Reaffirmed
Every year during Holy Week, the clergy from all over the Diocese of Milwaukee make their way to (usually) the Cathedral Church of All Saints for the purpose of reaffirming the vows they made on the day of their respective ordinations. This is a tradition in the Church dating back centuries, and many dioceses throughout the Episcopal Church observe the custom. Taking time during Holy Week to reconnect with the call to ordained ministry is a wise investment of time during a week when it's easy to get caught up in "bulletin busy-ness", "sermon shaping" and "leaping through liturgies" -- as if the goal of the week is to simply make it to the Easter afternoon nap.
As I stood in the Cathedral yesterday reaffirming my commitment to the vows I made the first time over eight years ago, I couldn't help but remember the day of my ordination to the priesthood. I remember how fast it all seemed to go -- the liturgy, the reception, the well-wishes from family and friends. But the place where time seemed to pass in slow motion was during "the Examination" (BCP, p. 531ff). As the Bishop Suffragan of Southern Virginia looked me in the eye and asked me question after question (the vows), the weightiness of the moment solidified all around me. I felt alone and supported simultaneously. I knew this was the ministry to which I had been called and I was anxious to "get on with it". But the Examination provided the necessary corrective -- the ministry of the Church is lived out in a different timeframe than the rest of the world.
Everything the Examination asks of those ordained to the priesthood, diaconate and episcopate takes time...lots, and lots of time. There is no way to cultivate a life of prayer in 20 minutes each week. Reading and studying can't be done in the time it takes a microwave dinner to cook. Caring for God's people is more than an e-mail or a Facebook post. One cannot minister the sacraments of the New Covenant "virtually" -- it's all done with real people in real time.
From time to time, I still want to "get on with it". Impatience is a constant in my life -- to the extent I become impatient with my impatience. Yesterday reminded me (AGAIN!) that this ministry isn't on my timeline -- it is on God's. My job is to remember my role -- a servant of God's people in the service of the Good News. I may fail miserably at remembering this role tomorrow. But for now, for today, I am "reaffirmed".
Every year during Holy Week, the clergy from all over the Diocese of Milwaukee make their way to (usually) the Cathedral Church of All Saints for the purpose of reaffirming the vows they made on the day of their respective ordinations. This is a tradition in the Church dating back centuries, and many dioceses throughout the Episcopal Church observe the custom. Taking time during Holy Week to reconnect with the call to ordained ministry is a wise investment of time during a week when it's easy to get caught up in "bulletin busy-ness", "sermon shaping" and "leaping through liturgies" -- as if the goal of the week is to simply make it to the Easter afternoon nap.
As I stood in the Cathedral yesterday reaffirming my commitment to the vows I made the first time over eight years ago, I couldn't help but remember the day of my ordination to the priesthood. I remember how fast it all seemed to go -- the liturgy, the reception, the well-wishes from family and friends. But the place where time seemed to pass in slow motion was during "the Examination" (BCP, p. 531ff). As the Bishop Suffragan of Southern Virginia looked me in the eye and asked me question after question (the vows), the weightiness of the moment solidified all around me. I felt alone and supported simultaneously. I knew this was the ministry to which I had been called and I was anxious to "get on with it". But the Examination provided the necessary corrective -- the ministry of the Church is lived out in a different timeframe than the rest of the world.
Everything the Examination asks of those ordained to the priesthood, diaconate and episcopate takes time...lots, and lots of time. There is no way to cultivate a life of prayer in 20 minutes each week. Reading and studying can't be done in the time it takes a microwave dinner to cook. Caring for God's people is more than an e-mail or a Facebook post. One cannot minister the sacraments of the New Covenant "virtually" -- it's all done with real people in real time.
From time to time, I still want to "get on with it". Impatience is a constant in my life -- to the extent I become impatient with my impatience. Yesterday reminded me (AGAIN!) that this ministry isn't on my timeline -- it is on God's. My job is to remember my role -- a servant of God's people in the service of the Good News. I may fail miserably at remembering this role tomorrow. But for now, for today, I am "reaffirmed".
posted by FrGaryB | 6:36 PM
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