Yesterday I was commissioned as a probationary minister in the Methodist church in Ireland. As I stood at the front of conference I was a swirling wreck of emotions. On one hand I was calm to the point of being numb, almost feeling like I was a mere observer, then there was the rising sense of panic as I looked at all the clerical collars and realised I was in the process of joining this band. Me in a clerical collar and being called Reverend? Not possible! Then there was the emotion as the President spoke of what it meant to be set aside for this holy work. He also spoke of how in our inadequacies the Holy Spirit can work; he encouraged us to never fear feeling inadequate. My fellow probationers and myself became the focus of a love scrum as the good and great hugged, kissed and shook hands with us. I was fine until Bert Montgomery came over and shook hands with me.
Bert led my wife to faith and has been a great influence on me. I study with his son, who is also a fine man and a future leader of our church. As I looked at Bert now bent low by age and illness my whole journey stretched before me and I realised how far I have travelled from our first meeting when I pinned him to the wall with a socialist polemic on how the churches were failing. I managed to hold it together, but it was touch and go. Bert nodded but his eyes showed he knew what I was thinking and momentarily he too became emotional. It was “the” moment of the ceremony for me. In that moment God’s grace and love shone through. It was all over in ten seconds, but in God’s time a lot can happen in ten seconds.
Give thanks to the Lord for he is good. His love endures forever.
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