This last Friday evening, I was ordained. It was the final formal milestone on a journey that started in 1998 when I finally figured out that I had a call to pastor and preach and teach the Bible. 14 years of lapsed time. It was a wonderful, significant evening.
What was it like? What does it meant to me?
My wife Linda, along with 5 other ordinands and their spouses (well, one was a single guy) listened to a steady stream of ordained elders read to us various charges and commitments that would be expected of us. Some of these were straight from Scripture, some of them based on Scripture but codified in the 'rule book' for my particular church - The Manual of The Church of the Nazarene. When our moment came, we stood and ascended the 5 steps to platform in front of a few hundred onlookers. We both knelt at a short altar rail that had been positioned on the platform for this purpose. I placed on the altar rail a beautiful new Bible that my mother had bought me for the occasion, held my wife's hand and placed our hands on the Bible. Rev. Dr. Eugenio Duarte, one of the six General Superintendents of the Church of the Nazarene (our equivalent of an Arch Bishop) stood on the other side of the rail and laid his hands on my head. Our local District Superintendent, Rev. Dr. Ken Stanford (our equivalent of a Bishop) laid his hands on my wife and I. Approximately 100 ordained elders of the church then gathered around them, laying their hands on us, if they were in reach, or laying their lands on the shoulders of those around us. The visual effect is that of a huge scrum with Linda and I kneeling at the center.
The Manual describes what ordination is thus: "While affirming the scriptural tenet of the universal priesthood and ministry of all believers, ordination reflects the biblical belief that God calls out and gifts certain men and women for ministerial leadership in His Church. Ordination is the authenticating,
authorizing act of the Church, which recognizes and confirms God’s call to ministerial leadership as stewards and proclaimers of both the gospel and the Church of Jesus Christ. Consequently, ordination bears witness to the Church universal and the world at large that this candidate evidences an exemplary life of holiness, possesses gifts and graces for public ministry, has a thirst for knowledge, specially for the Word of God, and has the capacity to communicate clearly sound doctrine."
Dr. Duarte then spoke the words of ordination over us: "Edward D J Frost, I charge thee before God and our Lord Jesus Christ, preach the Word, ...in all things, endure afflictions do the work an evangelist, make full proof of your ministry, take ... authority to administer the sacraments, take charge of the Church of God. Now by the authority invested in me as a General Superintendent of the Church of the Nazarene, I ordain you and Elder in the Church of God, in the Name of the Father, The Son and The Holy Spirit, Amen."
My friend Rev. Geoff DeFranca then prayed over us both, we stood up hugged and shaked hands with a few people, were handed a certificate and then stood aside to watch others be ordained after us. We scanned the congregation, making eye contact with relatives and friends.
So I am now 'authenticated and authorized'!
When I was kneeling I simply prayed to God 'thank You, thank You, thank You..' Only God understands the depth and the origin of that payer. Of all the words said over me, the words that struck deep into my mind, my heart were 'take charge over the Church of God'. Those are weighty words to have said over you. They will form me in the time to come.
Each of us who have given ourselves to Christ and trust on Him, and in Him - we are all ordained to ministry. My ordination is specifically that of an elder. It is a weighty thing to be ordained by God. On Friday this inward ordination was enacted in the outward ordination ritual of the Church - the congregation of those who call God Father, in Christ.
Thursday, June 13, 2013
N.T. Wright on the OT and NT continuity of God
Andrew Wilson, blogger at Think Theology and one of the pastor-elders of King’s Church Eastbourne in England, interviewed Tom Wright at the Think Conference - 23rd May 2013. Wilson asks NT (Tom) Wright a series of popular theological questions.
I particularly appreciated Wright's answer on the 'new Marcionism', and generally his erudite, charitable, witty answers. Marcionism is a third century Christian heresy that says that the Old Testament portrays a different 'god' than the New Testament does. Wright highlights that this thinking pops up from age to age, and is alive and well today. He combats it by splitting the issue into two questions: Is there continuity or discontinuity in the revelation of God in the OT and NT? Is it possible to align a kind forgiving loving merciful God with the judgmentalness of God and various atrocities - mainly in the OT?
It's a great listen to a great Christian thinker. Enjoy!
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