|
|
‘The earth is the Lord’s and everything in it’ (Psalm 24:1) |
|
|
|
Curate’s
Letter As I sit and type
this letter I find myself two weeks away from my “Priesting” service on the 3rd of July, and realising that I am actually on the nervous side. At the
same time I sit in awe and wonder at the journey that has led me to this
point. Songs of praise and
thanksgiving resound in my head and in my heart……On a personal level, it has
been a gentle/turbulent, but definite, transition over the last year in terms
of ministry and public “face”. It has
been a great time of blessing and a time of great challenge. I am looking forward to spending quality
‘one-to-one’ time with God in silent retreat (set in the beautiful
surroundings of Matlock) and seeing the service at Southwell Minister as a
positive “marker” towards the designated responsibility God has called me to
serve. Whilst on retreat I will be reflecting and
praying over the words that the bishop will address to us in relation to the
ordination of priests: ‘To
serve this royal priesthood, God has given particular ministries. Priests are
ordained to lead God’s people in the offering of praise and the proclamation
of the gospel. They share with the Bishop in the oversight of the Church,
delighting in its beauty and rejoicing in its well-being. They are to set the
example of the Good Shepherd always before them as the pattern of their
calling. With the Bishop and their fellow presbyters, they are to sustain the
community of the faithful by the ministry of word and sacrament, that we all
may grow into the fullness of Christ and be a living sacrifice acceptable to
God’. ‘Priests
are called to be servants and shepherds among the people to whom they are
sent. With their Bishop and fellow ministers, they are to proclaim the word
of the Lord and to watch for the signs of God’s new creation. They are to be
messengers, watchmen and stewards of the Lord; they are to teach and to
admonish, to feed and provide for his family, to search for his children in
the wilderness of this world’s temptations, and to guide them through its
confusions, that they may be saved through Christ forever. Formed by the
word, they are to call their hearers to repentance and to declare in Christ's
name the absolution and forgiveness of their sins’. With
all God’s people, they are to tell the story of God’s love. They are to
baptize new disciples in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the
Holy Spirit, and to walk with them in the way of Christ, nurturing them in
the faith. They are to unfold the Scriptures, to preach the word in season
and out of season, and to declare the mighty acts of God. They are to preside
at the Lord's table and lead his people in worship, offering with them a
spiritual sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving. They are to bless the people
in God’s name. They are to resist evil, support the weak, defend the poor,
and intercede for all in need. They are to minister to the sick and prepare
the dying for their death. Guided by the Spirit, they are to discern and
foster the gifts of all God’s people, that the whole Church may be built up
in unity and faith’. There are so many things that I could say
surrounding what it means to be ordained priest. All I will say at this stage is that I have
moved a long way in both my understanding and comprehension about the life
and work of a parish priest. It is a
calling that devotes me in prayer and a living relationship with the Holy
Spirit to walk alongside all, as God, through the Bishop, commissions and
guides me to be a pastor, leader, equipper, preacher and more importantly a
serving deacon – an agent of God’s love to all. It’s a journey that will be revealed and
nurtured over a life time, but one that will be taken with a humble and
obedient heart to wherever God leads. Life at St James, over the past year, has
very much been a team effort, and is a team effort for us all in our walk of
life with Christ, and in many ways I know that when Phil stands by me as I
receive the Holy Spirit through the Bishop’s laying on of hands, it will be a
symbol of our ministries together as a community of Porchester. It will be a huge privilege for me on
Sunday 4th to preside/celebrate together in the
Eucharist as the church community comes together. I have felt so much support both from
people within the congregation but I’ve also been over awed by the prayers, support and acts of love from
wonderful people whom I have shared fellowship with in their homes, and are
no longer able to worship with us on a Sunday (you know who you are!!) –
THANK YOU. Please continue to hold me in your prayers
during this transitional time. My
prayer for us all at St James is to grow individually into a deeper faith and
relationship with God, one that will equip and sustain us to serve and
welcome others. We are called to love
as he loves us. There is no more
challenging calling. With love Denise |
|
|
|
|
|
