Thoughts on Ordination
· Tobin’s ordination
o It was a nice service
o And it was cool to see it
o At the end of the service similar to this one
§ There was a welcome to ministry
§ The conference president got up
§ And welcomd Tobin into ministry
o I felt a little jaded about this
o What do you mean welcome to ministry
o Tobin has been in ministry for years
o I have worked with him
o We are all in ministry
o How arrogant to say welcome to ministry
o Just because he was not ordained
· When I was on YouthNet eXteme
o I was interviewing for a magazine article
o They asked us who we would like to be
o I answered with the only thing that I could think to say
§ I didn’t know what I wanted to be when I grew up
§ “I want to be a humble man of God”
§ It turns how that is a dangerous thing to
· Humbling experiences
o YouthNet extreme – Just the muscle
o Denver First
§ I was so clueless what to do
§ Funeral on my first day
§ I have been humbled
o Marriage
§ Do I need to say much more
§ It’s a joy and is won day by day, moment by moment
§ And It only works when you are humble
§ The more rights that you think you have
§ The worse it gets
§ Ministry is the same
§ I have been humbled
o Five church district
§ Let me saw this again – Five church district
§ 150 miles from one end to another
§ Walking the street wondering what to do
§ Driving wondering what to do
§ A church with 4 members having a fight over who will be head elder…really???
§ A youth guy running 5 board meetings
§ I have been humbled
o Becoming a father
§ And just when you think you have the church all figured out
§ Then you have a child
§ I remember telling Laura when we were only thinking of having a child
· I think having a child would be good for us
· It would help us be less selfish
· I had nooooooo idea
§ I have been humbled
· So now I come to my own ordination
o I pursued my call to ministry
o I did the steps that needed to be done
o As I preached my series – I was humbled
o As I shared my theology with administration – I was humbled
o As I went through my administrative review – I was humbled
§ By the appreciation – and the affirmation
o And here I stand today – I am humbled
o To we welcomed into ministry is a humbling thing
o To be humble I once heard from Michael Card
§ Humilty is simply and honest view of who you are
§ No more that who you are
§ No less than who you are
o So here I am, just me – that’s all no more no less
o And I am welcomed into ministry today
§ Just as I am
§ To serve my God
§ To serve my Church
§ And I am humbled!!!
