I am currently taking an extended unit of Clinical Pastoral Education at a hospital in my city. Each week, we have eight hours of instruction and group work in the classroom and eight hours visiting patients on our assigned wards.

The theory behind CPE is that you are the tool that you use to help people in need. Over the unit you set goals to improve your skills and work through your limitations.

I am hoping to become more of a tool than ever by the end of the seven months.

Because we are interns with the Spiritual Care department in the hospital, one of our jobs is to make sure that every patient who passes through the hospital gets at least one visit, and to tell people about the ministry and services of the Spiritual Care department. We also offer to pray with the patients if they wish ... although some of us are more comfortable with that than others.

During one of our classroom role playing exercises, a classmate of mine was paired with the instructor. The senario had lead up to her praying with him, and after asking him if he wanted her to go that far, she began to pray for "Bill" and his "sudden heart attack".

I immediately found myself getting what could only be described as panicky ... as if God, being omnipresent, omniscient and omnipotent cannot understand the concept of "pretending".

*frantically flipping through a giant book*

"Bill had a heart attack? When did that happen? What do you mean ... they're just practicing? Haven't they ever heard the story of the boy who cried w ... oh, great!!! Yellowstone National Park just burned down! Are you people happy now?!?"