From Ben Myers Blog

http://faith-theology.blogspot.com/2010/07/bonhoeffer-gandhi-and-christian.html

Calling and Vocation ...

This is very possible an act of procrastination in the highest form! However, I feel I should be doing something useful while procrastinating rather than just simply staring into space!

During the previous week I have had some fairly interesting conversations with people. In most of these conversations, I have discussed my discernment journey so far and it got me thinking about what I have overall discerned in the long time I have been "officially" discerning God's call on my life. So in a pre-preparation to my portfolio for presbytery, here are some thoughts that I have scribbled down on a note pad in regards to calling and vocation....


To me a calling to ministry does not equate to a calling to the specified ministries. Each person is called to a different way of serving God, "There are many ways of serving God, but it is the same God who is served".
So calling to ministry is recognising that God has called you to serve Him in a particular way.
Out of my thoughts on calling, come my thoughts on 'vocation', which is related. God has created each person with gifts and talents oriented toward specific purposes and a way of life. Vocation is a life calling so to speak. It is more than occupation or job or work. It is about recognising where your gifts and skills and passions are best used.
Personally I have explored various areas of my life where I could have felt a possible calling to:
-Teaching
-Politics
-Law
-Social Work
-Development and Aid

However my exploration and discernment has always led me back to the same area: the church, serving others, serving God. I have never really felt completely "whole" or "right" in work other than the church, and I feel "right" when I am in a context that involves being part of a christian community and equipping people in their faith. Since being a Mission Worker I have felt a greater sense of this.

My discernment on calling has led me to the point where I believe that God is calling me to the servant ministry of the word within the Uniting Church. What led me to this conclusion is from deep prayer and consideration of what my sense of calling meant. As part of this discernment I reflected on all three specified ministries: Minister of the Word, Deacon, and Pastor. In my exploration of Ministry of Pastor I have discovered that it is not what I am called to as it is a placement and location specific ministry and at the conclusion of a placement, the person would cease to be a Pastor. I feel that God is calling me to a life long ministry, not one that is temporary such as Pastor.
I also discerned and prayed about whether God was calling me to ministry of Deacon. While I share the passions and mission focused mind that Deacons do (and recognise that there is a lot of overlap in the duties of MoW and Deacons), I feel that my calling is to the gathered community of Christ. Hence why I believe God is calling me to the Ministry of the Word.
I first felt God has called me to this Ministry in Easter/Holy Week 2010. Before then I has discerned a call to the specified/ordained ministry but was still praying and discerning as to which it was. I do believe that the Holy Week retreat I went on and my time at the CCA led me to discern God's call on my life to MoW.
Since then I have continued to pray, journal, discern, and reflect my thoughts with others (both from within the church and outside of it).
In my own personal time I have reflected on what I believe I could bring to the Specified Ministry of the Word in the way of gifts and skills:
LITURGICAL
-Variety of Worship styles
-Passion for leading worship and worship experiences
-Holistic approach to worship and liturgy
-enjoys experimenting with different forms of liturgy
-Passionate about preaching the Gospel
-Has received good, constructive feedback on sermons and services
-I am always learning and building on my knowledge

LEADERSHIP
-Developed knowledge of the regulations, manual for meetings, and basis of union
-Pastoral and prayerful approach to meetings
-Developed Admin skills
-Ability to establish rapport in meeting and business settings

SACRAMENTAL
-Understanding of the two sacraments (baptism and Eucharist)
-Passion for the sharing of the sacraments and discussing their meaning

ECUMENICAL
-First hand experience of Ecumenism and the workings of an ecumenical organisation
-On going passion for church unity and energy for the wider ecumenical movement


.... So this has been a taste of my discernment up to now and an idea of what I will be putting into my portfolio to Presbytery.

After so long ...

