• Deaconings and Priestings

    I’m sadly unable to be in St Mary’s this weekend for one of the most significant moments in the year – five people are being ordained at a special service on Saturday afternoon.

    These are moments that people remember for the whole of their lives.

    My exuberant good wishes to all those being ordained. Some I don’t know terribly well and some I have known at key points on their journey. For all, pray.

    For those being made deacon – may you be blessed in God’s service and you serve others.

    For those being made priests – remember you were made a deacon first. It remains your foundational ministry. To it, are these blessings added – to bring God to people and people to God in ways sacramental and mysterious.

    Come Holy Ghost, our souls inspire
    And lighten with celestial fire
    All those being ordained today
    In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.
    Amen

3 responses to “Six Points for Preachers”

  1. Rosemary Hannah Avatar
    Rosemary Hannah

    I think I would add: if it does not matter to you, yourself, then don’t imagine it is likely to matter to anybody else. Find, if you can, the point where your concerns and the concerns of the text cross. Better to say a very little that matters, than a lot which really does not.

    Also: read (to yourself, before you start) the whole passage you are going to speak on and read what comes before and after. You do not have to agree with it. You do have to enter into dialogue with it. Supine agreement of Scripture is not (in my opinion) required. Taking it seriously, is.

  2. […] Dent-de-Lion by admin Posted on November 2, 2012  Six Points for Preachers […]

  3. Melissa Holloway Avatar
    Melissa Holloway

    I’ve noticed how uncomfortable preachers are with the word ‘love’. Discounting the times in is used in a pre-set theological phrase like ‘love of Christ’ as sort of a plug in, I rarely hear it in sermons.

    Its a reason to be Episcopalian – if the preacher avoids love, you can always hear it – or see it- or taste it – in the Eucharist.

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