Called? Wrong result and responses!

So, continuing with the story of the lovely lady who wasn't so lovely because of her experiences relating to having offered herself for ordination and having explained where she was, let us continue...

As I said in the first post of this series, this young lady hadn't just been knocked back but had, more tragically, also been knocked down and the eyes of the beholder see those two words, 'I'm sorry'.

Having invited her to share her feelings and the situation following the conference in terms of engagement with those who had stood with her on the vocations trail and what she thought the letter had said I found myself in the midst of a real firestorm as the pain and anger and frustration and other stuff poured out of her. So much so that I'm not sure that I quite know where to start (it didn't seem right to ask her to wait whilst I got a pen and paper and wrote it all down, she wanted a pastor not a secretary!).

But here's the essence of it all:

From the closest to her on the journey the response was, 'Oh dear, we must get together when I'm free!'

Her supporting cleric, after some muttered words of comfort, then said that she wasn't expected to attend the church council (PCC) meeting and would not be expected to shadow them anymore in the light of the 'No' that she had received from the selectors!

Tears running like rivers my young lady went on to tell me how a few days later she'd had a call from a friend who had been at the PCC meeting where the Vicar had told the gathered audience how their candidate had 'failed selection!' Her friend rang to make sure she was O.K. and to invite her out for a coffee (what did we do before Costa I wonder?).

I have to admit that this is where I took the opportunity to mirror her pain, frustration and anger as the inept behaviour of her Vicar took a hold of me (I'm still available should the bishop consider creating the joint posts of diocesan hitman and arsonist - although as they weren't from our diocese perhaps that needs to be part of the Archbishop's Team: Over to you ++Justin). I can understand the confusion and pain felt by someone who has a congregation member return from conference and be wounded by the subsequent happenings but what I heard was perhaps the most downright pastorally inept actions I have ever encountered.

As we talked I realised that she had in fact been 'binned' by her leader and, like those who attempt to make the grey beret that is SAS theirs, she had effectively been RTU'd (returned to unit) - a single act that adds humiliation to the disappointment of the wrong outcome. It was now some weeks since the letter and although she'd seen a vocations person who had offered tea and sympathy and the promise of support in continuing exploring her vocation, the Vicar had effectively sidestepped her and because of this she had now absented herself from that church. The problem was that I couldn't blame her for doing so!

I asked who had contacted her in the church family and found that you could count those who had offered support on two fingers, the rest had kept their distance and, as her anger had risen, increased the distance to escape the fallout. Her own family were confused and wounded by the lack of effective support and her friends, some from other churches, were encouraging her to 'shake the dust' and move on where she could be used and loved in equal measure.

So I told her to go and challenge her Vicar over the response and the distancing and to ask how she was going to stand with her. I told her that it would be O.K. to cry, acceptable to shout and just a little too far to take a stick or sharp object (and at last I got a laugh!). 

I told her that what she had shared was neither 'something else' (like Lay Ministry) or a 'never again' but was merely ('merely' here being at the same level that says Hiroshima was merely a bomb someone dropped!!!) an invitation to step back, read what was really written rather than the interpretation that had been taken on board, and return with the bumps in the road flattened. It was people pointing out issues that needed some tinkering with rather than an epic fail and the end of the world - just an extremely painful episode on the way to giving birth to a new ministry. 

So we chatted a bit more and we prayed (the first Vicar to do that with her - how shameful is that?) and she left to visit her relative (looking like Marc Bolan on a bad day with all the smeared mascara and stuff - thinking now I ought to have told her :-(  ) and hopefully return home to make an appointment with her Vicar.

And that's my conversation in a nutshell. Names, locations and the like have been changed to protect the wounded and the guilty alike (who says I don't do Grace?).

And I'll end this entry with a plea: Brother and sisters, if you see someone caught up in journey to vocation then handle them gently; correcting in love and guiding with hope and the understanding that whatever part of the journey they are on, there but for the grace of God it could be you!

Deal with them as you would wish to be dealt with.

Encourage those who are discerning their call and pray for those who work with them.

And best of all, ask God what your calling is and have the courage, like my young woman, togo forward with it and to continue even when other make that journey harder - for we are all weak and flawed at times: That's why we need Jesus, innit?

Pax

Called? What does discernment look like and do?

Last week I found myself engaged in brief conversation by a lovely young lady who wasn't in lovely young lady mode - the reason for this being that she had recently been to the Fens for a selection conference and not only been knocked back but had also been knocked down - and this got me thinking.

