29.09.2014
“You did not choose me. I chose you…” Reflection on Vocation at Ordination Service
The Revd Eugene Griffin was Ordained to the Priesthood by Archbishop Michael Jackson in Christ Church Cathedral, Dublin yesterday (Sunday October 28). During the service, Eugene was surrounded by family, friends, his clergy colleagues and parishioners from Castleknock and Mulhuddart with Clonsilla where he now serves as Curate.
The sermon was preached by Eugene’s Rector, Canon Paul Houston, who focused on the priesthood as a vocation drawing on the passage: “You did not choose me. I chose you, I appointed you to go on and bear fruit, fruit that shall last” (John 15 v16).
“The priesthood is a vocation, a calling to be a servant of the whole people. The ordained ministry is charged with a special responsibility of word and sacraments, and of pastoral care,” he stated. “A person is not a minister because they deserve to be or earned the right to be, but because it pleased God in his love and wisdom to call them to that office and ministry.”
Canon Houston said that Ireland was changing fast and that the context of ministry was also changing. That change was reflected in his own parish of Castleknock and Mulhuddart with Clonsilla where 25 percent of the population came from abroad.
“Ours is a global village, when so many different races move across the face of the earth. There needs to be a new charity in Christians, a new hospitality, a new searching for the work of the Holy Spirit in people of very different backgrounds and cultures from ourselves – seeking we will find,” he said.
He added that there were still times in the lives of most inner city suburban dwellers when they had a profound need of what the church can offer and the church needed to have a flexible, sensitive and imaginative response.
Concluding that he looked to working with Eugene as part of the team in the parish and diocese, his Rector urged him not to lose his sense of humour and thanked God for the gifts the Curate brought with him to ministry.
Canon Paul Houston’s sermon is reproduced in full below.
Photo captions:
Top – Archbishop Michael Jackson, the Revd Eugene Griffin and his wife, Joanna.
Middle – The Laying on of Hands during the Service of Ordination of the Revd Eugene Griffin in Christ Church Cathedral.
Below – Canon Paul Houston.
Sermon for Sunday 28th September 2014 in Christ Church Cathedral
For the Ordination of the Revd Eugene Griffin
Canon Paul Houston
“You did not choose me. I chose you, I appointed you to go on and bear fruit, fruit that shall last” John 15 v16
In these words Christ emphasises the idea of being chosen and being called. We are all called, by our Baptism to witness to the living God of love and part of a ministry of the whole Church – lay and ordained – a ministry in which we all share in virtue of our membership of the people of God.
Many men and women feel themselves called to be doctors, lawyers, teachers, mechanics, and accountants. Many people have found a vocation in life.
As John Ruskin once said “Blessed is the person who has found their vocation: let them ask for nothing more”.
The priesthood is a vocation, a calling to be a servant of the whole people. The ordained ministry is charged with a special responsibility of word and sacraments, and of pastoral care.
A person is not a minister because they deserve to be or earned the right to be, but because it pleased God in his love and wisdom to call them to that office and ministry.
The ordained ministry does offer great opportunity to be what priests essentially are –
Representative Persons – representing God to his church so that the church may represent God to his world.
In the Old Testament we have many people being called to prophecy including Amos:– Amos exclaims – “I am no prophet … nor am I a prophets son, but the Lord took me as I followed my flock and said to me “Go and prophecy to my people Israel”
The initiative is with God: he has called, what is required of Amos is obedience and trust. We are called to be faithful.
To re–iterate the words of Jesus – “You did not choose me: I chose you”.
Moreover, we are called from fear; fear of insecurity, fear of inadequacy, fear of ineffectiveness
Jesus was always careful to spell out the conditions and consequences of accepting his call to discipleship and so the call is also a call from fear of insecurity. To the rich young man who had kept all the commandments Jesus said: “One thing you lack go all everything you have and give to the poor and you will have riches in heaven and follow me. But the rich young man did not give up his riches – he feared insecurity.
But I feel that if we are faithful to God’s call, then he calls us from fear and that is the basis for ministerial confidence.
Faithful in proclaiming word and administrating the sacraments.
It was Martin Luther who said that word and sacraments are of equal importance because they both proclaim the Gospel. By Word Luther meant the preached word. It is our great privilege as priests to preach the Gospel in season and out of season. It is one of the joys of the ministry to order worship to the glory of God, particularly to celebrate the Eucharist, the Holy Communion whether it be in the Church, Hospital or home. Eugene this will now be one of your great privileges.
So the total ministry, all Gods people – lay and ordained are called by God, are called from fear and are called to love.
Surely this is the basis of the pastoral ministry. We are called to LOVE, to be there for people in times of joy and in times of sorrow. I had the opportunity to read Rev. Eugene Griffin Master’s Thesis – how clergy cope with their own feeling of grief, and how the Church can support them.
One person Eugene quoted is Bishop Alan Abernethy, he writes: – “My vocation has at its heart a call to be with the sick, those in pain, especially with the bereaved; it is at these moments that yet again the paradox of ministry is evident. The danger of giving and yet the fulfilment it brings to be able to bring comfort to those in pain, is an amazing privilege especially when representing the one who is the source of all comfort”.
To do that we do need support ourselves. Who pastors the Pastor? I have found that in this regard parishioners have been supportive, and fellow clergy have been a great help.
In his thesis he concludes the need for Diocesan support of clergy. Rural Deanery support, Episcopal support.
We are moreover called to a Prophetic ministry to proclaim and work for the kingdom of God– of love, justice and peace.
Ireland is changing and changing fast, and the context of our ministries is changing. Castleknock and Mulhuddart with Clonsilla very much reflects this change, with 25% of our population coming from abroad. Ours is a global village, when so many different races move across the face of the earth. There needs to be a new charity in Christians, a new hospitality, a new searching for the work of the Holy Spirit in people of very different backgrounds and cultures from ourselves – seeking we will find.
God is at work in many and unexpected guises. There is great need. There are still times in the lives of most people in inner city suburban, upper crust – when they have a profound need of what the church can offer (confronted by death and tragedy ) – we need to have a flexible, sensitive, and imaginative response.
In that witness we are not alone, we are partners with other churches in our area – some of the best support I have had is from clergy of other churches – supporting each other, in working together for the kingdom and I thank God for that.
So Eugene I look forward to working with you in the priesthood of the church – in partnership – as part of a team in the Parish and Diocese to extend the kingdom of God in the lives of all age groups.
Maybe I don’t need to say this Eugene – try and keep your sense of humour –
You bring your many gifts to the service of God – your life and work experiences, financial, musical, and pastoral gifts and we thank God the giver of gifts.
“You did not choose me. I chose you” I appointed you to bear fruit, fruit that shall last.
Yes we are called! All Christians are called! We are called by God, we are called from fear, we are called to Love!