Ordination services

Yesterday, I was privileged to lead an ordination service for one of our staff members. This is a time when someone who is called to ministry has the spiritual leaders of a church pray over them and set them aside to a life of working for the kingdom of Christ. We find Scriptural basis in Acts when the men of Antioch laid hands on Barnabus and Saul before sending them off on their first mission and Paul also mentions that they laid hands on Timothy near the beginning of his ministry. We really don't know a bunch about how the biblical practice went. There was physical laying on of hands and prayer to be sure. These days the ceremony is relative simple: A Scriptural challenge (Isaiah 52:7 was yesterdays text- beautiful feet of those telling good news), some questions of commitment about ministry (kinda like vows taken at a wedding), and then praying over the person with hands on their shoulders or head. Every time we do this, I flash back to my ordination 28 years ago this month! It is a truly humbling and scary experience. You feel like God wants to use you for his service, but you're not sure you're useful. Yesterday I was reminded again of God's faithfulness in the journey. As we prayed yesterday, I wondered what the journey for our staff member would be and how God would use them throughout the years. At any rate, it is a life-changing moment for sure.