Bur first, for those of you who don't know the process the CofE use to select people for training, let me explain the what and how of the whole shebang - and then we can look at the lovely lady and her experience:

Initial Exploration

Having shared the feeling that you think God might be calling you to 'do something' in the Church you might find yourself engaged with by your own minister or pointed towards the DDO (Diocesan Director of Ordinands - the person who puts candidates up to the bishop for approval to attend a selection conference) who will either see you and start the process of discernment rolling by continuing with you or by passing you on to a local vocations advisor (like what I am).

Either way you will start to look at calling and how to test it and understand where it is pointed and many other criteria that selectors (people who will interview you at a BAP or DAP*) will be looking for. Sometimes the journey may branch off in directions that lead to Lay Ministry or perhaps Church Army or other directions: But is should always be done with (and for) you and never to you. If you feel uncomfortable, confused or troubled - Tell someone immediately. 

Preparation for 'Conference'

Once those on the vocation trail are satisfied that there is evidence of a calling then you might find yourself in a reading group where you will read (duh!) a variety of books and discuss them with the others. This gives you a chance to engage with others and dialogue in ways that might be a bit alien - but it is all part of the preparation (especially when some of the group are a challenge: Just make sure the 'challenge' isn't you!).

There will be meetings with the DDO (or one of their team) to discuss the criteria in more depth and draw out your views and feelings regarding what you feel and have experienced thus far.

There might be the added bonus of finding yourself enrolled in a course of study (I love the Old and New Testament distance learning courses from St John's or London School of Theology for this). Don't worry if you find yourself asked to do a bit of study, this is merely there to demonstrate to yourself (most importantly) that you can cope with the academic stuff and it will also help selectors see who they have before them.

The Conference itself
Three days at a conference centre where, once you've got your room squared away, things kick off with the 'Personal Inventory': Forty minutes of 'quick fire' questions which relate to the three selection interviews - Education, Pastoral and Vocation. 

Then there's a pastoral exercise to think about: 500 words to someone with a problem (I'll let them have my address!) that needs addressing (and here's a tip - offer support but don't be directive

The sun comes up and after breakfast and a spot of church you get a chance to share your presentation and get a discussion going: But remember you are leading and being led so you have to be as switched on for the other's presentations as you wanted those around you be for yours!

Then they feed you and it's into the selector's interviews which are challenging and, if my conference was anything to go by, require sleep directly afterwards! The next day you'll have more selector interviews as required to ensure you've done three and then there's a bit of decompression in the shape of the Eucharist and off you go to your homes where, if you are like me, you'll have no idea which way is up and how you've done.

Then comes the wait for the letter: Generally there are three outcomes (an a hint: People don't 'fail' a BAP or DAP and it is not a rejection of those who have attended. Well not that I have seen - but that's not how others might perceive it):

NOT YET - This is a 'Not recommended',but it should have the added 'not at this time', because you can return and play again at a later date.

SOMETHING ELSE - Where ordination is not discerned or indicated the path of Lay Minister (or perhaps Church Army) is suggested. The whole thing is about putting round pegs into round holes and so where a square peg is found, a square hole will be suggested)!

NEVER - I was shocked when I first encountered someone who was effectively told 'Don't send this person ever again!'

So there you have the scene set for the next act (which will probably be tomorrow as I'm rushing out again for a meeting - oh deep joy!)

* BAP - Bishop's Advisory Panel: Two and a half days away where you undertake certain exercises and engage in interviews with a view to being selected for training for ordained ministry (stipendiary or non-stipendiary - that means paid or unpaid)

DAP - Diocesan Advisory Panel: Time away where you are interviewed with a view to becoming an OLM (Ordained Local Minister) in the diocese in which you reside.

So What do you Do all day?

This is one of those 'funny' comments that grace my life every so often and I guess that, not being in any way unique (whilst being unique in every way!), others in the clergy are blessed with the same comments too!

It's an odd thing but when this particular cleric steps into the dressing up shop and become 'Rev Ben' rather than 'Mr Ben'. Of course I'm assuming you know who Mr Ben is - in case you don't, let me set you straight. Mr Ben was a great cartoon character from the seventies who would visit a 'dressing up' shop where he would 'dress up' and have great adventures - these days I have come to realise that it called 'ordination'!

Today has been pretty much extraordinary in the way that it has been so amazingly ordinary and yet, as is almost always the case, so extremely special.

By the close of play today this day will have seen me engaged in:

+ a communion service where we ran out of seats and just kept adding them.

