Ordination: A lot of fuss about ?

I've been part of a few interesting dialogues over the the last few months about 'Ordination.' From conversations with Panels, a Formation Intensive, colleagues of varying views, peers, young people, family, acquantances and those with a casual interest.

What does 'ordination' mean? What's different for me? What does this mean?

What are your next steps?

Does this mean free weddings and funerals for family members?

This post will probably be saved as a draft more than once before I post it as I recall different aspects of this and help myself form some thoughts for my 'brief statement of faith' on 12.12.09.

One thing I know is I don't know everything there is to know about what it means to 'be ordained' and I seek permission to be sketchy, to change my mind and to speak only for myself and to take an approach of 'working it out as I go' for the next couple of decades and you can ask me again then!!

Here's what I reckon:

-there isn't any difference between the call to discipleship and the call to ordination, certainly not in terms of power or status, 'seriousness' of your commitment etc

-I think it's important to reflect that it's a call 'to' something not just about 'title'

-in the UCA it's a call to Minister of the Word, or Deacon AND I believe Youth Work [amongst other things]

-ordination doesn't have to be a denial of your baptism, it might just be a choice to live that out in a way the church asks or that makes sense in terms of the time and place you find yourself in or want to be in for the future.

-it's got something to do with time and something to do with place [or standpoint]-Its' got something to do with taking a new standpoint and being 'called' by the church and your own journeying

-It's not a career move but it has implications

-It's continually under examination by the context

-It's problematic in that symbol and tradition both inform us and hold us up e.g the Alb

The alb [in our case the ecumenical alb or long white fairly plain robe] symbolises many things and one is that "it's not about YOU", there's an identification with the ordinary, a recognition in the community at large it represents something of the transcendence of God and the mystery of what the person is 'leading' when they wear it on occasion.

Yet, are some of those things barriers in a time when normal or ordinary dress is so different. Are we in danger of the deity from 'Red Dwarf' TV show or the story of the Friars cat in Chapel [another day perhaps]

-I'm not interested in convincing anyone else they shold be getting ordained. I am interested in listening, encouraging them to explore and helping them ask 'different questions' to the ones giving them the answrs they want to hear

-I'm as surprised I'm being ordained as I am most times someone asks me to offer some form of leadership

-Yet I am as reserved and circumspect about this as I am about what I truly believe about my own intellect, gifts, persona and journey

-I already sense plenty of pressure about 'how I will go in a traditional congregational setting' despite peoples best efforts to envisage a new future for this ancient faith and church of ours

- I'm glad I'm not doing anything different for the first 12 months [most likely] to demonstrate a point

-I wil take seriously the caring question from this last week about what 'preparation' I am undertaking for my Ordination... which in my frame of mind I interpreted as being about organisation... when it was always about identity, time out, relfection, spirtual prepartions. I'm making a plan!

-To those considering or avoiding or questioning ordination I say "......." what do YOU make of it? Rather than everyone or anyone else? What are your questions and how are you seeking the answers? -It's something that in the past I have said 'no' to or 'not now' or 'not in this way' and somehow this time is different? Does it seem like 'selling out', 'domestication?' YET what are your gifts, what do you know you would contribute or do and is there an inkling for you that the questions are prompted in you by more than human interest?

More later perhaps...