Mike's musings

An invitation

I have a friend who's a Jesuit and is due to be ordained priest in April. He invited me and Kate, my mother-in-law, to his ordination in Brussels, and when I said that I was hoping to come, he emailed me asking whether I'd like to read the Gospel at his ordination. Not only that, but in liturgical vestments, and in the service notes as an Anglican priest. This is an enormous honour, and I was so touched - in fact, the invitation had me in tears. I've accepted, of course. He was very apologetic that I wouldn't be able to lay hands on him at the actual ordination, but that's no surprise, and I quite understand.

I did manage to get into London today, and had a good chat with my boss. Good career stuff. Oh, and it looks like I might be going to the US this month after all.

Labels: priest

Equality and an ordained priesthood

(backposting) Helen asked the following (extremely good) question about yesterday's post:

• Genuine question: Thinking of Sally's post about standing with the people during the covenant, and the fact that you were standing behind the altar - how do you reconcile this 'equality for all' to the idea of an ordained priesthood?

The answer, I think, is that I believe that there's an assumption of equality with regard s to salvation. That doesn't mean that I don't believe there's anything special about an ordained priesthood. Or even that I don't believe that there's nothing ontologically different about an ordained priesthood. But that doesn't mean that I believe that there's anything ontologically special about the human beings (read "sinners") who are ordained as priests.

To explain somewhat, I'm very aware that priests are sinners, because we are all - as humans - sinners. But what it means to be ordained priest is to accept a charge from God - through the church - and to accept the responsibility and authority (mainly the former) that this brings. The ability to perform the duties of a priest is a charism (or set of charisms) no different in many ways from many other charisms. And it is, of course, God-given. The acceptance of the vocation to priesthood, both by the man or woman accepting it, and by the Church, is a huge responsibility. The ordination is the acceptance of this charge by the person ordained and by the Church, and the sacrament through which God endows it, is something special. But the person accepting it is, and remains, and human, a sinner, and equal with all those other humans around him and her.

Labels: priest, theology

Supervision

(backposting) I have a great boss, John, and I'm very lucky and blessed. We had a great supervision tonight, first working through some administrative stuff - what services I'd be involved in, etc. - and then going through other issues. We discussed colleagues, the joys of presiding at Holy Communion - and other services - the importance of preaching, and tools and techniques to improve. That, and all the usual topics, of course, including women in ministry (we're both for: as a bishop once told me, "we ordain women because we baptise them") and homosexuality (I have no problem with homosexual clergy - or homosexuality, in fact). It was a really affirming meeting, and instead of finishing with the Grace, as we usually do, we finished with the Lord's Prayer, which is particularly important to me at the moment as both Miri and Jo are becoming well-acquainted with it.

Labels: priest

Supervision

(backposting) John and I got together tonight in the pub for a supervision. We had lots to catch up on, and worked on the coming year's training and working agreements. Partly due to the fact that the last few months of my previous job being rather quiet, I had the opportunity to do rather more than I - or he - had expected, and I'm looking forward to the next year. I'm still learning lots - and I'm taking my first wedding on Saturday - but I'm beginning to settle into being a deacon and a priest.

Labels: priest

Wedding anniversary

So, obviously, what with it being our 14th wedding anniversary, I went on a clergy trip to Canterbury. Actually, Moo was at work during the day, and I was back in time to put the girls to bed, so that's what I did. Each year we (the team) go on an away day: just a chance to talk, discuss, and just have social time together. And this year we went to Canterbury. It was my first chance to spend much time with Sally, our new curate, and we had a great time. Lots to discuss, and lots of theological discussion, particularly over lunch and in the car there and back.

I don't think I've ever visited the cathedral before, and it's _big_. Lots of beautiful things in there, including a lovely chalice and paten belonging to a C12th archbishop (Hubert Walter), some amazing wall paintings, and some great stained glass. I particularly liked the early glass and the C20th glass (of which I bought a couple of postcards for Jo and Miri). I wandered around mostly on my own, and was struck again by the connection I felt with priests through the ages. Hundreds - thousands - have worshipped there, and having the continuity is very special to me at the moment.

Now that the girls are in bed and asleep, we've enjoyed a shoulder of lamb and some chocolates. And soon it'll be time for the 3rd episode of the latest Torchwood.

I hope to get more sleep tonight than last: I stayed up till around 1200 with some wine, chatting on FB to Gary and Sally, and then Jo woke me up around 0515...

Labels: marriage, Moo, priest

A good day

That's all for now: just a good day. Oh, and I stopped for an accident, with my collar on, but luckily wasn't needed.

Labels: happiness, priest

Slowing down

Most important was a 2 hour sleep in the morning. Poor Moo had a long drive to Peterborough, but I made the most of the morning, and it really helped. I had a work call around redundancy issues in the afternoon which went as well as could have been expected, and when Moo came back, we put the girls to bed and then barbecued. Since then I've been getting up to date with the blog entries, wrapping up a day of catching up with post, email photo-posting and the rest.

It still feels strange, and a bit different, but it feels right.

Labels: priest, sleep, work

Tomorrow's the day

(backposting) Decided not to go for any walks today, but to let the blister heal - I'll be in formal shoes for the big day, and don't want to be distracted. Also, it's an opportunity to do some quiet reading and catch up on some sleep. Chris, the retreat leader, has spoken brilliantly, and given us lots of food for thought, and it was good to see him in the pub tonight, where I had just the one pint and a J2O before heading back for an early night.

Well, it would have been an early night if it weren't for the village party with rock & roll band, who kept going till around 0030. Oh well, at least I slept during the day.

It's very odd to know that tomorrow I'll be ordained priest. I'm ready, but it will be a big change, and I've been reflecting how the change also brings particular changes in responsibility in with regards to leadership. As a deacon, you're called to serve, first and foremost, but as a priest, you're also called to lead, and that's a big change. I'm not sure how that's going to be lived out in my life and ministry.

Labels: ordination, priest, sleep

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