Advice for Ordinands
A friend who is about to me made Deacon asked me for some advice on the immense task, joy and challenge of Ordained ministry. I am certainly no Michael Ramsay, but after a decade of Ordained Ministry in the Church of England, here is some small pieces of advice which I hope might be useful to her and others embarking on the Lord’s work. It is not comprehensive, and highly subjective and for this, I apologise.
- My wise training incumbent told me it would take him six months beat theological college out of me before he could teach me anything. I resented that at first, and then (probably after six months) realised he was absolutely right. Your formation properly begins in your Title and THIS is what will make you the priest God wants you to be.
- Don’t think you have to say everythng about a text in a sermon in one go. You have the whole of your ministry to explore it. Now for me, typical homily length is less than 9 mins but tries to make one meaningful point. When theological students start writing essays, they sound like sermons, when deacons start preaching, they sound like theological essays: ditch that style asap and preach the Gospel of Inclusive love and forgiveness before you even touch the phrase “in the original Greek…”
- Throw away all that Barth, Von Balthazar and Tillich, you’ll never use them in your sermons or your pastoral work. Go buy some good assembly resources instead, for this is what really matters.
- Always wear a cassock to an assembly. It shows the young people that you value them enough to get dressed properly. Put on a stole for the blessing. Even deacons should end an assembly with at least the Aaronic Blessing (Numbers 6:24-26). Always end assemblies with a blessing. Always end Church meetings with a blessing. There aren’t enough blessings given in this world anymore.
- Remember that a priest remains a deacon for ever: you do not leave that behind, and the service of the faithful, the preaching of the Gospel and the building of the Kingdom are at the foundation of your priestly ministry of the sacraments, recall this forever:
Deacons are called to work with the Bishop and the priests with whom they serve as heralds of Christ’s kingdom. They are to proclaim the gospel in word and deed, as agents of God’s purposes of love. They are to serve the community in which they are set, bringing to the Church the needs and hopes of all the people. They are to work with their fellow members in searching out the poor and weak, the sick and lonely and those who are oppressed and powerless, reaching into the forgotten corners of the world, that the love of God may be made visible.
Deacons share in the pastoral ministry of the Church and in leading God’s people in worship. They preach the word and bring the needs of the world before the Church in intercession. They accompany those searching for faith and bring them to baptism. They assist in administering the sacraments; they distribute communion and minister to the sick and housebound.
Deacons are to seek nourishment from the Scriptures; they are to study them with God’s people, that the whole Church may be equipped to live out the gospel in the world. They are to be faithful in prayer, expectant and watchful for the signs of God’s presence, as he reveals his kingdom among us.
The Ordination of Deacons http://www.churchofengland.org/prayer-worship/worship/texts/ordinal/deacons.aspx
- Priesthood is a privilege and a burden, the ministry of the sacraments is a vital task in this world, not an optional extra. The Word of God made Flesh uses you as an agent in this world.
- Say every Mass as though it was for the first time, as though it was the last time, as though it was the only time. Prepare, pray and never just turn up and do it. If you don’t get half way through the prayer and don’t think “one day they’ll figure out I’m a fraud” then that is the day you should stop saying Mass because none of us are worthy to handle this monumental task, and it is only by God’s grace that we are ministers of his word and sacrament.
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 for ever. 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.
Ordination of Priests http://www.churchofengland.org/prayer-worship/worship/texts/ordinal/priests.aspx
- Remember you don’t have a career, you have a vocation. The horribly political Church of England, the Anglican Covenant, that Plum Job in a Massive Church means nothing when you are at someone’s bedside to pray with them and anoint them as they die. This is what you are called to.
- Love God, even when Ministry feels the lonliest place in the world.
thank you for this… am getting priested in 2 weeks and I think it is very wise…
Thank you, Father.
Thank you. I’m currently in the discernment process waiting for a decision on a Panel. So, while not directly appropriate, its gives a valuable insight about what to think about further down the line.
wonderful advice, very inspiring and makes me regret my divorce stymied my discernment process.
I think I may know the person you wrote this for but really echo the stuff about making one goos point and not needing to exhaust the text in one go. It is the short sermons which gave me anything I remembered later, yet alone now.
Some moments of deep recognition here, especially the ‘fraud’ comment
My formation definitely began at theological college, the most valuable parts of which were my attachment parish and Cruse placement (and I didn’t even read, let alone buy, any Barth, Von Balthazar or Tillich!)
My only disagreement is the cassock at assemblies – the children often see me around in jeans, so wearing a suit for assemblies _is_ dressing up
In one of the most challenging Secondary Schools I know, any priest who turned up in jeans and an open-necked shirt, or even a clerical collar and suit were largely disregarded. The cassock is a symbol far beyond the norm, and it would appear from personal experience makes a real difference. Try it and see!
A friend at theological college posted a link here, and I have found it very interesting reading, as I enter my final week before leaving. I agree with most of what you say; there are only two which I disagree with, which I think are more about the individual, and cannot be applied across the board.
The first is about formation. Having been a licensed lay minister (Church Army) before training, the formation at college has been the most important part of my time here, and if I were to say that it hasn’t properly begun for me would be to deny the real changes that have happened over the last two years. I appreciate that it may be different for other people (such as yourself), but I honestly don’t think that it is something which can be said to be the case for everyone. Formation CONTINUES during the title post, no doubt, but for me it has already begun.
The other thing which I would question is the call to ‘throw away Barth, etc’. I don’t actually own any of these writers myself(!), but (and I may be wrong here) it sounds like you are suggesting that we should no longer engage in reading theological books. I am well aware that time for ‘theological reading’ will be vastly reduced once college is behind me…but for me, reflecting on what far wiser people than I have said about God enables me to grow in my own relationship with God. A visiting bishop to college said that, when visiting clergy in his diocese, he can usually tell when they left theological college by the books on their bookshelf (in other words, there are no new ones from the time they left). If our theological learning is continual and life-long, then I for one will retain most of the theological books I already own, and look to read new ones from time to time.
Apologies if this is not what you meant when you said to ‘throw away Barth…’, but it is how I read it, so felt it was important to respond!
Your other points are both wise and interesting. Regarding the cassock, obviously I haven’t been in that position yet, although when a Church Army Officer, I always wore my CA uniform when taking assemblies, for the same reasons you speak of.
I also cannot relate to the saying Mass comment yet…although I know what a huge privilege it will be when the time comes!
Bless you in your ministry; I will be adding your blog to my favourites to keep you in my prayers
This means a lot. x
Really useful post Simon! Thank you.
I have to say though that I have talked about Moltmann’s ideas about the Holy Trinity before and am planning on doing so again in a few weeks! So I agree with Chris R on that one! I don’t think you should read out theology books but I think it is possible to reinterpret big ideas in ways people in the pews can understand them.
Interestingly from a youthworker’s perspective – I’ve never gone into a school in anything like a cassock but have often thought my clergy colleagues in chaplaincy might have it easier as being identifiable. Unfortunately we have had times when teenagers have asked what the dog collar means as they really had no idea so I’m not so sure.
Regarding the cassock advice, I’m not sure that wearing a cassock necessarily “shows the young people that you value them enough to get dressed properly”. I’m not sure showing people that you value them comes that easily. If it were just about wearing the right clothes, institutional religion would be in pretty good shape, it seems to me.