+ an opportunity to meet with lots of really lovely people and just enjoying spending time with them listening to their stories, laughing at their jokes and getting involved with them and being 'real'.

+ taking communion out to people who are no longer able to come in to the church building and be 'Church' - so 'Church' comes to them and the relationship with Jesus, the Christ, the lone(ly) Christian and the Lord (through the Eucharist) is once again celebrated and made incarnate!

+ helping people make sense of the loss of a loved one and help them to plan one last opportunity for them and their loved one to physically be in the same place.

+ being the voice of reason and reconciliation as broken people, and relationship, are brought back into one and healing, forgiveness and love gently collide.

+ being the Christian presence as members of a uniformed youth organisation parade and spend time together as cadets.

+ planning the funeral of a young person whose loss is painful and unfair for all who are involved and confusing for those who assumed that 'three score and ten' were the norm'. Death of a young person, especially when this natural act is down to natural causes, brings a sadness all of its own and raises many questions where God, and the person representing Him, need to 'man up' and take the questions on the chin without evasion or flinching.

Add to this the usual round of emails, telephone calls and the like and you get to realise that what your average Vicar does requires anything but an average response. Mix in a little paperwork (and there's always paperwork to be done) and the picture is complete.

So a request for those who have a Vicar, Pastor, Leader, Whateveryoucallthem, in your expression of Church.

Please pray for those who are engaged in the pastoral role that they will:

i. Never lose sight of the high calling that they have to walk in the footsteps of Jesus and minister His love to all that they meet; Christian, theist and atheist.

ii. Never see those they engage with as anything other than the image of the invisible God made visible and, with that in mind, give them the time, love and respect that this deserves.

iii. Remember that the role is done WITH God as partners and friends rather than work colleagues or employee and Employer. We live with God first and foremost as brothers and sisters rather than mere co-workers; a reality that is borne of relationship and sacrifice on God's part.

iv. Never forget that there are others within their own family who have a right, and a call, upon their time and that balance is always the key (especially when unbalance is the reality).

Pax

The Ordination Retreat

I gave up my life ten years ago and started to live.
I stopped working and have never worked harder;

and as I think of those ten years I remember where it all began.

That last day and first day combined;

and the ordination retreat:

Ten years ago.
There we were,
ready
willing
and unable to stop the express train that is ordination;
locked in a pub' in the early hours of the morning,
sitting in a corner nursing our beers,
laughing over our fears.

Then comes a knocking at the door
at twenty to four (I tell the truth)
and the door is opened
and he comes in.
A Police Officer,
not Jesus

(although that would have been nice)!

And over he comes to us
asking who we are
and what brings us to the place
so we tell him,

We're almost Vicars,'

and smiling,
he buys us a drink
and wishes us well!

Dawn arrives
and the congregation,
disturbed by her appearance,
replete and cheery,
leave
and so do we.

Back to the ordination retreat
with its farce-like silence
bordering on madness
as people,
in pursuit of ketchup,
gesticulate and madly mime.

As the woman serving us
bangs plates upon the tables
and the background music
suddenly bursts into Wagner
and the Valkaries ride
on the wings of our silent sobs
of suppressed laughter
and released nerves
which scamper around the room
releasing even more
and the sniggering rises
causing tears to run
shoulders to shake
and a disapproving glare from the leader
as he leaves in disgust!

Petertide: Pauline Thoughts

I find the words of 2 Timothy hitting me like a speeding locomotive today as I begin to take time with God to ponder the anniversary of my own ordination and the forthcoming ordination and priesting of others I know. The words, written by Paul to Timothy, challenge and excite me causing me to press on in my work as a priest, 'Presenting myself to God as one approved, a worker who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth.'

I read that in the calling God has given us we are to 'endure suffering along with Paul, as good soldiers of Christ Jesus (who seek to please the commanding Officer not the world).'
Soldiers know the benefits of having a chain of command and the strength that working within such brings. The can follow orders as much as they can give them and the support of those with whom they stand is as sure as the support they give to others.

What we have before us is a call to Preach Jesus, the Christ, who was crucified, died and rose again. This is a calling that may bring us hardship, ridicule and suffering - but we, like the Word of God cannot be chained.

We must, like Paul, be willing to endure hardships and trials if they will bring salvation and eternal glory in Christ Jesus to those God has chosen.

We need, daily, to remember this and proudly proclaim it:

If we die with Him, we will also live with Him.
If we endure hardship, we will reign with Him.
If we deny Him, He will deny us.
If we are unfaithful,  He remains faithful, for He cannot deny who He is.
Remind everyone about these things, 
And command them in God’s presence to stop fighting over words.
Such arguments are useless, and they can ruin those who hear them.

