Anniversary

It was 39 years ago on Thursday that I was ordained deacon. I don't have any photos of the ordination - people didn't wander round with cell phones back then, nor take their box brownies to significant events, especially in somewhere as intimidating as Christchurch Cathedral, so I found this shot, taken by Clemency, obviously, at about the same time. I'm holding our son Nick, whose birth happened a little later, and was an event even more life changing than the ordination.

Some events make for significant memories - starting school. Graduating from university. First time asking a girl out. First kiss. First job. The day Princess Diana died. The day President Kennedy died. Other events change your very being. Baptism. Marriage. Parenthood. Ordination. I remember two or three days after my ordination, walking through Cathedral Square in my brand new black shirt, black trousers, black shoes and sparkly white collar. I walked past a group of gang members in their patches and tattoos and chains. There were about 8 of them, all big guys, laughing and joking and clowning around. As I walked past they fell silent and looked at the ground, and I walked on, heavy with the realisation of what had been laid on me. There are many times I've wanted to be free of the burden of it; many times I've thought about choices not made and paths not taken. But this is the path I followed from then until now, and it has been rich and full and blessed.

I was ordained alongside John Marcon and Alec Clark. All of us stayed the course: John retired a year or two back and I attend Alec's retirement function this coming Friday. When Christ calls a man, he bids him come and die, said Dietrich Bonhoeffer. I guess that night, kneeling in the cathedral with Alan Pyatt's hands on our head we, all three of us died. As we have all done many times since, I suspect. But I for one, and I think probably the others as well, have spent the 39 years since with an abiding sense of resurrection. It has been wonder full. I am so grateful.

Photo: The camera I had back then was a Canon FTb, and I expect it was used for this. Clemency is always better at photographing people than I am and she's framed this one nicely.

Comments

Merv said…

Beautiful.
"... Still live in me this loving strife
Of living Death and dying Life.
For while Thou sweetly slayest me
Dead to my selfe, I live in Thee."
Richard Crashaw, 'A Song'

1 December 2018 at 17:07

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