I cannot believe how long it has been since I have made actual time to sit down and write something here. It escapes me why I am doing it now - with three assignments due this week, but that could possibly be the art of procrastination (or my break) working.
I have just come back from attending an initiative of the Queensland Synod called "Stretching Faith" which was a gathering of young adults with the aim of reflecting theologically on issues of the church and life. We had 3 very good speakers and I will take a short time describing what each spoke about.
Alistair Macrae spoke about bible reading and study and how to get the most out of it. He shared 3 Questions people should apply when reading the bible:

1. What us the behind of the text? [What has come before this]
2. What is the within of the text? [what is it saying]
   
3. What is the infront of in the text? [what is the dimension/wisdom/connection of the texts context and ours?]

When studying the bible the word conversation is critical. Group bible studies are more effective than one on one or individual study. A good method of using this conversational method, is by using a bible study that Al nicknamed the "swedish" method. This method is to go through a text (in our case, the feeding of the 5000) and mark the text (silently at first) as so:

• ! against parts in the text you said 'yes' to or agree with
• ? again parts you question, or made you think
• X again parts you didn't like or said 'no' to

In small groups we used the "swedish" method and discuss the feeding of the 5000, with placing particular emphasis on the ? parts of the text. After we shared with the wider group, we split into small groups again and did a comparison exercise with the beatitudes by comparing them with what today's culture values compared to whatis valued in the beatitudes. For example: "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven" could become "Blessed are the strong in wealth" or "Blessed are those who don't complain".

Ben Myers presented us with a multimedia talk on the theme Monstrous Grace in Popular Culture. We looked at a piece of fiction (Flannery O'Connor), two pieces of music (Tom Waits), and a film (Magnolia). Each piece of Pop Culture presented us with a different image of grace. Grace was not this pretty thing willingly given to everyone in happy streams of rainbows. The grace of God was shown as this liberating and freeing forced compared to what each piece of work presented us. In Flannery O'Connor's "Revelation", the main character (who is a pious and church going woman) has a revelation in a doctors office and all the people in life she despises ("white trash" and "niggers") are entering heaven before her and taking up seats of honour. In the Tom Waits songs we are presented with quite grotesque images of life - but that is how life really is. In one song, Down there By the Train, it speaks of how God's love and grace is available to everyone (including some of the worst criminals in history). In Magnolia, a quote by Jill Stauffer brilliantly sums it up - "To get the point of Magnolia is to admit that freedom is not our highest value".
Freedom is to be bound to one thing - that is the right thing.
Grace means neither that human beings can or should do something, nor that they can or should do nothing. Grace means that God does something ~ Karl Barth (Epistle to the Romans)

Michelle Cook led us through the basis of union. We looked at what we thing of when we hear the word 'church' and what we think a church is and what the purpose of church is. We looked at the Basis of Union para. 3-4 and did the same "swedish" method with it. The conversation that followed was vigorating - especially to see that the basis of union speaks of the whole church ... not just the Uniting Church in itself.
The BoU offers us a critique of how we interact as church .... that our faith journey is not an individualistic one but a communal journey together in the world.

Ministry is an Act of the Church

Summary from Willimon text...

I find it a little humorous that the first recorded act of the apostles after the ascension of the risen Christ into heaven is a meeting. It seems a little dampening on the magnificent and majestic event that has just occurred to then go straight to a business meeting of the apostles. The election of Matthias as a replacement apostle. This however serves as some sort of testimony that there is no church without leadership.

There is no doubt that ordination is gift of God. It is however a gift of God given through the church. Clergy arose because of the church's need for leaders and leadership.

The clergy are not more important than the laity. Willimon puts it this way, "The clergy as not a patrician upper crust set over the plebeian laity. The essence of priesthood is primarily relational and functional more than ontological." Quite simply: the clergy is about whom it serves and what it does, rather than what it is.

The difference between a minister who visits, preaches, and baptises, and any other skilled layperson who performs these same functions is the minister's "officialness". The minister's functioning are authorised by the whole church.

Next Post: To be a Minister is to be tied in a unique way to the church, the believing community in Christ.

Ministry is an Act of God

After reading sections in William Willimon's Pastor: The Theology and Practice of Ordained Ministry, I am going to blog what my understanding of this is and what I have drawn from it. I shall be doing it in dot point so it is somewhat understandable.