And so the words that we must, 'Work hard so we might present ourselves to God and receive his approval that we are indeed, good workers who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly explains the word of truth', hit me like hailstones on a summer's day.

This is the highest calling we have is that we handle the word of God and present Jesus, the living Word, with honesty and integrity - working on our studies and being open to His Holy Spirit can open the word of life to others without straying from that which is true.

Paul continues:

'Avoid worthless, foolish talk that only leads to more godless behaviour.
This kind of talk spreads like cancer, as in the case of those who have left the path of truth, claiming that things that deny the Gospel and have, by so doing, turned some people away from the faith.

But God’s truth stands firm like a foundation stone with this inscription:

“The LORD knows those who are his,”

and

“All who belong to the LORD must turn away from evil.”

Again I say, don’t get involved in foolish, ignorant arguments that only start fights.
A servant of the Lord must not quarrel but must be kind to everyone, be able to teach, and be patient with difficult people.
Gently instruct those who oppose the truth. Perhaps God will change those people’s hearts, and they will learn the truth. Then they will come to their senses and escape from the devil’s trap. For they have been held captive by him to do whatever he wants.'

What power there is, what a call to discipline and carefully constructed ministry.

A call to exhibit patience with difficult people and to love them, even though they may portray you as you are not, just as God loves us (and we can be difficult too!).

To know when to walk away rather than waste words achieving nothing but a weakening of the Church.

To be one in whom the Church can take pride that you wear its capbadge and follow the same commander in chief.

This is our call and our challenge - may God strengthen those who have taken it up and bless and enable those who do so over the past few, and coming, days.

Please pray for those who are to be ordained and priested at this time and pray for those for whom this milestone is now but a memory that all will indeed be 'workmen who are tried, tested, approved and enabled by God's holy Spirit'.

Pax

Selection: Not just the Candidate!

I have had a rather charming, and challenging,  conversation with someone who has supported their spouse along the road to selection and had to pick up the many fragments that scattered the route back after they received something other than a resounding 'yes' at conference.

They highlighted the pleasure and the pain as doors were opened and then, in one final and dramatic act, apparently slammed shut. The frustration at the time it took to reach the endpoint and the ways in which the news was communicated and them feeling abandoned and betrayed. The upset that having looked for a job near to the intended college the plans were not only dashed at the 'possibly going to' end but caused issues with the 'possibly leaving end' too (telling your head that you might well be leaving and then not and finding they have already tentatively found a replacement apparently goes down quite badly).

The preparing the children for a change of home and then having got them excited about going, having to tell them you're staying!

I don't know how we can do it better. Perhaps we need to ensure that successful candidates at selection are given a year's shadowing their home church clergy before college to provide a naturtal gap should selection fall apart. The fact that the candidate feels abandoned is something that we, the church, must get to grips with; the support for the spouse and family of a candidate who returns with altered timescales or direction is equally (perhaps more) important too!

I've started a new section on the cavedwellers forum (goes live tonight) for people to share, explore, discuss and bleed over the issue of discernment, calling and selection. If anyone would like to come and contribute please feel free to either go to the forum and join or mail me and I'll set them up with a login and password.

We need to discuss and learn from our mistakes so that we can provide a positive and supportive environment for those exploring ministry (in all its forms) and those whose direction has changed as the process progresses.

'No one get ordained alone if they are married and it's not just the candidate that feels the pain if it falls.'

Thank you to the person who gave me that thought - may God bless you and yours as the process to be in the right place continues.

Just what is being a Cleric about?

There are so many interesting conversations to be had regarding what a 'Vicar' really is and does at the moment.

We have some who consider themselves in places merely to 'keep the lights on' and this raises some good stuff regarding 'mission vs maintenance' and whether 'lights on' is enough (or valid).

There is the issue of Self Supporting Ministers (the ministers previously known as 'Non Stipendiary'*) and what they offer and how they are regarded by others and, perhaps more importantly, by self!

We have those who are 'locally ordained' and how they, their churches and the establishment see them.

As the numbers of stipendiary clergy diminish as the old adage of 'cutting one's coat according to our cloth' is applies; and looking increasingly towards living out the 'can't pay - can't have' mantra, the reality is that the locally-ordained are viewed (by many) as those who will replace the departing stipendiaries at ground level. Something that leads us to also consider the return of some form of Minister model

In broaching these discussions, people have pointed to the demise of the old 'one parson - one parish' and the fact that unless some (especially 'rural' church?) 'grow their own' then they are doomed to closure. But then again if we put clergy into a building without a strategy for growth are we being effective for the Kingdom or merely putting off the dreadful day of reckoning  and leaving it to be 'someone else's' problem?

