The times are a changin'

Friday/Saturday was our final “weekend” and Commendation service – an awesome time of nerves, vulnerability, prayer and praise – with the focus on praising God being the right conclusion to our pre-ordination training.

A truly life changing three years with an intensity that defies explanation, there were tears of sadness and tears of joy and a strange inability to comprehend life without our training community.

A chance to party and relax, albeit briefly before the retreat later this week and Ordination on Sunday – more nerves and tension, excitement and celebration!

On Sunday it was time to say goodbye to my Parish church, after 11 years, and the opportunity to preach (well share in faith and dialogue) and assist, was a welcome one. I used one of girl growing’s wonderful poems to conclude the sermon and there were a number of requests for a copy, so it is included in the continuation to this post, with many thanks to Juli for sharing her amazing gift in public.

Thanks are something I feel full of at the moment, together with much gratitude to all who have helped me on this journey…

"act

'they committed themselves to the teaching of the apostles,

the life together,

the common meal,

and the prayers.'

-acts 2:42

6-10-07

♥

let us be blessed

as we join our minds

as we read, learn, and view the past

remembering times of long ago.

let us be blessed

as we join our hands

as we learn the lines of each others faces

the troubles of one anothers hearts

living life together

and changing the world

side by side.

let us be blessed

as we break bread together

as we fill our stomachs and our hearts,

laughing, loving and learning with one another

sitting close enough to feel each others energy and pulse

close enough to hear the beating and the rhythm of our hearts

let us be blessed

as we bow our heads

as we choose to be silent,

if only briefly,

allowing ourselves to be vulnerable

and perhaps strangely warmed.

let us join

minds,

hands,

and hearts

as we travel down this road together.

let us laugh together

let us cry together

let us hope

and change

and dream

together.

ever growing

ever trying

ever loving.

in sickness and in health

in good times and bad

until,

if we choose it,

till death do we part-

and perhaps meeting in a place that we do not know yet.

amen. "

Posted by girl growing 10th June 2007

Comments

[Tom]

Wonderful day on Sunday - so what now for the blog - "a Deacon's exploration etc".

I will be in touch

Tom