Anyone willing to hold my hand during discernment process?

[Minicooper]

I'm exploring a call to ordination in the Church of England - met the DDO before Christmas and have a meeting with the bishop's advisor tomorrow to begin the process of applying for an archbishop's faculty as I'm divorced and remarried.

I'd love some support and advice if anyone's been through similar?

Thanks in advance!

Love it so far, but being broken in very gently. Don't have to go completely solo in any services for a couple of weeks. And just odd meetings in the day time. Which is useful as have essays due in a couple of weeks which haven't had a chance to look at before now. Doing the children's talk and cafe church next Sunday which looking forward to.
Like my TI more evangelical than me but I grew up as an evangelical before becoming more liberal so it doesn't bother me as much as it could do.

Take it easy, Tiggles. It's such a huge change that it's good to have quite a bit of slack in the first weeks. You'll meet loads of people and I found just getting the hang of who's who took loads of mental energy at first.

that's true. I met a lady On the school run today and given the way she talked to me we must have met in church on sunday and I had no clue.

Thanks for the prayers. Likewise for you all discerning and studying. It is all a funny old process indeed.

Lookout - thinking of you tomorrow. Praying that throughout the 3 days you are conscious of God's presence with you and the prayers of those who love you.x

Thanks for the prayers. Wow. What an experience! Was intense but pretty enjoyable, on many levels. Should receive decision on Friday.

Glad it went well, lookout. Let us know the result!

Wow, edd

The wait is horrible. One piece of advice I was given was to talk to someone you trust about the experience before you know the result. This means you get a chance to process it before it is overlaid with the emotions of a yes or no answer.

Praying for all discerning here.

So glad to hear your update, Lookout - was praying for you throughout. Waiting is hard, but sounds as if you had a positive experience overall. Praying for the right decision...

gosh lookout praying.. Would love to hear more if / when you are able...

mhd IKR? madness.

Edd it might be a bit like not telling pregnant people what newborns are like 😁 people always seemed quite tight lipped about it with me when I first started discernment. What would you like to know though? Happy to talk about it if you think it would help you!! One thing I would say for sure is, it's all about the preparation. Some poor candidates in my groups had hardly prepped at all and they really struggled.
thegreenheart have a chat planned tonight with a friend I met at an open day. Looking forward to downloading!

Thinking of you today, Lookout - whatever the outcome....x

Prayers, Lookout, for you as your hear your result.

I just wanted to let you know that I've been recommended for training and will start at Trinity College in Bristol in September! I now have a house and 2 schools to find in the next 6 weeks. Thanks for your prayers, I really felt carried thriught the whole thing.

So, who's next?!

Yay Lookout! That's brilliant news!

Wow! Such great news, Lookout! And what a busy summer you're going to have! So pleased for you and praying everything falls into place house and school-wise - and for peace through it all.

Whoop! So pleased for you.

What a busy summer you have ahead of you! How are the DC (and DH?) taking the prospect of the move, new schools etc.?

minicooper it'll be you next; how's it going with the DDO?

Oh wow Lookout that's awesome news! Congratulations I have had several friends at Trinity and heard good things. It's going to be a busy summer but it's going to be brilliant. Thrilled for you !

It's going ok thanks, Edd. Next meeting with DDO tomorrow - he reckons I should be aiming for a BAP about next Easter. So still a way to go...

Yeah, it's nothing if not slow. (Which is perfect in my case, but frustrating for some I know).

Yy, I found the slowness frustrating to begin with but I'm glad if it now. Gave me time to be properly prepared.

DH and DC are excited but the kids are a bit gutted to leave their friends. Par for the course but I do feel for them. They are nice boys, and even though ds1 has been a bit tricky this year, I think they'll be ok.

Mini How did it go with DDO?

The slowness is important (frustrating though it is). You find out loads about yourself in the discernment process and you are challenged in all sorts of ways. Though it doesn't seem like it at the time, it actually takes quite a bit of time to absorb and process what is happening. It's all about learning to trust God (even more than you thought you already did).

Thanks for the encouragement, all. The slowness is frustrating at times, especially when I can see others progressing more quickly, but my DDO is very thorough and hopefully that will stand me in good stead in the end. It's going to be at least 3 years discernment, so it's a long time to be in limbo - and know that I need to be mentally prepared for a 'not recommended' at the end of it all...

Just finished the Relationships Criterion with my DDO - which was challenging! Now moving onto Spirituality... I'm currently using the CofE Daily Prayer app, which I'm liking, but wanted to know if any of you could recommend anything good you use for bible reading? I've tried all sorts of notes and devotionals, but haven't found anything I love enough to stick to beyond one publication, if that makes sense. Any suggestions?

I use Reflections for Daily Prayer which works with the readings for Morning Prayer on the Daily Prayer app - there's an app version which makes it very easy. I like Sacred Space (the web version of Pray as you go) which uses a Lectio Divina-like meditation. These are downloadable resources from the Bible Society for lectio divina that also work with the daily lectionary.