.  Before she started on the path above I like to think our discussions were between two people with an equal amount of faith experience and learning.

Now-a-days that plainly isn't the case - the other half is considerably more knowledgeable about such matters and in particular the various positions and arguments people take on them.  

So although we are still co-explorers she's way ahead of me.   

Another unexpected consequence of the wife becoming a Rev, (although I guess with a bit more thought at the start I should have seen this coming).

Going to #church together

Before my wife became a full time Rev we used to go to church together. Typically we'd journey to church together, walk into the church together, catch up with some people, choose a place to sit down together, sing the hymns and say the liturgy together, listen to the sermon together, end the service together, have a coffee and a chat, then go home ...... together.  

Well I guess you get the together point.   



Now-a-days in the village we live in the other half is sometimes up the front doing something.  Or often as not she is another of the other 4 churches she has care of also.  All of this means that I mostly sit on my own when I go to church.  

Now the congregation here are very friendly so I usually chat to somebody near me in the pews before and/or after the service.  But it isn't quite the same as being in church attending a service with your wife.  

The whole experience has made me far more aware of what its like coming into a church on your own and initially not knowing many people.  Its also meant that  - on the rare occasions when we can go to church together - its a bit of a treat.

Can we keep that #cardboard box - I might need it for #Goliath

There are of course many slightly weird things you'll have to get used to as a vicars husband.  With most of these peculiarities nobody gives you warning of what they are going to be.

So maybe in part this blog is about trying to share some of this "how it is going to be" heads up intelligence for husbands of Revs.

Your garage, or your loft, or a spare room in your house, (if you're lucky to have one), are going to get taken over.  With what? With materials and things that your beloved needs to store  - because potentially they might become something useful as a visual aid or activity in a future sermon they give or event they organise.

I'd imagine that the following types of items are quite typical in such stores up and down the country - inflatable world globes, giant foam jenga pieces, lightbulbs that turn on when you hold their base, lego pieces, lego people figures, playmobile people pieces and flattened (or not) cardboard boxes.

Why cardboard boxes I hear you cry - well in the words of my wife

"Can we keep that cardboard box - I might need it for Goliath"

Their Daily Office

When the other half started on her journey to be a Rev she was encouraged to do the daily office - so  effectively this means she goes through a morning prayer service on her own.

One of the practicalities of this is that when she gets up and showers one of the next things she does is her daily office.

So if I were to get up at the same time I'd be having breakfast on my own whilst she does the daily offiice in - appropriately - her office.
 
I guess we could do the daily office to gether - but I know this is something she would want to do - and for me it would feele as though I would somehow be intruding in something that is particular to her role as a priest.

Or of course I could clean some windows or do other clearing/cleaning around the house ... but instead of that the reality of what we do is as follows - she gets up and showers then does her daily office - I stay in bed listening to the radio - when I hear the sounds of her bashing aorund in the kitchen its a sign to me to get up so we can have breakfast together.