By Katie Murray
This morning we will ordain seven members of our congregation to serve as deacons within our church body. These men and women have already shown their heart for service among us, directing and teaching Sunday School classes, investing in our children’s and student ministries, engaging in the mission of God through advocacy and community engagement, just to name a few. Through the laying on of hands this morning, we acknowledge as a congregation that we see the evidence of God’s direction in their lives for this very work among us and that we will support them in their commitments to deacon service.
Any time we engage in these rituals together, it can be helpful for us to reflect on our own spiritual journeys. When someone enters the baptismal waters, we are moved to reflect on our own baptism. When we have a family dedication, we are reminded of the people who have been instrumental in our own journeys of faith. Deacon ordinations invite us to reflect on the gifts we have been given and how we are called to use them.
Calling is not just a word reserved for the ordained. The life of the faithful involves a daily yearning for our wills to align with the will of God. Like the lyrics in our prelude today, we pray “Be thou my vision, O Lord of my heart; naught be all else to me save that thou art. Thou my best thought by day and by night, waking or sleeping, thy presence my light.”
We will also come to the table today to partake in the Lord’s Supper. This is another opportunity for reflection, this time on how we will choose to respond to God’s singular love for us. May the next hour shape us to be ready to respond with a resounding “yes” to whatever it is the Lord will call us to this week.