Here's the assumptions: rolled stats, and I don't know what they are yet. Will be rolling a 4d6c3 method, so I can assume a decent wis/con, but not much else.
Classes are core (PHB/XPH) and PHB2 only. Spell selection comes from PHB and PHB2, as do feats, races, etc. So, a very limited set of possibilities here.
I'm not shooting for CoDZilla, but what I AM shooting for is some idea about how to not suck until level 7. We'll be playing levels 1-15 or thereabouts. I've played clerics before, and have read the appropriate handbooks, so I don't need total build or anything, just a nudge in the right direction.
When I did this in the past, from levels 3 to 7, I ended up casting a LOT of spiritual weapon and doing little else. By the time I got to level 7 and say, "Woo, Divine Power!", I ended up realizing that I was so MAD, my buffed strength was just a 20, and I was still just wielding a dinky little mace. It sucked, and I ended up swapping the character for a crusader and dumping the healing duties on a wand-jockey.
I don't really want to be a healbot, but I recognize the need for the occasional in-combat Big Heal. I think Divine Ward is in PHB2, which will make life easier, especially in plate. Also, in a world without the Rod and Orb of stat-repair from the MIC, I think I'll be casting a large number of Lesser Restorations. So I can't put all my spellcasting on offense (and in the core+PHB2 spell list, there's not a ton anyway). I also am uninterested in casting more than one buff per combat. Nothing annoys me more than spending too many turns buffing and not fighting.
So, I need some ideas for how to approach a cleric in a way that makes them kind of interesting, more than just "I cast bless", "I attack for miniscule damage", and "I cast cure lights after combat until everyone falls asleep". I can see how at level 9 or so, things get pretty interesting, but EVERYBODY is interesting with 5th-level spells. The problem is doing it prior to 9.