Readings:

Habakkuk 2:1-4;
Psalm 31:1-6;
Ephesians 2:19-end;
John 20:24-29

Collect:
Almighty and eternal God, who,
for the firmer foundation of our faith,
allowed your holy apostle Thomas to doubt the resurrection of your Son  
till word and sight convinced him:
grant to us, who have not seen,
that we also may believe and so confess Christ as our Lord and our God;
who is alive and reigns with you,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever. Amen.

Reflection

I am so grateful to all those across Watling Valley who have been so supportive as I was ordained priest last week: those who were able to be present onsite, those who watched online, those who took the time to send thoughtful and encouraging messages, and those who prayed. 

As the soon-to-be-priests stood together before the service, we tried to find words to say to each other how we felt about what was about to happen. “Weighty,” said one of my curate colleagues, “it feels like a weighty thing.” And indeed it did – weighty, but also joyful, solemn and yet overflowing with delight, thanksgiving, and radiant love, at this moment of becoming the priests God has created and called us to be.

And that weightiness – thankfully the words of the ordination service have something to say about that! “You cannot bear the weight of this calling in your own strength, but only by the grace and power of God. Pray therefore that your heart may daily be enlarged and your understanding of the Scriptures enlightened. Pray earnestly for the gift of the Holy Spirit.” Words which are as momentous as they are comforting and affirming. We do not do this alone. 

This is true, of course, not only for those of us ordained to particular ministries in the church. Indeed, the words of the service are clear in saying that the specific ministry of ordained priests arises our of and has its roots in the priestly ministry of the whole people of God, the church. All of us are called to serve God, in various ways at various times, and to make the love of God visible in the world. 

And none of us – thank God! – has to do so in our own strength. It is indeed only by the grace and power of God that we are able to do any of it, and keeping close to God in prayer, being aware of our reliance on the Holy Spirit working in us, is essential as we discern and live our God’s purposes in whatever contexts we find ourselves in.  

And of course, we do not do any of this alone. Just as I felt so well loved and supported around my ordination and first time presiding at Holy Communion, so we are all called to love and support one another, to encourage one another and build each other up for the furtherance of God’s kingdom in the world. 

So how do we do that? The sermon at the ordination service (which is well worth a listen on the YouTube recording if you haven’t heard it already) reminded us of the importance of “small, tender moments” of support and encouragement. All of us can look for the opportunity to offer to each other that kind of love and care.

Long after the excitement of these ‘big occasions’ fades, what will remain is that steadfast love of God, made real in small, tender moments, and in the shared life of the body of Christ in this place. For which I thank God daily!

Ruth Harley