Saturday, December 02, 2006

It's all in the timing...

The reason for my sojourn in Launceston is because I am doing an 8 week field work placement, working with the Launceston North and Lilydale congregations of the Uniting Church. My supervisor is Rev Brian Cole, the minister of these congregations.

On the day I arrived, Brian took me to visit Lilydale, to see the church building and visit some of the parishoners. On our way back to town (ie Launceston) we encountered a police road block and were diverted via a back road, to avoid the scene of an accident.

It turned out that a 9yo boy from the local District School had been killed when he was hit by a car after he got off the school bus, and ran across the road to where his mother was waiting for him. The whole community of Lilydale was affected by this tragic accident, as it is a rather close knit country town, and most people knew someone who was somehow connected with, or witnessed, the accident.

Brian was asked to take the funeral, in the Lilydale UCA church, and I accompanied him on some pastoral visiting associated with the accident (although we felt it would be an imposition for me to visit the grieving family with him, so I wasn't involved there). I also attended the funeral, and provided whatever support I could on the day.

It was certainly a very intense time, and an invaluable (if distressing) experience for me (as Brian said, "you never really get used to this kind of thing; there will always be 'firsts' no matter how much experience one has in ministry" ).

I am very grateful for the learning experience of following Brian as he planned and conducted the funeral, and learning from his wisdom and experience there. I hope too, that my presence may also have provided a bit of collegial support for him, as he had to deal with holding things together and caring for the grieving family and friends, despite what was happening in his own feeling world.

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