ok so a question or two about being being knowing if you are proficient regarding clerics (and wizards) ....
cleric "Clerics are proficient with all simple weapons, light armor, medium armor, and shields (except tower shields). Clerics are also proficient with the favored weapon of their deities."
when stating a cleric is proficient with shields .... does this include using a shield AS a weapon. shields as weapons are martial weapons. The wording is kind of odd because it first mentions weapons .... then armor .... then shields.
2nd question ... Hand of the Apprentice, the wizard universalist 1st level power (or cleric magic domain).
"You cause your melee weapon to fly from your grasp and strike a foe before instantly returning to you. As a standard action, you can make a single attack using a melee weapon at a range of 30 feet. This attack is treated as a ranged attack with a thrown weapon, except that you add your Intelligence *(Wisdom for cleric) modifier on the attack roll instead of your Dexterity modifier (damage still relies on Strength). This ability cannot be used to perform a combat maneuver. You can use this ability a number of times per day equal to 3 + your Intelligence (Wisdom for cleric) modifier."
Does the wizard or cleric need to be proficient in the melee weapon that is being magically thrown or do they take the penalty if not?
There's a FAQ for the shield:
Shield Bash: If I am proficient with wearing shields, can I make a shield bash without a nonproficiency penalty?
Armor proficiencies and weapon proficiencies are different things.Table 6–4: Weapon (page 142) lists light shields, heavy shields, and spiked shields as martial weapons. The shield bash attacks entries (page 152) say that using a shield in this way is a "martial bludgeoning weapon."
Regardless of whether or not you are proficient in wearing a shield for defense, attacking with a shield is using a martial weapon and you take appropriate penalties if you are not proficient in martial weapons (for example, if you are a cleric, you take a –4 nonproficiency penalty when making shield bash attacks because you are not proficient in martial weapons).
For the 2nd question, they don't "need" to be proficient, but take the penalty if they are not.