On Ordination as marriage

Yet another ordination discussion. I am becoming quite aware that I am using analogies to describe ordination, but this is a work in progress. Today's discussion with a minister was one that answered a few of my questions from the last couple of dialogues. If ministry is allowed to be exercised without ordination, why do we insist on people becoming ordained to exercise certain ministries on more than a short-term basis?

This discussion began with the usual discussion on the life-time commitment, but was drawn into new areas once we began to play with ordination being analogous to marriage. In our current community the only significant difference between a de facto relationship and marriage is the commitments made by each party and the blessings prayed for by the congregation (along with witness and some other functions). What is the difference between a ministry intern or a lay ministry agent in a supply arrangement and an ordained minister? Of course, the answer is the ordination service and the commitments the ordinand makes to the church and the church makes to the ordinand, plus the witness and prayers of the congregation.

If this is considered to be the case, the vows are also analagous to the wedding vows. Would a couple be willing to take the wedding vows unless they were in love and seeking to spend their lives together? One would hope not, and the vows assist the couple in clarifying their relationship prior to marriage as well as being a reminder after the service of the commitments they made to each other. As the minister said "remember ministry is about being, rather than doing." In the case of ordination, this occurs after significant effort is made by the candidate and the church in the years prior to the service. The vows, in the time of preparation, provide a moment of crisis for the ordinand: "is this really me?"

This lead on rapidly to the final stage of the discussion, where we played further with the analogy. If the test is that of identity rather than capacity, the act of ordination can be seen as a stage in the growth of the relationship between the ordinand and God and between the ordinand and the church. The act of ordination should not occur until both the church and the ordinand discern the call of God for the life-time ministry, and represents the acknowledgement of both parties to this commitments. However, this reflects relationships that stretch back well prior to these were expressed and both the church and the ordinand look forwards to the future growing in relationship with each other and with God into the future.

An extra point: this was the first time one of the ministers asked me what I was thinking about ordination myself. For me, my call has been affirmed by my candidature so far and I hopefully look forwards to growing in ministry until both the church and myself feel ready to take this step in the presence and providence of God.