Another part of the problem is the fact that many of the locally-ordained are perhaps a little older than the twenty-four yr old priest who made the press today and they move with retirement and get ill and, as one person put it, simply 'die' (don't we all?) and where full-time posts are replaced with others the church's find themselves bereft and without a shepherd.

And as for 'no cost' options - there is the supervision of the locally ordained (three years) and then the Training Incumbent roles and then being a 'line manager' after that (for ministry and management are indeed two different elements!). Sounds like quite a bit of emotional, spiritual, physical, practical and temporal cost to me!

The Local Ordination process is much akin to eating spaghetti, for once embarked upon, the churches need to keep sucking to ensure that there is more in the chain and to prevent the day when the can (spaghetti only comes in cans doesn't it?) yields its last!

All of the above appear to regard the minister as the person who 'staffs' the church building rather than shepherds the sheep and facilitates, trains, releases and supports. As a friend put it (accurate as ever) the clergyperson is the 'religious service provider'.

So here we are - much to discuss and reflect upon (I hope) for everyone, for Church is about all-member, collegial, Kingdom ministry - not the few.

Pax

Ordination - Is there an easy route please?

Had an interesting conversation with someone today regarding an easier path to being ordained. They didn't want to go to college and weren't sure they wanted to go to any form of 'selection' conference because it sounded a bit stressful. Not only that but they only wanted to be ordained and remain in their 'sending' church (where they were already working and doing services.

I asked one of my favourite questions (after the 'how' and 'why' questions), "What would ordination do for you and what could you do without it that you couldn't do now?" The response was a new one for me because the answer was, "Nothing - I'm already doing it now!'

Impressed I asked the questions:

Leading services - Yep!

Worship - Yep!

Praying - Yep!

Preaching - Yep!

Involved in the communion service - Yep (and in fact they told me they were already 'doing communion' when their minister was away)!!

I asked where they were (outside of our diocese) and why they'd called me (because someone they know knows me and thought I'd be able to advise) and then got more involved with the more pressing questions after which it transpired that they were in a multi-benefice setup and the clerical person had told them that they needed to get ordained so they could 'formalise' what they were doing. After more discussion I realised that what they wanted was to be ordained to the group of churches and those alone (what we call an ordained local minister where we are) and no more.

I've suggested that they have a chat to a local ministry advisor in their own patch or even arrange an introduction to their DDO. Oddly, what I find interesting here is that this conversation appears to have been prompted by a cleric who was looking to make their local help more official and I can understand why (five churches in the group is reason enough) but I am also left wondering what I could have done further?

It was only a couple of days ago that I was in a group where I brought up the increasing desire to convert any adequate or able lay person into a minister because of the workloads and pressures and here I am perhaps facing yet another of this being flesh in this instance.

I'm left wondering what some clergy see ordination as being and how they discern calling?

Gis' us a clue? Has anyone else encountered anything like this I wonder?

Pax

Age, Sex and Ordination

I have been quite surprised by the number of emails I have received on the 'grey hair, golden boy' post. Seems that there are a few common themes cropping up regarding selection, these are:

1. An obvious feeling that younger is better,

2. An obvious bias towards those who have graduated from Oxbridge returning (quite quickly) to college (often in the same place) as ordinands,

3. Claims of bias towards one group of people (the male/female debate), and

4. Being clergy is a family business!

Regarding the first point, I am aware that there is a desire to see more 'young' ordinands and that there are many who wish to see something like 50% of a diocese's ordinands being under thirty-five. Some of the older people putting themselves forward seem to think that they are being funnelled into other forms of ministry (such as OLM where it exists and if not NSM or Reader or something else.) rather than given encouragement to pursue the calling they feel is upon them.

I was surprised that a few people had mentioned the selection of bright young things from the Oxbridge factories and asking some of those at college, it does seem that there is a fair proportion of those who went to good schools and then on to Oxbridge where they remain and return as ordinands. An argument for this is that the CofE sees these people as a good investment (because they are supposedly bright) and perhaps that good schools and Oxbridge fosters some form of faith within their young people. Then again, a former bishop once told our potty-training group that the CofE was still the greatest gentleman's club in the world - could be that little has changed and the Oxbridge cleric is the gold standard still?