• The idea of service (which essentially is what ministry is) is one of God's - not ours.
• The Trinity is creative and communicative. Divine creativity is the basis for both the church and its leaders.
• The concept of 'Calling' can be given an example through the conversion of Saul on the road to Damascus. He is blinded by light, and for 3 days is isolated as someone who can neither eat or drink. People sometimes describe their calling to ministry as something they never thought they would do. Saul as someone who threatened and persecuted the first followers of Christ - he is then called by Christ to minister to them.
• The same can be seen with Ananias. Fearing to go near Saul/Paul, God reaffirms what he wants Ananias to do by saying "Go, for he is an instrument whom I have chosen to bring my name before Gentiles and Kings".
• My interpretation of the two points above is that ministers are instruments of God's divine creativity. We are called for a reason and a specific purpose and task. In Paul's case he is called to minister to the Gentiles.

• Ministry is not a profession. It is a vocation. Ministers cannot be paid for that is generally expected of them. They must be called in order to do it.
• We all struggle with what is is that God is exactly calling us to, and what it means to be called.
• Willimon says "Time and again, amid the challenges of the pastoral ministry, this divine, more-than-subjective authorisation is a major means of pastoral perseverance. To know that our ministry is first and finally validated not by our feelings, or even by the judgments of the Bishop [Presbytery], but by God; this is great grace!"
• Acts 5:29 "We must obey God rather than any human authority"
• We are representatives of something much bigger and more significant than our denomination.

Next Post: Ministry is an Act of the Church

Continuity

Since my last post was back in December and it is now towards the end of January, I am sure most of those who read this (if any) must have realised by now how incredibly punctual I am with blogging. Maybe because since my last post I have spent Christmas in Armidale, New Years with friends in Sydney, valued time with my Mother and a little more precious time with my girlfriend before heading back to Chiang Mai.

I think that going back to Australia was a good thing for me in some way. I was able to see people I loved and cared about and have a small taste of that Australian culture I missed. I do admit, that when the time for me to go came around I wasn't as sad to leave as I thought I would be. After all, It was only 3 and a half months more and then back to Australia for good (or for the meantime :P ).

So since coming back I have been quite busy. I was pretty sick for the first five days, 2 and a half of those days were spent in hospital. I am very happy to be much better now. Work at the CCA has also been a little more busier than it was. A LOT of letter writing, getting together deadlines and paperwork, and many other assembly-related items are of course what fills most of my days. I continue to be amazed at the extent of work the CCA is involved in and how strong the Ecumenical Movement is in Asia.

Before I left, Anita suggested I get a copy of a book called "Pastor: The Theology and Practice of Ordained Ministry" by William Willimon. Not to set any particular reading but to read at my "leisure". I haven't read the whole book, from what I have read it is very deep but very interesting. The introduction summed up Ministry in four (4) points which I found very useful. These points were:

1. Ministry is an act of God
2. Ministry is an act of the Church
3. To be a pastor/minister is to be tied in a unique way to the church, the believing community in Christ
4. Ministry is difficult

Over the next few blogs I am going to try and give my understanding and thoughts on what each of those four (4) headings mean to me and to be a Minister.

Since last time ...

It has been quite a long time since the last time I wrote.

My last entry was on why I feel a calling to Deacon. After re-reading this entry, I have evaluated that it was more why I feel a call to ministry rather than that particular ministry.
I believe I may still be at some kind of internal "conflict" within me.

I have reflected with myself, and with someone who's opinion means a lot to me, and I have discovered that I think God may be pushing me toward Ministry of the Word rather than Deacon. Here is some of the indicators my friend pointed out:

• My passion for Church Unity and Solidarity
• The way I like to "play around" with liturgy
• My passion, deep commitment and sense of importance I have for the Sacraments and them being shared

I took what was said to me and reflected. I reflected on these three points that I hadn't really thought about before. They are definitely true. If I didn't have a passion for Church Unity/Solidarity (ecumenism) then I wouldn't be offering 6 months of my life at the CCA. It is true I love taking services and being involved in them so I can experiment and test out formal, contemporary, traditional, and alternative forms of liturgy. The sacraments comment probably made the most sense to me. This friend is the person I have told most of my feelings towards the sacraments and how empowering I find them.

