On Saturday, I went before 5 pastors for my ordination council. For three hours I was grilled on my theological positions, and challenged to apply my theology to various hypothetical situations. It was a very grueling but satisfying experience and I am thankful for the men who interrogated and finally passed me.
Sunday, I was officially ordained as one of the pastors of Missio Dei Church. Since our usual gathering place was not available this week, we met as a church down at the Grey Eagle. Friday night Mason Jennings played. Saturday was Damo Suzuki. And Sunday, on the same stage, I was ordained. Not many people can say they were ordained in a bar! But it got me to thinking about what we consider sacred. Church buildings are nothing more than bricks and steel, and so is the Eagle. It’s just a building. What took place inside the building humbled me.
Kurt spent some time talking about what the church was, and what it wasn’t. Then he laid out the responsibilities of pastor/elders, which biblically, is quite a heavy load. He asked me to come up, gave me a challenge, asked me to affirm some ‘vows’ before the church, then I knelt as Kurt and Jay laid hands on me and prayed for me. I felt completely unworthy to be kneeling there. Afterward, I served the congregation as we took communion, saying to each person as they walked up, ‘this is the body of Christ broken for you’. When the service was over, we all loaded up and drove down to the French Broad River to baptize some folks.
As I have reflected on Sunday, I can say with confidence that it was truly one of the best days of my life. I am humbled and amazed at the fact that God has called me to this, and I am grateful for the things he has done in and through Missio Dei just in the short time I have been a part of it. I don’t want to be made much of, but I want to make much of Christ, for only Christ has the power to transform lives in our city, and that is what I want to see happen. He has assembled an incredible group of people at Missio, and my prayer is that we will live out the gospel together and be used to see Asheville reflect the glory of God’s Kingdom.
