June 1, 2006

Thirty Years and Counting

At the Episcopal Church's 1976 General Convention, a resolution was passed that allowed women to be ordained as priests and, if elected, as bishops.  In my downtown Atlanta home parish, St. Luke, members of the congregation were already saying to me, "Isn't it great that women can now be priests!  We believe that you will certainly be one someday."  The next year I found myself serving as the lead crucifer (the acolyte that carries the processional cross) for the ordination of the first woman in the Diocese of Atlanta.  With plenty of positive role models throughout my teenage years, I proceeded to Furman University for the beginning of my formal training; there I graduated with a degree in religion fully intending to continue on to seminary.

In the early 1980s, the standard procedure for those desiring ordination in the Episcopal Church was to have life work experience in the "real world" before being approved for an ordination track.  I was gaining this experience as a social worker working with juvenile delinquents and abused children.  During this time I was also sensing that my call to the priesthood would involve in some way a specific ministry to children and teens.  The Bishop in Upper South Carolina at the time was reluctant to ordain persons for specific rather than general priestly ministries, so he encouraged me to work full-time in a church for a while and then return to see him.  In obedience to his direction, I left my social work position and accepted a call to be the Lay Assistant to the Rector at Trinity Church in downtown Asheville, North Carolina. 

After the birth of Miles, Derek and I accepted a call for Derek to serve as lead priest in a Kokomo, Indiana congregation.  Just before conceiving Mitchell, I accepted a call to be Director of Children's Ministries at the downtown United Methodist congregation in the same town.  In Kokomo we established the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd (what we call "FaithQuest") in each of our congregations and I was invited to represent the state of Indiana at the international training course in Assisi, Italy in 1997.  While in Assisi, I heard God say quite clearly, "Rebuild my church. I want you to baptize, absolve, and feed my sheep with my Word, my Body and my Blood."  While in Assisi, I observed a disabled woman struggling every day to go up and down the steep hill upon which was built the Basilica honoring St. Francis.  God told me, "Take a photo of this woman.  Your journey to the priesthood will be as arduous as this woman's daily piety.  Persevere and trust me.  I will determine the time."

With fear and trepidation, I shared with Derek the renewal of this call.  I shouldn't have worried...God had already prepared him for this revelation.  He was very supportive and even went with me to see the Bishop of Northern Indiana.  That Bishop was admittedly "old school" and stated that though he sensed my call, he was reluctant to send a young mother away to seminary (though he acknowledged that he had no problem approving young fathers for graduate school.)  He encouraged me to see him again when my "babies" (then ages 3 & 6) were older.  Derek and I returned to Kokomo trusting that God would reveal the correct time.

In the summer of 1999, Derek and I accepted a call to be a church planting team for the congregation that was to become Church of the Beloved.  Many of you know the rest of the story.  As this year began, I observed that as the Church Planting Pastor, I was able to serve a congregation of one hundred families and, once again, minister just as effectively as my priestly colleagues with the exception of celebrating the Sacraments.  Beloved was on a challenging yet healthy trajectory for a church turning five years old at the end of the year.  All my personal and professional relationships seemed to be on solid footing: God, husband, three children (including a teenager!), extended family, ministry.  I guess God thought so too.  As Easter approached the Lord said to me, "It's time to think differently about your continuing education and do the academic thing again."  Arguing with God is never a good pastime, but I replied, "I certainly can't leave my family at this point."  God replied again, "Trust me." 

A month ago, we received in the mail a flier from Derek's seminary advertising a long-distance degree via the Internet, a Masters of Arts in Ministry, consisting of eight courses over two years.  Structured around the knowledge needed to pass the General Ordination Exams of the Church, it is designed to better equip those who desire to effectively lead the Church in the 21^st Century.  Isn't God just full of surprises!  So beginning this summer, my allotted continuing education at Beloved is being focused on this degree program, beginning with a week away in mid-July to begin the course on the Old Testament.

Each course requires a great deal of reading and preparation of papers, so my television and movie time will be redirected in the evenings towards this exciting and daunting new pursuit.   Please keep me (and my family) in your prayers.  Though I haven't a clue what God's specific plans and timetable for my future are, I do have some ideas.  The Beloved, who dearly loves both me and you, isn't finished with us yet.  There will always be more adventures, and yes, plenty of surprises! 