So having had this conversation and reflecting time, I naturally have felt more inclined to reflecting more on MoW. After all, I have spent the last 2 or so years reflecting mostly on Deacon. I possibly need to confess that I have been quite stubborn when it has come to this. Just something within me, for no apparent reason, but up a wall to thinking about MoW. Maybe this was because I knew Deacon's were a minority in the UCA and I wanted to help change that? Maybe because the Minister at Ingleburn when I left was a Deacon and she helped me grow a lot in faith? What ever it was - I really don't know why I was doing it or even kidding myself. How could I possibly have DISCERNED in this PoD without being totally honest with myself and less stubborn? Well as least I have become to realise this now.

Hopefully, I will be enrolling in some Theology at CSU for 2010 - this should provide me with some further insight.

Until next time ~ Shalom!

a week in a distant land

I have been in Thailand for 1 week now. It feels much longer.

Because I do not know many people here, I have had a lot of time alone on my own - which is good in the way it has given me plenty of time to think and reflect on things. Having spent five days in Bangkok, I was able to see a completely different city. It is really busy and full of excitement.

Throughout my time so far I have encountered a bit of a conflict with my own self. I have spoken to two people about it and am awaiting for what the other has to say. For the purposes of this blog however I will not delve into what my internal conflict was exactly - it did however get me thinking further as to what it means to have this calling I believe I have. I was able (I think) for the first time write down exactly why I feel a call to Deacon.

When I've been reflecting on the ordinations I have seen parts from both that are "me". With MoW it is liturgy - im big on it and love experimenting with different types. I get passionate about the way we meet and the way we express our worship for God. With Deacon - it is my passion is the disadvantaged and those who are marginalised. Those who are looked down on sometimes. For me, When I think about the ordinations you feel a call to, I believe it is more of an identity thing and i would prefer being identified by others and God as a Deacon.

When it comes to liturgy I believe the main focus should be engaging liturgy and the biblical text with a focus on the call to serve and to move beyond 'church', and bringing the stories from 'out there' back into the church. Deacons can craft liturgy and worship entirely congruent with their call to serve and work alongside others, advocacy etc.

So I am thinking that this "definition" of my call is the one I am stuck on.

On The Road ...

In five days I shall be leaving the country for almost seven months!

In retrospect - this is a very exciting and encouraging thing for me. As I look deeper there is much more to consider (as well as being an exciting and encouraging time).

While over in Thailand I will be working with the CCA. What I exactly will be doing is a bit unclear - but this isn't entirely concerning me. If anything the mystery of the task I will be required to do is somewhat exhilarating.

I am excited about seeing Christianity in a context that is unknown to me. Being a predominantly Buddhist country (at something like 98%), I am fascinated in how Christianity has lived and grown in Thailand alongside Buddhism and Islam.

The way the CCA and CCT has received me so far (with out me having even arrived) has been very warm and encouraging. In a way, they have been excited at my excitement. Their excitement has excited me. It has been encouraging as it somewhat assures me that I will have an experience of a life time.

I am very interested in seeing how the churches in Thailand worship, however over time I know I will long for an English speaking service. Is this good or bad?

Good because I am longing for a type of worship that I understand.

Bad because I am resisting a culture somewhat.

I guess that only time shall tell.

The Summons ... in music?

Last night I attended Burwood UC evening congregation.

It was a really good service with a focus on following Jesus and taking up that invitation to "follow me".

The last song was "The Summons" and the lyrics and tune both touched me in some way (very rare for both to do this at the same time for me).

The Lyrics are:

Will you come and follow me if I but call your name?
Will you go where you don't know and never be the same?
Will you let my love be shown? Will you let my name be known,
will you let my life be grown in you and you in me?