It is strange that I have had comments from women telling me that it is getting harder for women to be selected! To be honest I had expected the opposite because for so long I have had to endure people wittering on about women being 'under-represented' and have heard amazingly frightening stories of people being selected to 'make up the numbers'. Perhaps the tide has turned, but if it has this is equally sad because selection should be about calling not sex (which is different from gender by the way) or colour of which college you went to (bearing in mind that you do need to be able to endure the rigours of theological education).

The 'family business' aspect really shocked me, mind you there were a few at college when I was there who were going to serve their title in the diocese of a Father, God-Father, Uncle or friend of the family and were children of bishops or other clergy! The fact that there were more than one made me laugh but I hear from a few people that in their place of study there are a few who are following in the family business of Anglican ministry. How interesting! (but we will probably never know whether this is real or realised!).

It was interesting to hear from one person that there experience was a number of people whose children had left home and so had, in order to find something to do, had gone off for ordination. I would expect there to be some calling and yet my correspondent says that being 'collared' is merely an extension of the stuff they've done - I hope this is a skewed perspective (or perhaps sour grapes) but am open to information or remedy for this one - seems odd if true and sad (for the person who feels it) if it isn't.

Pax

Living (and working) to rule

No, I'm not trying to organise industrial action, I'm trying to get people to realise that they need a rule of life and once they have one, to live by it!

When one is ordained there are a number of facets on the gem that is Christian ministry, namely:

We accept the Holy Scriptures as being the source of everything we need to know about eternal salvation through faith in Jesus Christ.
This means that the Bible is not a second thought and puts paid to all the universalist tosh that gets peddled. We preach Christ, and Him crucified, risen and alive and teach obedience to the word of God (written and living, logos and Logos!).

We will be active and consistent regarding prayer and in reading, and studying, the Bible and other stuff that will deepen our faith and help us to be witnesses to the truth of the gospel.
If we can't, won't or don't do this then we should never have taken the shilling. Without this we are not 'fit for role' and should remove ourselves from ministry. We are all called 'to stir up' the gift of God that makes us the living witnesses spoken of later - living in holiness and grace.

Believing the doctrine of the Christian faith as received (and practised) by the Church of England and teaching it.
Amazing how many people (many with dog-collars and some in purple) struggle with this.

Being a living witness, a type of Christ in the place you find yourself, living through teaching and example to make Christ's love and life known.
Amazingly, there are many who fall down on this one too!

Caring and serving those 'in the household of God' in the same way Christ came, as a servant, not the dog-collar whom must be served and have status.

Caring and serving, living in and running our own families as an example and as a discipline.
An old Vicar once told me that if you couldn't run your own life and the life of your family, you had no chance with a church!

Working together for the building of the whole Church, making disciples and displaying the unity of the Church across denominations and groupings.
We need to seek where we can share and be united rather than look for the things that separate us for being Church. Too many people taken up with their piddling little gatherings at the sake of a wider, and more effective, Church unity (which if present builds ALL the churches by making disciples and setting the conditions for growth).

Submit to those in authority.
This is a key point and makes sense of the fact that we need to be careful whom we entrust leadership (at all levels) to. Some of those who disregard all the above elements make themselves extremely difficult to obey or respect, for some are (sadly) barely Christian! Yet, there is still the question of rightly placed authority to be considered then!

There we are - everything that the ordinal (the ordaining rule book) requires from Christians not just for ordination but for those who truly wish to live their baptismal calling too!

Pax

Tried, Tested and Approved

The whole point of being ordained, as far as I am concerned, anyway is that it makes a statement about the person who is ordained and on the way to this overarching and grand statement, there are a number of subtexts running in the foreground.

The first of these is that the person has been approved of by their own family and was considered by them to have been a person in whom they could trust and in whom the 'obvious' (and interesting word) witness of God's calling upon their life could be seen.

This is sometimes a problem because people mistake 'calling' with being busy and doing lots in their church family (and sometimes even wider than that). Because someone leads services, is the first to arrive and the last to leave, takes on every tasks that's going and gets stuck in is not, in itself, 'the' indicator that calling exists. This is one of the problems that I encounter quite frequently, a person comes to me and says they have to be ordained because they don't have time to do everything they do and work as well. This says more about time management and the ability to say no (which I don't appear to have done by the way!) than calling to ministry and the key here is to help the person step back and see what else is there. We need people who can, and will, work but calling is about more than just doing - it is not a functional thing (honest).

