CALLED OR CO-OPTED?
VOCATION OR VOLUNTEER?
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| Vocation Day |
This was the theme of the Vocations Day called last Saturday by Bishop Mark.
When Bishop John retired in November 2006, all the formal processes of discernment of ministry were halted, and many people seeking to explore their calling were left waiting, longing, frustrated. As Bishop Mark travelled round his Diocese, he found that although, in many, places ministries were happening, faithfufully, unobtrusively, in many other places there was a need for them to be explored, encouraged and enabled. This is what we began to do at Culloden on Saturday 2nd February.
On the Thursday and Friday it began to look as if the Day would not happen, so dire were the forecasts of blizzards, frost, and gales: on the weather map, the whole Diocese was to be clad in snow. But we had faith, and the Saturday dawned and remained, bright, frosty and cold. And the people came. From Ullapool and Invergordon, Huntly and Rothiemurchus and everywhere in between: 38 of us crowded into St. Mary’s, Culloden; only Nostie and Lochalsh, Thurso and Wick were cut off.
During the morning , we heard accounts of peoples’ journeys into ministry, the rigours of the process they had to go through, the problems of long-distance training, the companionship they found along the way in their congregations, their support groups, the people they studied with; their disappointments, and the loneliness of an unsupported ministry. We also heard of the wide variety of lay ministries, from the work of a lay reader teaching and preaching in Rothiemurchus, to the varied minstries of those in congregations where there is no resident priest, or during a vacancy, when a lay minster might find him/herself leading a service, taking communion to the house bound, or, in one instance, taking a funeral.
Our mornig was wound up by a very moving testament about ministry, that it can only be a ministry of mutual love and service exercised within the love of God.
After lunch, Bishop Mark told us of his vision for the future of ministry, and the discernment of ministry in the diocese.
He encouraged us to to see our vocation as being in the place where God wants us to be – which may not necessarily be the place where we think we ought to be. Indeed, in one respect, we are living our vocation by simply letting other people see what God sees in us. However, in order to find out where God wants us to be, we need help, and for this, we are setting up a Diocesan Vocations Group for all seekers of ministry of any sort: Diocesan Seekers. This group will meet regularly to be a place where seekers are encouraged to explore their vocations with other like-minded people; to meet with the Bishop, the DDO, and the Vocations Advisers who will all be there to give help and advice and also to see where God is leading you. There will be time for discussion, study, prayer, fellowship over a meal (even a packed lunch is a meal!)
Bishop Mark is setting up a new Training Course, which be in place by September. Details about this and the Vocations Group will be available at the Diocesan Synod on !st. March, if not before.
Our Vocations Day ended with a special Liturgy for Candlemas, where we remembered the faith and trust of Simeon and Anna, two of Jesus’ first witnesses, and looked forward to the ministry of Christ and the minstry he has bestowed on us. ‘Do not be afraid’, we sang as we gathered in a circle before the altar, ‘His amazing grace is there for all of us’ we sang more powerfully in three part canon, surprising ourselves with a vocation for music,
and ‘Be still, for the presence of the Lord , the Holy one is here’ we prayed as we approached the table Then, holding lighted candles, we turned to the font where our journey began, and from which our journey continues.
It was a very good day – but only the first step onto a new way for the diocese, and an adventure for many of us.
Canon Ruth Tait, Diocesan Director of Ordinands. 04 . 02 . 08.