Will you leave yourself behind if I but call your name?
Will you care for cruel and kind and never be the same?
Will you risk the hostile stare should your life attract or scare?
Will you let me answer prayer in you and you in me?

Will you let the blinded see if I but call your name?
Will you set the prisoners free and never be the same?
Will you kiss the leper clean and do such as this unseen,
and admit to what I mean in you and you in me?

Will you love the "you" you hide if I but call your name?
Will you quell the fear inside and never be the same?
Will you use the faith you've found to reshape the world around,
through my sight and touch and sound in you and you in me?

Lord your summons echoes true when you but call my name.
Let me turn and follow you and never be the same.
In Your company I'll go where Your love and footsteps show.
Thus I'll move and live and grow in you and you in me.

After reflecting on these lyrics, I have found deep meaning in the lyrics.

To me these lyrics are about the heart of the service we must provide in our Christian lives. As Christians we're called to live a life of worship, witness, and service. To me, Service is integral. By serving other as Christ did we are witnessing. By witnessing and serving we are performing an act of worship.

To me personally, this song is asking questions of me. I see it as sort of "testing" my call so to speak. I see the first four (4) as personal questions from God to me and the last verse as what my response is: "Lord you summons echoes true when you but call my name .... In your company i'll go where your love and footsteps show."

I will be writing some more reflections on songs that have spoken to me.

A new Synod?

I am currently sitting in a very relaxed styled Gloria Jeans on Pitt Street with Akon Hip Hop music playing in the back ground. While I would have absolutely no objection to being in Sydney just for the sake of it, I am (believe it or not) here for a reason.

Today there is a think tank meeting for all those people who are under 40 that have attended a synod meeting in the last 5 or so years. The aim of this meeting is to look at how we can do synod differently to gain an equal balance of business, worship, inspiration, and empowerment.

I shall write more later tonight ... :)

... more ?

We fleshed out some fairly good ideas and got to some good conclusions. I believe it was well thought out and planned.

Just a few changes we're going to make that i'll share about:

• Celebration of Ministry - will hopefully be on the friday night before Synod starts in the form of a ticketed feast with the jubilarians, retired ministers, and newly ordained be the guests of honours and share some stories from their ministry.
• Reporting - Will have restrictions to content (i.e: no reading report straight out), a certain % will have to be visual, interactive with members of synod, and will want the synod to acknowledge, reflect on ...etc on an issue or two.

Another part that some time was spent on - was how we worship at synod. And it was decided that a worship team be involved in that.

In love with the church?

I was talking to a friend of mine the other day. We were talking about politics as usual, but soon the conversation took a turn to religion and my being in the Uniting Church (as it normally does). He said that being more involved in the church had taken over my passion for politics and that the James he originally knew was out there doorknocking every day to get rid of a certain PM ;)

He more or less reckons the church has made me 'soft' so to speak. However, the most interesting (and valuable) comment he said was "...if you weren't so in love with the Uniting Church...."

My friends comment (that would be viewed as highly cynical by most) got me thinking. Am I in-love with the Uniting Church?

I decided to look first at what has kept me in the UCA and in the community of faith I have chosen to be apart of.

• I have a deep sense of belonging to the community of faith and in particular to Armidale UC.
• Even though the church can frustrate sometimes with its bureaucratic-like rules and procedures - I hold in because I believe that I can offer something to the Church of today to progress the vision for the church of tomorrow.
• Every now and then, there are things within the church that empower me. Things such as NCYC, SOD, 40 Hour Famine, Assembly, and KYCK has really energised me.
• I have that "feeling" that I just need to be in the church because of my sense of belonging and a "necessity" of my life to be in the church.

So, I have this sense of belonging and empowerment.

But why the Uniting Church....?

I have been involved in every Synod meeting since 2003 (I attended 2003 as a KinS person, afterwhich I have attended as a member). These Synod meetings (though at times really dry and boring) have allowed me be a part of the processes of the church. No other church would allow someone as young to do this.