Calling is about many things and some of the most important are also the most easily missed but those around us are often the first to discern a sense of vocation and then they need to help us realise and be able to vocalise that calling and that it is within the church (i.e. CofE). Sounds silly but there are a number of people who ask me about training in the CofE so that one day they can be pastors elsewhere!

Another of these, in what is often one of the least spoken of areas , because it is usually one of the least visible, is in the area of personal spirituality. Is there a regular prayer life? Is it vibrant and does it indicate a living and ongoing relationship with God (F, S & HS)? It needs to be because when the desert times come, when you feel alone and abused 9and you will), you need to know the power of prayer and meditation on God's words lifting you up to Isaiah 40's 'Eagle's Wings' and Psalm 91's 'hand'.

I was sent a person with the note, "No one likes this person and we think they might have a calling and leave us for college and training!" Wow, what a recommendation - was it a calling or a desire to offload the person onto someone else? But how we relate to others is part of the call, especially as ministry is collaborative, not a chain of command scenario. Do with bring unity or merely command it )Right, when I give the order, you will all be one. Unite!)

Another subtext is that the ordination process looks for people who know there is something that is 'calling' them to put off their daily life and take up a life of servanthood and ministry. Often they can't articulate it. I often ask, "What difference would being ordained make to you. What could you do then that you can't now?" If they say, "Live in a vicarage," (and one actually did) you're in for an interesting day!

Those who come for ordination has to display a faith in God and the desire to take it further so that the journey to the Cross and God's love illumines and consumes them. They know they're flawed and fallible and want to see more of Jesus when they look in the mirror and want that for others too!

So, what is the grand statement you ask (bored of all the intervening words)? It is this:

Ordination takes a person and tests them to see if there is any of the element 'calling' found in the person seeking to be ordained. It trains them and tests them and turns up the heat and then it ordains them, places them in a job (the role of Curate - which is not like 'fagging' as one Rector told me. i.e. the place where you get your own back for your curacy experiences!) which turns up the heat and asks them to do things 'they just aren't called to do'. It places them in relationship with people they would never normally be in relationship with and it asks them to meet people in some of the deepest human needs you can think of, and it watches.
And having watched, it priests you and expands the experience and tests and challenges and tests and watches.

Ordination is about submission to authority. Just as Nehemiah's submission to his king meant that he had authority, so to do we, when we submit, have authority.

Ordination tries, tests, trains, approves and releases us to care for God's people. It is not a simple process and it is uniformly different for each one of us, for we are individuals, in that it is about His calling (it's not ours) ek klesia (called out) as laos (God's people in submission and obedience.

PAx

I'm just not called to do that!

Part of the dialogue that started this thread was surrounding someone who had been approaching ordination and realised that the role would mean that they would have to do stuff that they "Just didn't feel called to do it!"

The whole point of offering oneself for ordination is that you offer yourself to the whole Church, not just the place you want to go to or to the style that you want. Ordination is about calling and obedience. It is about submission and a willingness to go into the role prepared to learn and to explore.

It is not about just going to do what you want to do.

It is not about deciding that you are only going to do whatever style of church rings your bell. This is something that many suffer from and manifests itself in New Wine types who only want to do church in one particular way. It can be seen in the high church types who moan that the evo's don't understand their churchmanship (hence so many evo's being made to 'experience' high church on the road to selection and yet none of the high church go the other way!). Too many people offer themselves conditionally - they want ministry on their terms and if those terms are not met, then they threaten to take their bags and leave.

Well, here's a bit of a shock for those who think that way, goodbye and to be honest, good riddance. I'm sure there's a place in Vineyard or one of the trendy groupings for those who are led that way. The same is true of the high church types, Rome has opened its arms and it doors - swan off and be blessed where you will be happy. Again, for those who want a libertarian church, there are plenty out there, leave the CofE alone and go be Episcopalian or ******* (see, didn't name them) and, again, be happy and leave us to be happy where we are and for you where you are.

Ordination is more than just 'playing the game and jumping the hoops' it is about being willing to explore, and find God, in BCP or choral tradition and music groups and Taizé and even in the dressing up and clomping around in chasubles with burning handbags flying!

Offering yourself and being willing to submit to and explore what is Church is part of the calling and the enabling. It is almost like being cast adrift and waiting to see what shores you will drift on to and be blessed by before you sail off again. It is about developing a maturity and a depth of religious experience that is often so obviously lacking in those who offer themselves conditionally.

