A great deal
has been going on in the Celtic Christian Church in the last months. At
the present time much work is being done to prepare the General Synod of
the Church, which will take place in November of this year. This is the
highest governing body of the Church, and many members of the Church
are collaborating in its preparation. Please keep this intention in
your prayers, asking God’s Spirit to guide and bless it so that the
ministry of the Church will be that much more blessed because of it.
Diaconal Ordinations
I’ve had the
joy or ordaining to the Diaconate two persons who are in the formation
program for Holy Orders. The first in Judy Kahler, whom I ordained on
May 8 in Westminster Presbyterian Church in Lakeland, Florida. Her
community, Saint Bridget’s, was there to share her joy.
The second is
Thomas Marble, whom I ordained on May 22 in our home. Tom had come to
Michigan to settle the estate of his father, and then he continued on to
Pennsylvania for the ordination.
Following are
their reflections on their ordinations, first Judy, then Tom.
Words
Fall Short….
Dear CCC
Family,
Describing my
ordination to the deaconate with words is difficult, as all of them fall
short of expressing the deep mystery that I sensed present in every
aspect of the service. I had a sense of Holy Spirit scripting and
orchestrating the ordination service for weeks in advance of the actual
event. From the moment that Father Vincent Pizzuto shared his liturgy
with me, I sensed that this was not in my control. The result was that
the ordination service was more hauntingly beautiful and deeply
spiritual than anything I could have imagined. I had the sense of being
part of something so much larger than myself and surrounded by a great
crowd of witnesses -- friends and family, even those who have passed
before me -- and the long line of those who have previously answered
the call to serve -- all the way back to Patrick and Bridget.
As I was
prostrate on the floor, I thought how perfect it was that I was
surrounded by those that I love -- the founding members of Saint
Bridget's (Gail, Carmen, Cathy, Alice and Carl), my own clan of ten --
who all had a part in the service -- Dear +Joe and Cait+, Bishop Chuck
Leigh, my friend and classmate Alex Andujar, who made me so relaxed as
he saw to all of the details and assisted two bishops and a green deacon
at the altar, and Cindy Rogers who I know will be a new dear friend in
Christ. The love and support of my mentor, Father Baxter, my spiritual
directors Maureen Schlitt and Carol Ludwig, Pastors Jean and Bill
Cooley, all those who lovingly exhibit humility, charity and mercy to me
on a daily basis.
The music was
mystical. Heavenly choruses rose to the ceiling, all lovingly sung by
friends and family and led by my dear friend Cindy Selph and the
wonderfully talented Terryl Dietert at the organ. As incense whirled
around the altar, I was reminded of the ancient ones who celebrate with
us on just the other side of the veil, and I was struck by
the timelessness of the sacraments and their power to transport us and
unite us and draw us to the One who is present at the altar. We were
fed, nourished and empowered for service. We were all blessed.
After sunset when the church was darkened, the intimacy of the service
heightened and I was enveloped in a hundred hugs and congratulations on
the way to a beautiful reception lovingly organized by St. Bridget's
members and friends, with beautiful tropical flowers gracing every table
and lots of wonderful Coffee Punch, which was the hit of the whole
affair.
I was truly
blessed to be given the opportunity to answer God's call in such a
loving environment. I thank God for the opportunity to be part of the
extended family that is so evident in the Celtic Christian Church. May
He find me worthy of service, and where I am weak, may Christ be strong.
Pax Christi,
Rev. Judy “Sullivan” Kahler
Saint Bridget’s Celtic Christian
Churc
Transition….
Quitting my
teaching position, experiencing the loss, on this side of the veil, of
my father and my ordination have all come within a very brief span of
time. I find that I perceive them as events along a continuum rather
than as separate episodes. A theme that seems to unite these events is
one of “transition.” Another theme, or perhaps the
kind of transition that I
feel taking place might be called “liberation.”