The Uniting Church is, I think, the only church that places a freedom and emphasis on differing theology. The UCA actually promotes this difference. Radical Discipleship is fostered and those who partake in this are empowered with training such as School of Discipleship.

An indication that I may be in love with the UCA would be that I cannot really stand to hear a bad word about it from those who have never been involved in it. I know a few people who call the UC a "bunch of heretics" because of our views on woman clergy, homosexuality (although there is no official view), property etc.

But I think I can place the first time I knew I loved the UCA was when I first read the Basis of Union. I was 16 and was a month away from attending the 11th Assembly so I thought I had better read this document a lot of the "oldies" were going on about. After reading the document, I knew for sure that I would never leave the Uniting Church. The content of the BoU just filled me with a sense of pride.

What is my underlying sense of call?

Through out my journey I have considered many vocations and types of ministry. However, I am always drawn back and feel a pull towards specified ordained ministry. I feel I have gifts and graces that would make me a suitable candidate for this ministry.

I have a deep passion for the community and for those who are disadvantaged and are on the fringes of society. I feel a need to minister to people beyond the gathered congregation. I believe everyone needs to hear the gospel, but not everyone hears it in the same way (eg: the parable of the grains). Different people respond to the gospel in different ways. I believe it is about spiritually nourishing people in ways that make them feel moved and empowered (and indeed nourished). Some find this nourishment and encouragement within the walls of a church on a Sunday, through a sermon, hymns, bible readings, and conventional stylised prayers (not that all services are like that at all). Some find encouragement and nourishment through alternative forms of worship and deep reflection. However a lot of the population find that these "traditional" and "other" forms of church either a waste of time, scary, confronting, and irrelevant.

I believe that there are ways to minister to these people in ways that move them and change them. While visiting The Wayside Chapel I saw a perfect example of this. The Wayside offer a range of programs that physically show the love of Jesus to those how are in the minority of society.

I also have a passion for liturgy and worshipping within the gathered congregation as well. Every time I've led worship I have enjoyed it and grown somewhat from it. I enjoy "experimenting" with different forms of liturgy and exploring ways that we worship. A couple of weeks ago, Celie and I led a Sundays@7 night and did worship in the form of Drama. The prayers, bible reading, and message were presented in an engaging and theatrical way.

When I look at and write down my sense of call in this was it somewhat frustrates me that the Uniting Church has two (2) ordinations. However, from what I have discerned so far I think that I feel more of a push and calling towards the Ministry of Deacon.

Alternate Lord's Prayer

Parent God with likeness of both Mother and Father

May you and your name be respected and honoured by all.

Allow us to assist in bringing your kingdom,

love, and grace to everyone in the world.

Provide for us what we need,

and help us to use our resources wisely and graciously.

Forgive us when our hearts are closed to you,

and give us the courage to forgive others.

Save us from the things that challenge us and set us off the path,

and lead us into a life worthy of living for you.

For you are almighty, great, awesome, peaceful,

gracious, generous, courageous, and inclusive,

AND may your love endure forever!

AMEN

Some thoughts for further reflection

Acknowledgement: Rev. Dr. Anita Monro

Symbols are well and good, but what says “Christian”? In Acts 2:44-47, a description of the Christian community is given:

44All who believed were together and had all things in common; 45they would sell their possessions and goods and distribute the proceeds to all, as any had need. 46Day by day, as they spent much time together in the temple, they broke bread at home and ate their food with glad and generous hearts, 47praising God and having the goodwill of all the people. And day by day the Lord added to their number those who were being saved. (NRSV)

From this text, descriptions of the “Christian Life” have been drawn. These descriptions usually include at least 4 elements:
1. Leitourgia (liturgy – the work of the people – worship)
2. Koinonia (community)
3. Diakonia (service)
4. Kerygma (proclamation – witness)
The Basis of Union of the Uniting Church uses the phrase “worship, witness and service”. Where do you find each of these elements of the Christian Life in your life and in the life of our community. What says “Christian” about our community of faith today?

Taken from : http://mad-e-lena.blogspot.com/

further thoughts from Assembly

During Assembly I went to the morning service at Wayside Chapel in Kings Cross.

