Hazelnut Reflections

time passes

This week marks a couple of anniversaries around these here parts:

Five years ago yesterday, on the feast of Julian of Norwich, I stood in front of a congregation in a long white dress. . . and got ordained to the priesthood in the Episcopal Church. (On Martin Luther's birthday I stood in front of a congregation in a long white dress and got married, but that's another story for another time of the year).

Last year this week we sent all the worldly goods (that we had not either taken to Goodwill or the junk removal service) in a moving truck, and we ourselves packed a cat in each car (note to my fellow knitters: I took the cat and the GOOD yarn. The Noro, it does not go in the moving truck). We then proceeded, cats howling, down I-44 to our new abode here in Oklahoma City.

Both anniversaries mark full times in our lives: plenty of adventures, both joyous and sad.

I happened to speak to someone I hadn't spoken to on the phone in 10+ years this week, and she remarked, "you sound like a different person." It reminded me of a clergy retreat I attended once led by Martin Smith, noted author and former Cowley brother, who pointed out that "ordination is the way we are working out our salvation." In this process of discernment and formation, both pre- and post-ordination, God has changed me. God is changing me, and I say with some confidence that God will continue to work changes in me, beyond my own imagining.

I spent May 8th, 2006 making hospital calls, planning an adult forum on the history of the Prayer Book, and chairing a vestry meeting. Not a bad way to celebrate one's ordination anniversary--not very exciting by the standards of Hollywood or even reality television--but real and precious nonetheless.

posted by Emily @ 8:32 PM