In the first two years of my time in this job:

I have preached around 270 sermons (more than 90% for Eucharists, most sermons used at more than one eucharist – I’ll normally take 3 or 4 on a Sunday); and taken around 25 baptisms, 20 weddings, 70 funerals.

I recently started monitoring how I’m spending my time (for various reasons) and came up with the following rough figure for “billable hours” – ie not including reading theology (or the Church Times!) sitting around staring at the sky or blog reading/ writing; the ‘directly productive time’ – of around 45 hours per week.

Not sure if that counts as ‘good’ or ‘bad’; bit of a meaningless question when it comes to the priesthood. But I found it interesting.

And it tends to split between ‘busy days’ – when I’ll do 9 or 10 hours – and ‘quiet days’ – when I’ll do 6 or 7 and spend a couple of hours reading blogs or e-mail or writing messages on the MoQ discussion list (which I’ve now unsubscribed from… again)

There are three times where I feel that I am where I should be, being the person God has called me to be.

Singing the eucharistic prayer.

Teaching the faith, especially on Saturday mornings (Learning Church).

Engaging in intense spiritual conversation, one on one, being a channel for the healing power of the Spirit.

I’m building my ministry out of those three things.

“You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit—fruit that will last.”

pistos ho kalon