From the start, this service had a large sense of community and inclusion. The service, though quite informal, still had what I consider the important elements of a service. That being prayer, hearing from the word, proclaiming the word, and ofcourse music.

People from the Kings Cross community spoke during the service from their hearts about their own experiences. They spoke as though they felt they had to speak the praises of Wayside and of Rev. Graham Long. In a way it was as though they had to convince us in some way. Hearing what they said moved me. Hearing how this invaluable ministry has made their lives better almost moved me to tears.

Sitting during the service I really felt the spirit present. I felt like this was the type of thing that I wanted to do: share the gospel with those who are marginalised and disadvantaged in order to transform lives. I found that Wayside lives out the NSW/ACT Synod's vision statement: Moving with God, Transforming Communities.

I felt God affirming my call to Specified Ministry.

The Past Month ...

The past month has been very eventful for me.

Having been at Synod Standing Committee, then a bit of time at Mums and with some friends, catching up with some brother Masons in Sydney, School of Discipleship in Canberra, and then the National Assembly at UNSW - it has been a very busy time. But also a very reflective time.

School of Discipleship was a very meaningful time for me. Being my first sod i was not entirely sure of what to expect. I cannot say that I was dissapointed. Both the keynote speakers engage with me spiritually in a way I had not experienced in a while. One of the speakers called us to live in the life of exile as radical disciples. Other furthered on this radical discipleship by focussing around issues of social justice [I will be writing a further reflection on sod itself].

I had attended the 11th Assembly in Brisbane 3 years ago, and I do admit that this assembly in Sydney was quite different. It was also familiar - but felt different.

It was a very emotional assembly (as was the last one). The emotions were definitely all over the place. I felt so proud to be in the Uniting Church when we passed the changes to the Preamble. And the President put it very well when he said "I saw the true nature of this church yesterday afternoon ... when we were all on our knees".

The last month has also allowed me time to reflect further on my calling. I still do not doubt my calling to specified ministry. However I am keeping a much broader mind now than just focussing on ordination. After prayer and discernment, I feel I have been led by God to reflect on whether Ministry of Pastor would be an appropriate path for me to follow at this stage of my life. Also speaking to the Ministry of Pastor Consultant, I have felt called to taking this path and to apply. I will reflect on this further and speak to Anita about it at our next meeting.

My work with KUCA this term will take a bit of a change as I will try to develop it into a group that spiritually fosters and nurtures the kids that go there. It will aim to have a more devotional and reflective motive - but also being fun :)

reflection on ordination and ministry of Deacon.

This is mainly a reflection on why I feel a call to Ministry. Later on I will write another reflection as to the two ordinations.

I feel I need to work in the community but also to minister to those im working with (especially disadvantaged and marginalised people). Evangelising, and being WITH the people of God.

I draw most of my energy and Passion from Proverbs 31: 8-9.

WHY ORDAINED?

I know that baptism makes us all ministers and it is our jobs to worship god, bring witness to Christ, and to serve others just as Christ did. I also understand that certain people are set aside by the Holy Spirit to become ordained by prayer and laying on of hands. Ordination “places them [the ordinand] in a new relation to other people” (Basis of Union 3:6).

I have a passion for sharing the gospel, for the sacraments, and for pastoral care – for also for the community, those disadvantaged, and mission (Basis of Union 1992: 12 [a]).

“[Ordained ministers] have a particular responsibility to for word for the integrity of the body of Christ; the one holy catholic and apostolic church” (Brief Statement: 2).

WHY DEACON?

Deacons’ responsibility is for the church’s participation in God’s mission in and for the world – for ‘dispersing and reforming’ (Brief Statement).

This is the particular task I feel a strong calling to and I recognise God calling me to this particular ministry through my passions.

Intentions

My main intentions of this blog (one of many I have) is firstly to actually keep at it :)
I will be blogging my work as apart of my Period of Discernment. So it will probably be a large incentive in my mind to keep at it.

Should be good fun :D