Yesterday there was a massacre. I had the chance to play on the bike for a couple of hundred miles, and along the way I must have killed a couple of hundred thousand midges, which is sod all compared to the 1,684,000 midges caught in a single trap at Loch Ness. Still, it's pretty satisfying, and I also recorded the wanton destruction of a few moths, which make a large thud when they hit the windscreen. And we all know what the last thing to go through its mind was...*1 The bike now needs scrubbed so I'm hoping there's a charity car wash near me this weekend.
So after a short stop at a very large sweetie shop, where three teenage girls were being told by their mother to "be sensible" just when I walked towards the counter carrying four large jars of boilings. Then another stop to catch up with a friend who lives near my planned route, I headed off to my destination.
Yesterday, I had the pleasure of attending the ordination of Leahthedog from Clarinda's Journey. I've been following her blog since the start, so it's nice to finally be able to put the name and the face together. Because we are at different stages in our training, we've not encountered each other at church conferences before.
The church was full, and on a day as hot as yesterday, it made the building absolutely roasting. I was glad I was positioned near the door to benefit from some of the breeze. The lady I was sitting next to had made a 120 mile journey to be there, leaving her son behind on his fiftieth birthday, and I heard similar tales from people who had made an effort to be there. Such was the love they felt for Leah, and the contribution she had made to their lives.
In the sermon, the minister made reference to the 1978 TV series Connections, asking if we were old enough to remember it. It's either showing my age, or the fact that I was watching science programming when I was very young, but I remember the series, if not the actual content. The connections quoted managed to include Bonnie Prince Charlie (The king named after three dogs) the Ordnance Survey and the electric light bulb, with a change in track to include Billy Graham. This was a graphic demonstration of how our actions will serve to influence others, in a long chain of connections that we are unaware of, and through the laying on of hands, shows a connection to a long line of ministers, all the way back to 2,000 years ago.
Going back up the road, i was hit with a feeling of how very real this all is. I've not even given thought to ordination.
The spread afterwards was very nice, and I was able to catch up with one of the ministers who was my interviewer at my selection, and who I tend to keep bumping into on occasion.
Leah isn't going to be able to put her feet up, as she is going straight into locum this weekend. So I pray that the future keeps being fresh, and there are plenty of challenges ahead.
*1 Do I really have to explain it?*2
*2. Ok then, I might explain in the comments.
It was brilliant to meet you and as you say put a face to the name! Can't believe how many people came I was stunned and very moved I never realised .... Thank you again for making the journey. I must say yesterday had a feeling of unreality the whole day, I couldn't actually take in that I was being ordained! I stood before Val the minister conducting the ordination ( who was one of my supervisors during my readers training eight years ago with the biggest happiest grin on my face. I am truly blessed and prayed for, affirmed and ordained let the task commence! Ps can't believe I made itint Fifty Acts how cool is that!!
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