29 June is the day that the Church remembers St Peter, the one on whom Christ built his Church. We are very aware of Peter’s failings and flaws as well as his transformation, gifts, leadership and love of Jesus Christ. This season of Petertide is traditionally one of the times of year when ordinations take place, and tomorrow I will be heading off with the ordinands for their retreat ahead of the ordination of eight priests on Saturday and eight deacons on Sunday.
For me, it is always a highlight of the year as amid all the challenges facing the Church of England and all that continues to unfold in our broken world, I have had the privilege of sitting with each of these individuals, hearing something of their story, and having the flame of hope within me fanned into greater fire. I am profoundly grateful for the calling and faithfulness of each one of them. I am also thankful for family and friends and worshipping communities who have encouraged, supported and nurtured them. The path to ordination is always one of ‘we’ and ‘us’. And the truth is that although the joyful services at the weekend will shine a spotlight on the ordinands, the services of ordination are about the whole Church.
I frequently refer to the introductory words of the ordination service which, before describing the particular calling of deacons or priests, remind us that the Church ‘is the Body of Christ, the people of God and the dwelling place of the Holy Spirit’ and that ‘In baptism the whole church is summoned to witness to God’s love and to work for the coming of God’s kingdom.’ There is no audience at an ordination service. They are services of ‘we’ and ‘us’ – members together of Christ’s body, the Church – unique individuals who belong together, interdependent in all our diversity and difference.
It is a delight in the Diocese of Gloucester that the expression of being the Body of Christ together across all our many different contexts, is further expressed through our international partnerships, so it was particularly wonderful that a week ago, Archdeacon Hilary was present at the ordinations in Vasteras in Sweden, and I was present alongside Canon Rebecca Lloyd at the first ordinations of women in the Diocese of Western Tanganyika in Tanzania. Ten women were ordained deacon, and I had the privilege of preaching at the service. I was surprised at the tears which welled up within me as the first woman knelt before Bishop Emmaneul to be ordained. I knew something of the journey these women and that diocese have been on, and the encouragement and prayer that has come from people in parishes in this diocese, so it was poignant to see them finally being able to say ‘yes’ to the ministry to which they and others knew they have been called.
It is always my prayer at ordination services that there will be those, whether children, young people or adults, who sense God’s call afresh in their lives, and I hope our services this weekend will stir up vocations of all sorts amid people’s daily lives. Perhaps a vocation as a carer, or a vocation to administration, or a vocation with young people, or as a Reader, or perhaps a nudge to explore ordination. And again, this involves all of us, as that nurture and recognition of the gifts of those around us and their possible different callings in different seasons, is something in which we can all participate.
The final hymn at the service for the ordination of priests on Saturday afternoon will be one by Ally Barrett which includes the words:
‘Lord, affirm our shared vocation: may we bring your plans to birth,
build your church on sure foundations, fit to serve a troubled earth.
Growing, praying, sharing, learning, deep in wisdom, broad in scope,
love-revealing, truth-discerning, living out the gospel hope.’
May it be so as many people gather for the ordination services this weekend. Do come and be part of them. There won’t be quite as much dancing and singing as in Tanzania, but I can guarantee that the service will be much shorter than the five hours Rebecca and I enjoyed in the cathedral in Kasulu!
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