Each year our congregation selects deacons to serve among us. They give of their time and talents to work in multiple areas of ministry and administration. They bring a deeper and broader wisdom to the work of your Senior Minister and staff. They are often the bridge between the church and our engagement with the community and world.
Also each year, we ordain new deacons to this office and place of service in our church. This past Sunday, you ordained most of these new deacons during the morning worship service. Three of our elected deacons (two new and one returning), are on pilgrimage with me and their fellow church members in the Mediterranean region. Since these three were not able to attend the church’s ordination service, I asked our chair of deacons to allow me and the fellow pilgrims from our church to ordain them in Jerusalem, so outside the Church of the Holy Sepulchre (the church housing both the crucifixion site and burial/resurrection site of Jesus) we read scripture, spoke a litany, laid on hands, ordained Harriet Major and Cindy Kennedy-McIntyre, and installed Mary Rankin. As we lifted our heads from prayer, I saw eyes filled with tears. It was a meaningful moment to set these three aside for service in the place where our Lord gave his life for the world.
We celebrate and thank all who will serve us this year as deacons. Pray for them and support them as they give a portion of their lives in service to us.
—Jim
