whole wack of stuff

I learned something very valuable about ministry today. I learned just how much fun it truly can be! I started the day helping make breakfast for 50 people. They are the sidespeople who are responsible for greeting everyone who enters the church from those who come most weeks, to those who haven’t been in a while to those who have never set foot in a Christian church before. Their ministry of hospitality is one so key to any parish, I just can’t stress it enough. I was privileged to serve them breakfast this morning, chat and catch up.

Then we proceeded out to the cemetery with a whole bunch of dogs, one cat and one fish for the blessing of the animals (thank you St. Francis of Assisi). What an amazing site, to see just how much people change when they are around their pets. If only we could treat each other like we treat our pets – the world would be a better place!

Next came a wedding with about 150 guests. It was beautiful, everyone looked so happy and I learned how to kibitz with a nervous groom. He decided pacing was to be his form of exercise for the day, and practically wore a hole in the vestry carpet. But when the wedding began, it was a beautiful presentation of love. You could almost feel it in the room. They both kept giving each other almost knowing looks and they flirted with each other throughout the service and it was actually very heart-warming.

Then we had a rehearsal for the baptisms tomorrow – there will be 5 of them. 1 teenager, 1 father and his son and 2 other babies. How cool is it to have a father be baptised with his son?

I think this has been one of the best birthdays I have had, because I got to spend it serving others. This notion didn’t however come without a bit of navel gazing this afternoon! At first I was kinda irritated that I couldn’t do what I wanted on my birthday, that I couldn’t go home to Sarnia, spend time with my family and friends. I was stuck doing ‘stuff’ at the church. I rarely begrudge doing things there, but you know what, earlier in the week, I was dreading today – I wanted it to be about me!

Now let me make one thing perfectly clear. I think I’ve come to the conclusion that I’m afraid. I’m scared to even entertain the possibility that I have absolutely no idea what I’m getting myself into! This is probably the last thing on the face of God’s green earth that I ever, even in my wildest dreams, EVER thought I would be doing. Me – becoming a priest??? Na….. I think I often wonder if other people will see this side of me. I wonder what other people think of this. I wonder how many of them think that I’m nuts! How many can see into the depths of my mind and understand just how absurd a concept this whole becoming a priest thing is – even to me – especially to me! I guess I’m worried about being found out as a fraud… ‘cause who am I to even think that I could entertain the notion of becoming a priest. Then I have a day like today. A day where the whole picture starts to become less blurry – just for a second – and I catch a glimpse of the truth. This has absolutely nothing to do with me. I’m here, I’m offering myself in service to God and to everyone I meet. I get it. Took me a while. But I get it. I know I’ll forget it again soon – and I hope I can count on another day like today will come along to remind me that I really do understand!