Ordination approaching

The ordination service at 6.30pm this Sunday will be the biggest service held at St George Christ Church St Paul since its consecration two years ago.
It's for the ordination to priesthood of three deacons, Robert Stanier, who works at St G CC St P (and it's me who's writing this blog!), Andrew Moughtin Mumby, who works at St Christopher's, Walworth, and Sharon Moughtin Mumby, who works at St Peter's Walworth.

As you may have worked out by now, Andrew and Sharon are married to each other. (It was a theological college romance: a rare beast, but it does happen occasionally!) Ordaining us will be Bishop Christopher, who actually lives in the parish, which is cool.
PRACTICAL
If you are reading this looking for directions, go to a different page on the website; if you are just hoping to come, please do. It's going to be a tight squeeze, but we are sure we will be able to fit everyone in (somehow!). If you are looking to help, then please come to church at more or less any time on Sat 30th June, and people will be dusting, scrubbing, chair moving, tea making, cake baking, silver polishing, light bulb changing, font fixing...
THEOLOGICAL
FAQ: Why are they getting ordained? I thought they were already ordained.
That's a fair point. Essentially, it's because people get ordained to different 'orders' in the Church. We've already been ordained as 'deacons'. Our role has been to serve the church, the people, and to seek out ways in which we can help. Liturgically, this is most clear at hte eucharist. We 'lay the table' and clear up afterwards, but we don't preside.
Once we are ordained priest, we don't lose our servitude, but we are authorised to take things as leaders: we preside at the eucharist, we offer absolution for forgiveness of sins...
Almost all deacons go on to become priests. Technically, we could then go on to be ordained in the final order, bishops, but that is quite rare: of ordained ministers, 98% are priests, 1% are permanent deacons and 1% are bishops. (Or something like that). To be ordained priest is essentially the fulfilment for most of us: it's the fulfilment of the calling which we felt when we first offered ourselves to the church some years ago. Yet it's also the beginning.
Do join us. It will be a great day and we will want as much support as there can be.
Robert
PS For upcoming events, also check the posts below.
PPS The St Albans trip went amazingly well.

Mid June events

Lots of what is coming up feels like times for rites of passage. As well as our usual mix of baptisms and weddings in church, look out for these events.

Upcoming events:
Sat June 23rd: Pilgrimage to St Albans to hear Desmond Tutu
Sun June 30th: Fluffbusting, church clean-up all day, awaiting for the day of the ordination.
Sun July 1st: 6.30pm. Ordination to the priesthood of Fr Robert, as well as Fr Andrew and Mtr Sharon from elsewhere in the area. This is a ticketed event, but we will strive to find room for everyone. It should be a very special day.

Tuesday July 3rd: Start of our Marriage Preparation course
Wednesday July 4th-5th: "Year 6" event for children leaving our local primary school and preparing to go to a bigger stage of secondary education. No SATs but a chance to learn new things (juggling, mask making etc.) and make new friends.

Sun July 8th: 10.00 Fr Robert will preside at the eucharist for the first time. A very special day for him and all who have been involved him in bringing him this far, especially those in the parish.
Sat July 14th: Church Garden Fete. Our usual winning combination of Caribbean food, cake stalls, jumble, community spirit and (we hope) sunshine. Join us all day or just for a bit.

June: what's coming up

Last week saw a triumphant production of the hilarous "Holiday Snap" by the Players. A saucy farce, it drew a lot of laughs from big audiences. Well done to all involved.
Then on Sunday, we had great variety in Church. We looked at deep theology in the Trinity Sunday service at 10am and then got in touch with our quieter side at the service of Healing and Wholeness at 6pm. This was beautiful and peaceful and will be repeated. Look out for these services in the future.

This week coming, there's the feast of Corpus Christi being celebrated on Sunday. This is about Christ's body in the eucharist. It's a time to think about what this means to us.

Then if you want to look more deeply at the Bible, come to Fr Robert's house - 20 Gaynesford Road - at 6pm and we'll be starting a short series of sessions on "the good life". What might this mean? This week, we will be looking at the psalms: "I've been young and now am old and never have I seen the righteous begging their bread". Gosh. Is that still true? Do the righteous live longer/ get richer? Or does being righteous make us happy? Do we want to be 'righteous'?
No need for prior knowledge. Just turn up. It will last an hour.

In the longer term, consider joining our pilgrimage to St Albans to hear Desmond Tutu preach on June 23rd. Should be amazing.

Fr Robert