Mike's musings

What's being a priest about?

I had an interesting conversation with a priest recently who was complaining about having to spend a full half hour talking about clearing leaves out of gutters during a buildings and maintenance meeting that he was attending: a subject about which he had nothing to say, and no interest. This meant he got back home very late, after a 14 hour day. Where's the priestliness in that? Where does it say that he should be using his time like this?

I was saying that I will have almost the opposite issue: I'll only have the chance, on the whole, to do the more "obviously priestly" bits. He was saying that maybe as an SSM (Self-Supporting Minister), I'll have something to teach people about what's important about being a priest. But I responded that I think there are problems there, too, and lots of them. Yes, I'll do services, and preaching, and home groups, maybe, and these are important: but when will I get the chance to have chats with people in cafés, talk in queues in the bakery, make hospital visits and all the rest? I think that there will be frustrations on both sides, and yes, we'll both have things to teach each other.

On the other hand, travelling has its upsides, too. I had a fascinating talk with a woman on the plane to Barcelona, Anya, who was saying that she envies me my faith. We had a good discussion, in which I explained that faith doesn't always mean certainty, and can - should, I'd say - include time for doubt. And it was clear to me - and I said so - that if she is ready to say that she envies faith, then she's already what some would call a "seeker". So, we talked. Did she walk off the plane looking for a church to go to? No, but she's not averse to taking her son to church. I think she now sees that the love she shares with her family can be seen by some - certainly by me and most Christians - as God-given, and I don't think she rejected that out of hand. She met someone, I hope, who wasn't entirely different to her, and reasonable, not weird, and talked in ways she could understand and relate to her. That's enough for me.

Labels: faith, family, ministry, priest

Priesthood

An odd thing today. I took Buster for a lovely walk in the evening and as we came up over the hill in the beautiful countryside, it suddenly began to sink in that in just over year's time, I'm going to be ordained as a deacon, and everything will change. I've known this for ages, of course, but in a week and a bit's time, it's the last ERMC weekend of the year, and after that, I'll be a 3rd year, and in the final stretch. I'll take responsibility with the other 3rd years in our group for the working of the gropu sessions. People will look to me for advice: I'll be one of the people who knows what's going on, and who's on the home straight.

Once you're ordained, you're never off-duty. There are responsibilities not only to God, but also to the whole body of Christ. All Christians have responsibilities, but once you've stepped up to the plate and accepted the vocation of priesthood - and the diaconate as well - you have a visibility, and have accepted that responsibility explicitly. I'm not sure how that's going to feel.

The other thing is that it looks like Anne, one of the members of group at ERMC, won't be coming back to us. It's not 100% sure yet, but she's a Methodist who's been refused further funding. The Methodist system is really hard, and we're praying very hard for her.

Labels: ERMC, priest

Death of a priest

People die. Priests die. And sometimes, priests get murdered. Attacks on priests are on the rise. I personally know a priest who thought he was going to die, after being threatened by a mentally ill man with a pistol. Twice, and the same man. It's sad that part of our training involves advice on how to look after yourself as a minister.

It's an occupational hazard and, as the assistant bishop says in the report, "any murder is terrible, but the murder of a priest is almost unthinkable because a priest stands for peaceable things". But that, or course, is part of the danger. Those who preach peace are a danger and a threat to those who don't believe in it, or are disturbed, or ill. This is clearer in parts of the world where Christians are persecuted, but it can hit at home, as well. Please pray for his family, friends and parishioners.

Labels: death, ministry, priest