So last Saturday my college roommate from WFU got married in his hometown of Sarasota, Florida. My wife and I along with several of my fraternity brothers and their wives made the trip down to Florida for the big event. Most of us stayed in a hotel just blocks away from the wedding site – The John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art. The wedding was beautiful and to be sure a good time was had by all!
Sunday morning several of us met up for breakfast in the hotel lobby. As it turns out another couple had gotten married the day before and along with their friends and family was staying in our same hotel. As I fixed my plate at the complimentary, continental breakfast buffet I overheard this other groom talking to his family. Someone asked him, “Where did you find the minister?” To which he replied, “Oh, you know, I found her on the Internet.” “Oh, really?” the same family member responded. “Yeah, you know, it only takes about 3 hours to get ordained. Actually it is pretty easy.”
Overhearing his remarks, I was left to wonder, “Where did I go so wrong?” It took me 3 years at Duke Divinity School to earn a Masters of Divinity degree, tons and tons of written work, 3 years of probation, and multiple anxiety ridden appearances before the Board of Ordained Ministry to get ordained. I will never forget June 8th, 2005 – the date I knelt before the Bishop and was ordained to Word, Order, Sacrament, and Service.
My wife and some of the others who heard what this other groom had said started to rib me a litte bit. They wanted to know why I hadn’t just gone on-line to get ordained in 3 hours or less. Of course we all know why. Ordinaton, rightly understood, is not something done overnight or fly-by-night. It requires serious study, reflection, examination by both the candidate and the church. When you take up the mantle of ordination you become both a servant and representative of God. Like Moses you stand between a demanding God and a hungry/thirsty people. It is not something to be taken lightly. It is a humbling and yes sometimes scary place to stand. I’m still learning, still discovering, and still pondering the mysteries of God. I’m thankful for the process/method the United Methodist Church uses to discern if someone is ready for service in the church. Even though it was difficult, grueling, and on more than one occasion I wanted to back out, in the end it helped me become the pastor I am today. For that I give thanks to God.
So if you want a fly-by-night pastor, go check out the internet. However, if you want a pastor who has been theologically and rigourously trained, who has been mentored for ministry, and closely examined by the church for fitness for ministry you might try your local United Methodist Church. I’ve heard about one close by…St. Mark’s UMC I believe is the name. Oh and yea…you can find her (St. Mark’s UMC) on the internet too- www.stmarksraleigh.org
