After reading my last post about reclaiming foolishness in a long-term vision in the church, my friend “Kelly” who is a spiritual-but-not-religious young adult asked the question: If you can minister anywhere at anytime, why bother with the ordination process?
First, a clarification on what ordination is in the Presbyterian tradition.
“Ordination is an action of the whole church in which a person is set apart to carry out certain ministries. Presbyterians recognize ordination for ministers of the Word and Sacrament [teaching elders] and for [ruling] elders and deacons. Ordination does not make an indelible ‘character change’ in a person, giving a person any ‘special qualities.’ Instead, it is a recognition of the gifts of the Spirit bestowed on persons, and the call of God through the church for them to orient themselves to specific ministries of leadership in various settings…. Ordination in the Presbyterian tradition is always related to a prior ‘call’ [job/position] for service in the church. So ordination is to a specific call [job/position], recognized by the church as a valid ministry.” Donald McKim, Presbyterian Questions, Presbyterian Answers, p. 104 (Louisville: Geneva Press, 2003).
Confused? Ok, in the last part of the process to become a teaching elder [formerly known as minister of the Word and Sacrament] you have to tentatively accept a job or position that a teaching elder would take. Then you go through the last rounds of questioning and votes, and once everyone has voted “yes” you can officially take the position. Then you get ordained. The process is much longer as you work your way towards being able to look for positions, but I won’t go into the details here. Basically, ordained ministry is biblically-based and is the way the Christian communities recognize specific spiritual gifts of leadership. To get there is a process.
I have been in the ordination process since June 2008. The earliest I can be ordained is summer 2013. That sounds like a long time, but I started the process before I entered seminary and I’m in a four-year program. I knew it would take that long since in the Presbyterian Church (USA) you have to earn a Masters of Divinity degree in order to be ordained. The Presbyterian ordination process is truly a process of individual and group discernment of the Spirit. The process is a marathon except you’re not running it alone. You’re constantly learning new things and trying to improve yourself while being observed and commented on.
So why would anyone submit themselves to this humbling and grueling process in order to become an ordained minister?
1. You think God is calling you to serve.
There’s something that has touched you and is causing you to examine your life. You want to pursue higher education to study theology and Scripture and history and pastoral care and all sorts of nerdy things. You’re willing to try to walk the walk and talk the talk. (You’re probably already doing so.) You’re probably a member (officially or as a regular participant) of a faith community that has been nurturing you, or as you discern your call further you find yourself being pulled into a community.
2. You think God is calling you to serve.
This is something you’ve thought about. You’ve talked to people about it. You’ve prayed about it. You’ve considered how your family and loved ones will be effected, and you’re aware you will have to deal with ramifications of your choice for years down the road. You’ve made preparations. You’ve applied or are going to apply to seminary or divinity school. Maybe you’ve studied Scripture and resonate with one of the call stories within it such as Samuel’s or Peter’s, or you have or are serving somewhere and think that could become your job.
3. You think God is calling you to serve.
You don’t have to have everything figure out, but you do need to have a sense of what you believe and/or trust in. If you’re looking at ordination within a Christian denomination you think what Jesus did was important and still valuable to us today. Most of your beliefs will be challenged during the process, and it will hurt. You’ll come out on the other side with a much better understanding of what you believe and (hopefully) a much deeper ability to cast yourself onto God and see the beautiful mysteries of faith. Having spiritual practices is a bonus, but not required. (I tend to find that many people have spiritual practices but just don’t name them as such.)
4. You think God is calling you to serve.
There’s a difference between your job and your calling. Many people making a living at a job while pursuing their passions and calling on the side. Many people find a job that includes their passions and calling. The goal of most people I know in the ordination process (including myself) is to find a job that is our passion and calling, or at least a large percentage of that job is our passion and calling. Part of submitting to the ordination process is to figure out (or discern) where your strengths and weaknesses are in regards to your passions and what you think your calling is as well as listening to what others see in you. Ordination is not only about what one person’s passion and calling; it’s also about the community discerning the gifts God has given to an individual to serve the community. We trust the church community to actively seek out God’s voice because they will hear things we won’t. Your call is not just a feeling or idea you have; it’s been reflected back by people you trust. Sometimes this is very obvious as someone says, “You’d make a great pastor.” Sometimes this is more subtle, perhaps someone thanking you for leading a Christian education discussion saying, “You explained that more clearly than I’ve heard it before.” If you don’t think anyone has reflected back to you what your spiritual gifts are, start asking people you trust what they would think about you going to seminary and becoming a pastor. Listen carefully but take what they say with a grain of salt.
5. You think God is calling you to serve.
Ordained ministry is first and foremost service to the community you’re called to whether it’s a congregation, a hospital, a military base, a college, a high school, an urban neighborhood, a therapist’s office, a bar, etc. You can serve as a pastor, a teacher, a chaplain, a therapist, a writer, a theologian, and any number of other things or any combination. Ordained ministers (and hopefully most Christians) look to Jesus as the main model for our ministry, and he modeled servant leadership. Your service will look different depending on your spiritual gifts and where you are called, but Christians indeed love God and love people through their service.
I know this list seems very simple and straightforward, but very few people have a simple and straightforward experience. Many variables can change the process. Your age, your family of origin, your previous careers and field of studies, how long you led a spiritual life, etc. Some people find great joy and comfort in the process; others find it tedious. Many times the process is very dynamic and not easy to pin down with one word. Far too many people are forced to make difficult choices between following their call and relationships with family, friends, and denominations. I once left a coffee date when my date launched into a lecture about the sinfulness of women’s ordination after I said I was planning on becoming a pastor. Believe me, that story’s tame compared to most others I’ve heard.
I have named here some of the reasons begin the ordination process, but once you’re in the process it takes different reasons to continue. That’s another post. I’m not sure any of these reasons will make sense to my friend. I could go into the ordination of ruling elders, installation of deacons, and priesthood of all believers; but I will leave those for another day as well. For now I’ll leave you with a saying by the Presbyterian minister Frederick Buechner, hoping it will inspire further reflection about why we bother with the ordination process:
“The place God calls you is where your deep gladness and the world’s deep hunger meet.”