Try taking this twice a day until the condition clears up:

Father God, thank you for calling me to serve others.
Help me to seek and find you in the people I meet,
To minister your love, grace and mercy to all I serve,
To not limit your power by my own piddling and limited experience,
Or silence your worship by my thinking I know what is the 'only' way.
Father, if I am called, then I am called to all that preaches your word,
To all that praises your name,
To everything that makes disciples.
May I never dishonour you name or disobey your word.
Keep me on the right path so that those I shepherd, following me, realise that I am merely following you,
My Saviour, Master and friend. Amen

On Being Ordained

Petertide approaches and as I come to celebrate yet another year in Anglican ministry I was engaged in conversation with a friend about the nature of ministry and calling. This coming weekend will see people flocking into our Cathedrals and men and women are ordained deacon and rush off to serve their 'title' (this means your first job in the CofE as a minister) and be Assistant Curate (although we call them 'Curates', which refers to the person who has the 'cure of souls' in the parish (the incumbent), they assist this person and so are really (technically) bear the 'assistant' label) somewhere.

So, for those being ordained, for those who are seeking ordination and those who are merely interested, here are a few initial thoughts. A starting volley on a them I think I will run with this week. And we begin with a tough issue indeed:

I'm just not called to do that!

I'd like to set the scene for this post by posting the lyrics of a song by Keith Green called 'Sheep and Goats":

And when the Son Man comes, and all the Holy Angels with him,

Then shall he sit on His Glorious throne,
And he will divide the nations before Him, as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats.
And He shall put the sheep on His right and the goats on His left,

And He shall say to the sheep; come ye, blessed of My Father,
inherit the Kingdom I have prepared for you from the foundation of the world,

For I was hungry, and you gave me something to eat,
I was thirsty, and you gave me something to drink,
I was naked, and you clothed me,
I was a stranger, and you invited me in,
I was sick, and I was in prison, and you came to me.
Thank you! Enter into your rest.

And they shall answer Him, yes, they shall answer Him,
And they'll say, Lord, when?
When were you hungry Lord, and we gave you something to eat?
Lord, when were you thirsty? I can't remember. And we gave you drink?
Huh, when were you naked Lord, and we clothed you?
And Lord, when were you a stranger and we invited you in?
I mean, we invited lots of people in.
But Lord, I could never forget that face.
And Lord, when were you sick and we visited you?
Or in prison, and we came to you? Lord, tell us?

In as much as you did it to the least of my bretheren, you've done it unto me.
Oh yes, as much as you've done it to the very least of my bretheren, you've done it, you've done it unto me. Enter into your rest.

Then He shall turn to those on His left, the goats.
Depart from me, you cursed ones, into everlasting fire,
prepared for the devil and his angels.
For I was hungry, and you gave me nothing to eat,
I was thirsty, and you gave me nothing to drink,
I was naked, out in the cold, in exposure, and you sent me away,
I was a stranger, and I knocked at your door,
But you didn't open, you told me to go away,
I was sick, racked in pain upon my bed,
And I begged, and prayed, and pleaded that you'd come, but you didn't,
I was in prison, and I rotted there,
I'd prayed that you'd come.
I heard your programs on the radio, I read your magazines, but you never came.
Depart from me!!!

Lord, there must be some mistake, when?
Lord, when - I mean, when were you hungry Lord and we didn't give you something to eat?
And Lord, when were you thirsty, and we didn't give you drink? I mean, that's not fair
Well, would you like something now?
Would one of the Angels like to go out and get the Lord a hamburger and a coke?
Oh, you're not hungry, yeah, I lost my appetite too.
Uh Lord uh, Lord, when were you naked,
I mean Lord, that's not fair either Lord,
We didn't know what size you wear.
Oh Lord, when were you a stranger Lord,
You weren't one of those creepy people who used to come to the door, were you?
Oh Lord, that wasn't our ministry Lord. We just didn't feel led, you know?
Lord, when were you sick? What did you have, anyway?
Well, at least it wasn't fatal... oh, it was?
I'm sorry Lord, I would have sent you a card.
Lord, just one last thing we want to know,
When were you in prison Lord? What were you in for anyway? I had a friend in Levenworth..

ENOUGH!

In as much as you've not done it unto the least of my bretheren,
You've not done it unto me.
In as much as you've not done it unto the least of my bretheren,
You've not done it unto me.
Depart from Me.

And these shall go away into everlasting fire.
But the righteous into eternal life!

And my friends, the only difference between the sheep and the goats, according to this scripture, is what they did, and didn't do!!

And if you prefer to listen:


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