The amount of love that surrounds a person when they are ordained is astonishing. I mean this not just during the service itself, nor limited to the laying on of hands with all that intense focus, but also leading up to the day and the return to routines following.
And if you are wondering if anything changes during an ordination, any palpable felt sense, I can report that there is. And this change relates to the love that surrounds a person when they are ordained. Because when you are receiving this love accompanied with the act of ordination, you shift into a sense of feeling responsible, in a new way, for the love shared. There is something about being ordained that carries with it an unknown shift — unknown because imagining the shift suggests you hadn’t already felt as committed – which is an invitation to a deeper understand that this is good, this is genuine, this is to share in love.
My gratitude is so deep for this community that has chosen to ordain me.
And I am so grateful for the ways you showed up and participated in this ordination. From helping plan the logistics many months ago, to scooping ice cream for people of all ages, so many of you made this ordination something remarkable.
And though my mind has been on this ordination for some time, there is still an ongoing Faith Exploration program! This Sunday marks our final classes of the church year. The following two Sundays (June 14 and 21) will be all ages services with Faith Exploration staying in the sanctuary. I will lead our June 14 service, a Bridging Sunday, to honor our shared value of transformation. Some of our children and youth will participate in the service in various ways.
And soon our summer services will commence. The intention is to offer childcare during each of our services. A little more planning needs to be done for that, and if you are interested in volunteering on a Sunday or two, please email faith-exploration@fpwatertown.org to let me know.
The rhythms of our church are about to shift as we head into summer, and my energy will also shift. I will take July off and will be happy to connect with folks before or after that month to begin another year of Faith Exploration in the fall.
Thank you,
Rev. Kyle M. Belmont
Assistant Minister for Faith Exploration