Dear Lord, as this new year is born I give it to Thy hand, Content to walk by faith what paths I cannot understand.
Category: Blog
A very blessed Christmas to you all, and a peaceful and hopeful new year. I can do no better than offer you a poem of Ephrem, a deacon of the early church in Asia.
a weekend especially for distinctive deacons, reflecting on aspects of the Ordinal, with Bishop John Pritchard and Bishop James Newcome.
the Son of God teaches us that humility means not clinging to things, things that might even be ours by right. Therefore, for us who are baptized into the life of the Trinity and ordained into the servanthood of Christ, we must be similarly kenotic: no honor, glory, reputation, status.
I heard the call to rebuild the church…in a new way. To use my position as a male permanent deacon to advocate for the ordination of women as deacons. I now understand why Discerning Deacons does the work that they do, and I encourage you to get involved.
Although many people mistakenly characterize Christianity as a Western church, in our roots we are Eastern. And the Eastern traditions of Christianity have, almost from the beginning, associated deacons with the role of the angel in the community.
A recent example of this has been the need to restructure the organisation following the ending of a significant government contract. This meant losing people from the organisation that I had worked closely with over a number of years. In essence, the challenge, as a leader, is this. Is it possible to take away an individual’s livelihood in a ‘Christian way’? For me the fundamental difference is that as a Christian, I believe people are made in God’s likeness and that Christ died for them. This focusses my mind on their intrinsic worth and in consequence, how individuals should be treated.
You are looking for inclinations toward diaconal ministry and the potential for leadership in ministry in a person that can be called forward in preparation for ordination.
'Practical truth is more likely found at the bottom and the edges than at the top or center of most groups, institutions, and cultures'.
'As deacons we are privileged to spend much time with the Eucharist. We bear the chalice, the blood of Christ. We cleanse the vessels after Mass. We bring the Eucharist to the sick. Even so, sometimes I seek extra time with the Lord, particularly when ministering to those facing difficult circumstances including relationship difficulties, addictions, racism, etc. Relying upon my own resources, I may run into an impasse.'
CofE Network of Distinctive Deacons 