Clifford King Harbin, pastor 

Around Beloved...FaithQuest's Reconciliation Retreat for those participants in FaithQuest 1.5 (6-9 year olds) and FaithQuest 2.1/2.1x (9-15 year olds) is rescheduled for Sunday afternoon, June 4 from 3-7pm at Beloved Garden.  Parents are invited to participate at 6:30pm in a short worship service.  Fr. Derek and Fr. Scot McComas from St. Peter will be present to share the preparation work and to hear the confessions of the participants as the group experiences the reconciling love and grace of a forgiving Savior...A Pilgrims Retreat is scheduled for Saturday morning, June 3 (9-10:30am) or Sunday morning, June 4 (10:45-Noon) for those adults who have previously made their adult profession of faith (by baptism, confirmation or adult profession) in a denomination other than the Episcopal Church who desire to become participating "official members of record" of Church of the Beloved.  For those that choose to join Beloved, they will be presented to a visiting retired bishop on Sunday, June 11 during regular morning worship.  If you are interested in exploring this option, please email the Development Office to reserve your spot in the group that gathers on June 3 or June 4.  For those who made their adult profession of faith (by the sacrament of Confirmation) in the Episcopal Church and who desire to become a participating "official member of record" of Church of the Beloved, please contact Clifford at the Development Office and she'll handle the paperwork for you.  Church of the Beloved needs 100 adult members in order to be considered for parish status; please prayerfully consider taking this step on your spiritual journey...By popular demand, Summer FaithQuest will be offered on Tuesday mornings for eleven weeks this summer.  Participants have the vacation flexibility of choosing either six or nine weeks out of this period.  Registration sheets are available at Beloved Garden or in the hospitality area after worship each Sunday...Youth from St. Michael Parish in Raleigh will be spending the night at Beloved Garden and in Beloved homes on Saturday night and will worship with us on Sunday morning.  We look forward to having them with us!

Serving at God's Altar this Sunday...Angel Army Team 2 (Captain: this ministry position is open; Administrator: Holly Scheppegrell; Pastor: Susan Jordan; Convener: Al Krantz); Acolytes: Caleb Friend, Thomas Friend, Austin Yearwood, Nichole Yearwood; Reader: Janis Conlon; Presenters: Ed, Betsy, Ashley and Olivia Fox; Lay Eucharistic Ministers: Mary Reid and Dick Reif; Offertory Basket Passers: Ryan Cook, Connor King, Emily Scheppegrell, Allie Seidel; PowerPoint: Kevin Krantz.

In our Prayers...for James Hurst, son of Advisory Team member John Hurst, and Christina Price who will be married in Boone on Saturday...for Cori Raynor, daughter of Jeff and Kathy Raynor, and Jason Haden who will be married in Charlotte on Saturday with Beloved's own Shana Blake serving as cantor for the ceremony...for the birth of Benjamin Michael Doyon to Craig and Marilyn Doyon and for improvement in his jaundice...for Jacqui, niece of Deb and Dan Blackwood who has been diagnosed with cancer in both breasts...for a holy death for Evelyn, Kris Leinenkugel's paternal grandmother...for Blair, customer of Rick Jordan and Susan Jordan who is having heart problems...for Mary, mother of Elizabeth Wagner‘s co-worker who is dying of cancer....for Harriett, Kathy Raynor‘s mother who has cancer...for Richard, Ginger Leppert‘s father...for Jessie Powell and Janie Lownes...for those serving in Iraq, especially Scott, Dan Hood's brother...for Nancy and Tony Hodgson's granddaughter, Emily...for Jennifer Marsico who is expecting a baby this summer...for Dorothy, Mary Reid's sister who is fighting lung cancer and has been hospitalized in intensive care for pneumonia...for Ruth, Shana Blake‘s cousin...for Ed and Jean, Dick Reif's parents who are in declining health in Oklahoma... for Bill, Lee Frickhoeffer's uncle who has terminal cancer...for Charlie, Toni Reif‘s friend who has cancer...for Brian McCarthy as he continues medical testing....for Cyteria Knight as she seeks employment...for Nykeria Thomas as she attends summer school to learn to read.

A Prayer for the 75^th General Convention...Bishops along with clergy and lay deputies from each diocese will pray and deliberate in this triennial gathering of the Episcopal Church from June 13-21 in Columbus, Ohio.  The election of our next Presiding Bishop will be held on June 18^th.  Please keep all involved in your daily prayers, both before and during this event.

Almighty and everliving God, source of all wisdom and understanding, be present with those who take counsel at our General Convention for the renewal and mission of your holy Church.  Fill them with courage to pursue your truth and your peace.  Where the Church is corrupt, purify it; where it is in error, direct it; where it is right, strengthen it; where it is in want, provide for it; where it is divided, reunite it; that all may know and experience the love of the One who gave himself for us, your Son Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

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