Article
All About Ordinations
by The Rev. Libby Garfield
What Happens at an Ordination Service?
The ordination service is similar to our typical Eucharist service in many ways. Just as a baptism or confirmation service has additional portions woven into the liturgy, ordinations work similarly. The ordination liturgy has three additional portions: the presentation, the examination, and the consecration.
The Presentation and Examination
The presentation comes at the beginning of the service. This is the opportunity for the community supporting the ordinand to present them to the bishop as ready to be ordained and promise to support them in their ministry. This is also when the ordinand commits to the canons of the church and affirms their belief in scripture. One can think of this first portion as checking off all the boxes to confirm that the person about to be ordained is ready, willing, and able to do so.
The role of the greater community is vital in an ordination. First, lay and ordained community members present the ordinand to the bishop. Second, the community can object to an ordination (just like a wedding). Finally, the congregation vows to uphold the new priest in their ministry.
The service continues with the liturgy of the word, including readings from the Old and New Testament, the Gospel, and the sermon. The examination follows the sermon. This is the time for the bishop to question the ordinand directly, confirming their call and readiness to serve in this new capacity.
The Consecration
The final portion is the consecration of the new priest where the Holy Spirit is called upon to transform the ordinand into a priest. The consecration is the “big moment” of the service. The ordinand kneels before the bishop, who places their hand on the ordinand’s head. At the same time, the community of priests comes around the ordinand and bishop while the whole congregation sings a song of prayer. This song calls upon the holy spirit to come down upon this person, to fill them, and to purify them. After a period of silent prayer, the bishop prays for the ordinand, which includes a bidding for God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit to fill them with grace and power and make them a priest of the church.
The new priest then puts on the stole and chasuble reserved for priests, and is given a bible by the bishop. Lastly, the bishop greets and introduces the newest priest in the church.
The service then continues with the Eucharist as it usually would. The bishop presides over the Eucharist; the first Eucharist the priest celebrates is typically the next day. One of the sacramental acts reserved for priests is blessings, and it is customary for people to receive a blessing after the service from the new priest. Many bishops kneel before the new priest after they process out of the church to receive their first blessing.
God willing and the people consenting, the Rev. Sutton Kern Lowe will be ordained as a priest in God's holy, catholic, and apostolic Church on Saturday, February 15, at 11 am.