For Erin Dunigan’s Ordination service, November 18, 2009
What is Ordination?
My name is Steve Yamaguchi and it is my honor to call Erin my friend and colleague. I serve this regional body, the Presbytery of Los Ranchos, as Executive Presbyter and part of my ministry is the privilege of serving as a kind of pastor to the pastors – of whom Erin will soon be one. Erin shares her many gifts with us all in many different ways, and I am particularly blessed when she shares her gift of writing with me by serving as my editor. Whenever I have something important to write, an article, a chapter in a book – I ask Erin to help me write it. Erin is good and I trust her. She could just write the thing for me – she takes the time to know how I think and what she writes sounds like how I would say it – only she says it better. Erin has become a friend of our family; we spent vacation time this summer with Erin in beautiful La Mision and there she helped my daughters learn to surf. We love Erin. Erin helps our presbytery be a better presbytery, she helps me be a better minister. She is a partner in holy mischief.
Because Erin is so gifted and accomplished, and because she has worked so hard and diligently – we might be tempted to think of this ordination as something she has accomplished or earned. But this ordination is not about anything that any of us has earned. For Presbyterians, ordination is all about the GIFTS of GOD.
We appreciate all the gifts God gives to the community for the community’s common life: singing songs, cooking tamales, fixing the plumbing, teaching the children, healing the sick, listening, caring, the surfboard that gets shared around. When we were in La Mision in August there was a surfboard which Erin had borrowed which she then shared with my family. We didn’t each need our own surfboard – the one surfboard was shared by all. It was plenty and fun.
In our Presbyterian and Reformed tradition which we have inherited from John Calvin, there are three particular gifts of ministry for the church which we have valued so highly that we “order” these three gifts in what we call “ordered” ministries: Deacon, Elder, and Minister of Word and Sacrament (we also call them Deacon, Ruling Elder, and Teaching Elder). These three are so important to us that we won’t let just anyone “practice” on the rest of us simply because they think they have the gift. Our history is marked with the tragedies of individuals who thought they had a gift of ruling or teaching, but they were sadly self-deceived. However, there are some gifts which we do allow people to “practice” on the community even if that gift is not so great, even if it is not their life’s calling. Cooking, gardening, singing – we may delight in some people’s best efforts even if their gifts are not so great because we appreciate their enthusiasm and sincerity (and because they can’t do TOO much damage in that role). But we cut no such slack for a heart surgeon – enthusiasm and sincerity are no substitute for excellence, giftedness, preparation, diligence, faithfulness to the calling. As it is with the surgeon, so it is in the community of the church with ordination to “ordered” ministry.
Before we ordain someone to an ordered ministry we need to hear that call confirmed and corroborated by four different parties: 1) the person, 2) the particular ministry they will serve, 3) the whole church, and 4) God. How do we hear God’s voice? Largely by listening to those first three voices. And we listen for God in our prayer and in scripture. But it is good always to remember that above all, through all, in all, the “calling” we listen for comes from God.
In Erin we have clearly witnessed God’s gifts, and we have heard all four voices come together. Over these many years what began as a scattering of whispers has crescendoed into a loud and undeniable, irresistible call from God. So now we “ordain” or set apart Erin for this special ordered ministry of Word and Sacrament to be our teacher and our shepherd.
This ordination is not an elevation or promotion. It is a particularization and a dedication to an ordered form of service. We are clearly not saying that Erin is better than others. And we who know Erin and her joyful humility before God know that she would never think of herself as better than others. But here we affirm God’s gift to Erin and God’s call to us all to set Erin apart for this special work of the Ministry of Word and Sacrament.
Right now we, the presbytery on behalf of the whole church of Jesus Christ, dedicate her to her calling from God, and we know with confidence that she will practice this calling as did Jesus himself, who came “not to be served, but to serve.”
With joy and wonder and thanksgiving, let the ordination ceremony begin!
The Rev. Dr. Steven Toshio Yamaguchi
Executive Presbyter
Presbytery of Los Ranchos
www.losranchos.org