Fifteen years ago today,June 6th 1993
I knelt before the Annual Meeting of
London Conference of The United Church of Canada,
some words were spoken, prayers were offered,
promises made and hands laid ...
.
... then as I rose it was with the honorific title
Reverend
attached to my name,
and I was sent off into the world
to do the Ministry
of WORD,
SACRAMENT,
and
PASTORAL CARE.
.
For 15 years I have tried to do those things
to the very best of my abilities.
.
This year,
my 15th Anniversary of my ordination,
I find myself struggling to find a place
in the Church I have loved for the whole of my life.
.
This year, through no choice of my own,
may be the last I can call myself
"Reverend Shawn"
.
Such is the vagaries of my journey ...
.
... but yesterday I began my day speaking on the phone
with one of my true heroes in ministry ...
... he has been a round peg proudly staying out of a square hole,
... he has been a round peg proudly staying out of a square hole,
and his counsel was:
"You're doing something valuable now Shawn,
It's ministry. Screw 'em, if they don't want you,
God does, and that's all that matters!!"
,
Today, for the first time in 15 years,
I'm proud to be finally doing REAL ministry,
too bad for the United Church of Canada
that it is happening outside "the church"
where real life is being lived.
,
But thankfully,
IT IS HAPPENING,
and
IT IS MINISTRY !!!
.
It's been an interesting 15 years ...
.
... I wonder what the next 15 will bring !!!???
.
For now:
Happy Anniversary to ME,
cause I don't expect anyone else to say it !!
.
.
5 comments:
I remember that day in Windsor..it was a long drive but well worth the journey to be there and experience you Rev'd. No one can take away who you are and the ministry you do. Having said that I know how hard and weird it still is for my dad to no longer recieve mail addressed to Rev. McCarroll. Many people would still address him that way but he humbly stops them from doing so.
Rejoice in the 15 years and all the good of them.
Wendy
I STILL call your dad Rev. McCarroll, and I ALWAYS WILL.
Once a Radical Rev, always a radical Rev !!!
Thanks Wendy!
You still carry the mantle of ordination inside a particular church or not. Congrats!
I celebrate 20 years on July 10th!
Happy Anniversary to you!
It is too bad thte UCC has to crucify it's own. But, did you ever notice that those who are guilty and have a guilty conscience always take it out on others. I can see them getting rid of child abusers, which they have not been sucessful at, by the way, but people who have a different opinion and want to speak could make the church grow. People from the outside can easily see this and you will too.
The problem with organized religion (any) is that there are people there.
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