I have something to celebrate and to share. The first year of my training finished yesterday and I have already been told unofficially, even though I have not yet got the formal letter, that I will be allowed to proceed to the second year of my training for ordination. I've had my annual review and the reports from my tutors and the grades that I have achieved so far for my written work has been deemed satisfactory.

However, it is not yet "end of term" since I have still to finish my main essay for the doctrine term which is based on my understanding of why evil and suffering do not contradict my faith in a loving God.  This has been hard work; it was an essay that required a lot of reading to even try to understand the various ideas and suggestions that have been put forward over the past 2,000 years to explain such difficult concepts. I've been fascinated to find, as one example, how ideas have changed over the centuries as people have gained a better understanding of the world around them that was created by the God we say we love and trust.

I'm quite amazed how quickly this first year has passed. Of necessity I've had to withdraw from my involvement with the school, the village hall and the various charities to which I volunteered my service but what has filled my time has been fascinating and a course of study from which I have already learned so much. In our last session on Monday we were asked as a group to talk about the ways that we feel we have either changed or been changed this last year and most interesting to listen to all the contributions for fellow students I have grown to know so well these last eleven months.

Already having had three sets of reading lists for the past year and another one for next term, I am learning about books that are a "good read". Some of course are heavy academic tomes (sorry!) but some are also very accessible and readable books. Just let me say that there are some amazing books out there and I'll be more than pleased to share my reading lists with anyone who is interested. The one book I will mention is "Tokens of Trust" by Rowan Williams which is a short introduction to Christian belief and only runs to 159 pages. It was published earlier this year and is based on a series of talks given by him in Canterbury Cathedral in the week before Easter 2005. It genuinely is an easy read and gently guides one into thinking about the essentials of what Christians believe as they prepare themselves for Easter, the greatest celebration of the year. It may very well be August but that doesn't mean this is not a book worth packing for the summer holidays. I highly recommend it.

Like all schoolchildren and university students we not only have summer holidays but also homework. Apart from the inevitable reading to prepare us for next term, we are encouraged to keep a spiritual journal for the next two months. It's not anything I will ever show anyone but it's my opportunity to record my struggles, fears, joys and aspirations as well as my reflections and any significance for me. I'm not sure where it will take me this summer but I hope it will combine the "sacred" and secular just as Scripture does".

Next year, the course will cover Paul' Epistles, the Old Testament and Church History. In our autumn term we take a detailed look at the various books of the New Testament either written by or possibly written by St Paul. We are told that there are obvious links with the Gospels and Doctrine (which we did in our first year), Old Testament and Church History (still to do) next term and we will be dealing with questions about salvation, law and behaviour, resurrection which are, of course, integral to the work of any minister. I see from my notes that we are also expected to make weekly student contributions related to putting theoretical knowledge into practice by, for example, 'Witness to conversion in a personal way for one minute without using one 'theological' word or any 'spiritual jargon'. I suspect this is one way of providing a little light relief in what may will be a very full term.

As part of my training, both Elstead and Thursley are being asked to provide people to join a "Local Training Group" to meet between September 2007 and May 2008 to work on various tasks to prepare the parishes for when I return as a deacon and eventually as a priest licensed to both parishes. I will write more about this in due course but it simple serves to reinforce the fact that this is a journey that is not being made by me alone but is one that is shared by the whole church in Elstead and Thursley. I will be able to take life slightly easier in the next couple of months though there will be that reading to do. I wish you all a good summer break and pray that it will also be a time of refreshment for you too.