19.09.2017
The Revd Rebecca Guildea – A Roller–Coaster and a Reminder of the Goodness and Grace of God
The Revd Rebecca Guildea will be ordained to the Priesthood on Sunday September 24 in Christ Church Cathedral, Dublin, at 3.30 pm. She is to serve as an NSM in the dioceses, assigned to St Patrick’s Parish, Greystones. Here she speaks of her journey to ordination and her hopes for her future ministry.
The journey towards ordination has been, for me, both a roller–coaster, and a reminder of the goodness and grace of God. I came to faith at 16, in a local youth group, in Oxford, the town in which I grew up. I remember the anxiety of the first time I read in church, or led prayers. I knew I wanted to be in ministry, but I imagined a ministry where I could be behind the scenes, not at the front. I studied theology, and fielded questions about any plans I had to get ordained. I had no such plans.
I’m sure many people think they could never step into this vocation. I felt so for a long time. I worked at several other jobs. None of them felt right. But something in my heart was stirring, and, with the support of my husband, I began an internship at a London church. It felt like coming home. I discovered skills I never knew I had, and enjoyed every aspect of the work.
God has a role for each one of us in building his kingdom, and it is a delight to finally feel I have found that role for myself. Or rather, God has found me, and led me to the right place, at the right time.
I loved Zion Church, where I undertook my deacon internship. I loved the people, and the work. I was so welcomed by the community there, and impressed by their commitment to each other, and the Church. Since my ordination, I have had a powerful sense of the immense privilege it is to be ministering to the body of Christ. I hope that sense of privilege never leaves me. I know it won’t always be easy, but I really feel right now that I have the best calling in the world.
While it was with sadness that I said goodbye to the friends I had made at Zion, I’m thrilled to be serving in St Patrick’s, Greystones. Everything about this assignment feels right, and I can see God’s hand at work in bringing it about. Canon David Mungavin leads a wonderful community here, and I already have a sense that God has great things in store for this church in the time ahead. It is a joy to be a part of that for the coming years.