Certainly,
choosing to leave a modestly well-paying job is a risky thing, but it is
also liberating in that I received a gift of TIME. Some of this time I
spent in a kind of retreat, experiencing myself as someone other than “a
teacher.” It is too easy, for many Americans, to identify with their job
to the point where other aspects of the self are minimized, neglected or
ignored. I found that having the TIME to become reacquainted with “ego”
outside of what I do for a living was a very nice way to prepare for
ordination. I had time to examine my conscience more fully, seek to
repair broken or damaged relationships, perform restitution for some
mistakes, receive the sacrament of Reconciliation, and rest in the
experience of God’s love.
I cannot
imagine how different it might have been if I had still been teaching
when my father died. I would have visited him during Spring Break, but
vacation would have been over before he died. I can very well imagine
that the profound peace and joy that I received from his passing may
have been seriously limited, if not eliminated, had I been concerned
with accomplishing those things that must be done during a brief
“bereavement leave” during which I would be worried about lesson plans,
assignments, standardized tests, etc..
My first
response, when asked what his death meant for me, was “liberation.” One
of my father’s greatest, and patiently borne, anxieties was that he did
not understand me. I know that it frustrated him when he could not
relate to those things that I regarded as going especially well in my
life, and that he could not grasp why other things did not go so well. I
love, admire and respect him so much – I’ve told you how I spent
enormous effort to show him that his work to raise a “good son” had not
been in vain. At last, he understands: all of it. I sense that he not
only understands, but loves me and participates in my life to a degree
that he had never been able to realize in his mortal life. I was
liberated and accepted
and loved.
As my
ordination came so very soon after my father’s death, there is
tremendous overlap in the immediate aftermath. I am experiencing joy and
liberation, and also loss and grief. I have been open and able to
receive my father’s love (AND our Eternal Father’s love) and am still
encountering a kind of humble self-love. And I am growing into an
understanding of what it means to be a Deacon in the Church in this
context.
I no longer
need most of my old paradigms. In a sense, the man who has spent forty
years “wandering in a desert” and the past few years in formation no
longer exists. In a sense, I am “free” to discover and define myself and
my new role – or, more properly, I am free to be open to learning and
accepting God’s plan (in both senses of the word) for me.
The “man in
the mirror” is sweaty, dirty and tired. The man
looking at the man in the
mirror is being recreated. (Another delicious opportunity to use a word
with two meanings, both of which apply!)
Do I still
experience a twinge of anxiety when I wonder what I will be doing this
fall? Certainly. Do I have anxiety about getting into a CPE course?
“Terror” might be a better word for that. Yet these are now minor
annoyances. “Today” seems to be a little more important than “the
future.”
“Today” my
prayer life continues to grow. Having discovered that those experiences
I called “mini-visions” are actually a form of prayer that appears to be
natural for me, they come more often. I seem to be able to “center” and
come into a quiet place inside where I can abandon any desire to control
my thoughts and the visual symbols and images simply ARE. And sometimes
when I really do not have a clue what to pray for, I can actually sit in
silence. (I won’t call it “contemplation” yet, but being able to SHUT UP
inside is a novel experience for me!)
I have a
small number of individuals who seem to have decided to have me as their
anam chara. (Some day I will spell that with confidence.) I find that I
think longer before answering a question from any of them. More often my
“answer” takes the form of another question. Oh, I always understood the
method, but I seem to be applying it more consciously and deliberately
now.
My
listenership to my “radio show” on the Internet is growing. Actually, it
has nearly doubled in the last four months. People are beginning to
write to me with comments and requests. More importantly, some are
beginning to write simply to introduce themselves and to tell me who
they are – initiating relationships, forming community. I find that on
one hand, I’m less reluctant to sound like I know what I am talking
about on the show, and on the other hand am more willing to “think out
loud” when considering issues. Looking at what I just wrote, it seems to
be a description of “genuine.”
I’ve been
surprised by a number of requests for blessings and for prayer. I know
that ANYONE can pray, and anyone can give a blessing… yet it just seems
more meaningful for me
and for others in some way I do not understand yet.
My only other
activity that I might stretch to identify as a “ministry” is that there
are a couple of elderly people who live in the area whom I visit
regularly. I do not see much change in what I do there, though it has
been very nice to see how they have taken an interest in my being a
Deacon now.
No, I am not
running around wearing my collar.
Thomas M.
Marble+
the Celtic
Christian Church
