Thursday, January 04, 2007

On the Way to Ordination

Next week is going to be a biggie. Monday and Tuesday will be my final Residents in Ministry meeting before ordination, and Tuesday through Thursday will be Missouri Ministers’ School, of which I am the chair of the Board of Managers. Both events, which technically do not overlap but practically do, are at Tan-Tar-a Resort in Osage Beach, Missouri. By the time I get home Thursday evening, I expect I’ll be pretty wiped out.

What a ride this trip toward ordination has been, and continues to be! If I am ordained this June, it will have been almost eight years since I responded to God’s call and made the decision to seek ordination. That’s a lifetime. EIGHT YEARS! And now just a few short months (and one high-pressure round of interviews) to go.

To kneel before God, surrounded by the conference, uplifted by my family, fortified by the six generations of ordained Methodist clergy before me, to feel the Bishop’s hands on my head, to bend and receive a stole around my neck for the first time in over a year, to know the church’s affirmation of the way the Holy Spirit is at work in my life – I cannot now imagine what that’s all going to feel like. But I’ll bet you it will be pretty cool.

I may even write a blog post about it. ;)

11 comments:

Art said...

Eight years! Wow, what dedication. Good luck on this ending and your new beginning.

Stace said...

Praise God for your 8 yrs of dedication. Why can't the powers that be make this process a little shorter? I realize there are reasons for it, but surely there must be something that could be done. Anyway.... prayers and best wishes as you continue on this journey.

Anonymous said...

Way to go brother!

Anonymous said...

It's interesting - as the spouse of a minister, the first thing that came to my mind when you mentioned your schedule for next week was, "Poor Erin! Parenting the 4 kids without any help for 4 days!" God bless Erin and the role she has played in the success of your journey. I am so proud of both of your! cb

EyeRytStuf said...

Safe journey! Congratulations! I really need to make it a habit to read your blog when I get home from work late Saturday night/Sunday morning so I know these things when I see you.

Anonymous said...

It will be way more than cool. It will be a beginning of which you never dreamed.

gmw said...

Andy: Nothing to do with your post here, but I did want to congradulate you on your third place finish in the Methoblogger College Bowl Mania group. Well done. Have a great 2007, and a blessed ordination.

gavin richardson said...

wow 8 years.. that plus hanging out with john and jonathon make me want to run from the ordination process.

i'm very happy for you and i sure hope that in june all your visions of ordination will happen. that is a very special time.

before that, good luck & great energy in the next 2 weeks.

Matt said...

It is a good and joyful thing to get ordained. I'm in the seventh of the eight year process. With our system, you really feel like you've had a communal call, rather than a private one. I think that is the thing I look forward to the most at my ordination. When you are surrounded by the entire conference, all of your sisters and brothers in ministry get to overhear your call from God!

Anonymous said...

Did you survive the week?

Congratulations on making it this far---long years and lots of work.

Will be there to see you ordained!

kc bob said...

Andy, I thought that you might enjoy The Top 10 Reasons Why Men Should Not Be Ordained :)