Tomorrow...

Tomorrow I start a whole new adventure. CPE (Clinical Pastoral Education). A part of the preperation for ordination. It involves being placed at Mercy and Unity Hospitals and working (very part time) as a chaplain while processing the whole set of experiences in a small group. A big part of it is to "get into" and to process our own history and the baggage we carry into ministry that affects the way we do ministry.

It's going to be a challenge for a number of different reasons:

• It's going to be a very different kind of an experience for me.
• I generally resist processing things in small groups with people I don't know. (ironic, isn't it, since I'm blogging this).
• It's going to be a scheduling challenge.
• I'm probably going to have to deal with/face things that I'm not all that comfortable with. i.e. families under significant stress...people who are very sick...etc...

I am really hopeful for the things I am going to learn and experience. I had to identify professional and personal goals. Mine included:

• Becoming more comfortable around emotionally charged situations
• Establishing pastoral identity
• Increasing my skill set in pastoral counseling
• Developing cleaner boundaries between pastoral and other forms of counseling
• Opportunities to reflect theologically on people's stories and experiences.

Should be interesting...I will update.