Ordination (AKA The End of An Era)

A seven year process is about to come to an end.  This coming Wednesday, I will be ordained as an Elder in the United Methodist Church.  This whole thing started when I finally felt like my life was in order.  Myranda and I had three beautiful daughters, I was teaching in the high school where I had graduated, and Myranda had a job she throughly enjoyed.  After the LORD called me into the ministry, I began the process of ordination.  At the time, I'm not sure I really understood what that meant.  I didn't know how I would grow and change as I met with Derrell Evins and he led me through the candidate process.  I will always be grateful to Derrell and his willingness to meet, to encourage, and to be a voice of wisdom throughout those early weeks of this journey.

I also didn't understand the role of a pastor as I watched and learned from Monty Leavell.  I'm not sure he ever knew how much I admired him as my pastor.  He always had time to visit with me.  He was willing to share his experience, his pulpit, and his Bible classes with me.  He continually encouraged me to seek the LORD's direction and he always was honest with me.  I never felt anything but love and pride as he prepared me for the next step of seminary.

And when the time finally came, it was more difficult than I thought it would be to leave the 'shoe.  I guess a part of me knew that I wouldn't ever really return there.  For the first time, it dawned on me that once seminary was over, I would not be coming back to my home and my church.  But on a July morning, we pulled out of town in a parade of clothes, kids, a cat, and parents.  We trekked across the country not even knowing what our house looked like, any people, or even what we were really doing. I'll never forget the day that I thought we had made a huge mistake.  Myranda had not yet found a job, the girls' school was starting in just a few days, and we were completely broke.  We knew we needed to get them school supplies and we also knew that we didn't have the money for it.  So we made a list of only the barest essentials to get them started and headed out the door to go school shopping.

For whatever reason (I believe by the prompting of the Holy Spirit), I peeked in the mailbox before we left.  There was one letter in the box.  In the upper left-hand corner was a cross and flame logo with FUMC Muleshoe next to it.  I opened the letter and I wept.  For in that envelope was a letter that simply stated that our church was 100% behind us as we began this adventure.  Wrapped up in the letter was a check.  The check was enough to cover ALL the girls' school supplies and a little left over to buy groceries.  But what was even more amazing than that was that for the next three years, the church did not fail to mail a letter of encouragement and a check to help cover expenses and pay bills.  In my entire life, I had never felt that kind of love from a church.  I am so deeply indebted to FUMC Muleshoe for everything they did and their willingness to support us financially and with prayer.

Seminary was nothing that I expected it to be.  To be honest, I'm not sure what I expected.  But it was something that changed my life.  It challenged me, it tore at me, and many times it wiped me out.  But it also was a deep journey of faith, hope, and love.  Some of the people in my seminary classes became my best friends.  Tom Snyder is one of them.  Tom is a man who started seminary the same semester I did.  We took classes together.  We discussed lessons, worked on projects, and lamented the amount of reading and writing expected of us.  Yet, we endured.  We both walked through a valley of the shadow of death and experienced a new birth of thought, life, and spiritual formation.  My life is forever united with Tom.  Because, not only did we begin seminary together, we ended it together.  He and I walked across the stage on the same day.  He returned to Michigan and I to Texas, but I still consider him one of my best friends and I miss seeing him immensely.

Then it was time to move again.  This time we drug four beautiful daughters, a cat, and a dog back to Texas.  We rolled into Haskell for our first appointment.  Excited and a bit apprehensive, I began to meet my new church.  The last two years have been a whirlwind.  I have had many firsts here.  My first church funeral was a week after I arrived.  My first time to consecrate the Blessed Sacrament was in our historic sanctuary.  My first baptism was of a young man I love and respect.  I have taught my first confirmation class and been integrated into the life of this wonderful congregation.  The gracious folks of Haskell UMC have let me make mistakes.  They have forgiven me for my trespasses and they have loved me in spite of my frailties.  While we have disagreed at times, we have done so in love and in the grace of Christ.  They have embraced my family and me with open arms and we have grown to love them so very much.  My journey with them has been amazing.

As I said, this part of my journey is coming to a close.  In just a few days I will no longer be a provisional elder.  I will once again take vows to the church.  At my final meeting with the Board of Ordained ministry, one of the elders I have recently come to know and respect asked me a question that I wasn't quite sure how to answer.  She asked, "What does it mean for you to be ordained?  What does it mean for you to be in the Order of Elders?"  Mindy, if you're reading this, I have really contemplated that question since that meeting.  I'm not sure I still have the "right" answer.  The rest of the story is that I'm not sure I'll have the right answer on the day I'm ordained, the day after, or even ten years later.  But one thing I do know is that God has led me here.  He got me through those days of no money in the bank by sending us a check.  He got me through the dark days of seminary by sending me a friend.  He has gotten me through the entire process through my amazing wife and my beautiful daughters who have had to sacrifice so much for this journey.  While they may not know it, I admire them so much for never complaining, always supporting, and continually loving me and the church despite their sacrifices.

A really good friend of mine (and fellow pastor) was ordained last year.  A note arrived from him today in the mail (Ryan Strebeck is one of the last people I know who actually hand writes and mails real letters).  Ryan has been on this journey with me for the last several years and knows the process of ordination as well as anyone.  In this letter he said this, "It (ordination) is all a mystery, that's for sure.  But what we know is that it's some form of covenant and it involves Christ's Church so it's Holy and it's beautiful and I'm proud to know a man like you in this context."  I guess that's where I am with the whole thing too.  I'm in a place where I know that God has been acting and continues to act in my life, both personally and as a pastor.  I also firmly believe that God will do something amazing on Wednesday night when the Bishop lays hands on me and ordains me in Christ's Holy Church.  Whether I feel any differently or not won't matter.  What I am coming to lean on more and more are John Wesley's final words before he passed from this life to immortal life.  "The best of all, God is with us."  I couldn't have said it better myself.


The Sunday before we left for seminary, two of our best friends sent us away with this song.  Kenneth and Toni King first showed me the depth of God's love.  I now share this song with all you reading this blog.  Whether you were mentioned in this blog or not, you most certainly have been a part of this journey.  For your love and support, I always will be eternally grateful.  I now joyfully dedicate this song to each one of you who has been a part of this journey.  It's for those who have shown unconditional love and those who have gone beyond the norm to help see me through this process.  It's for those who sacrificed, offered wisdom, and let me vent.  It's for those who have no idea how much you influenced me.  It's for those who have stood beside me and even held me up when I was weak and tired.  You are my brothers and my sisters and always remember, the best of all, God is with us.  Until next time...





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