I still cannot believe how quick the Ordination weekend came and went. The pre Ordination retreat was not what I expected and yet reflecting on it, it actually put me in the right place for ordination. We were so well looked after by our retreat leaders, it was relaxed enough to laugh and cry and we had time to talk and be silent. But it was the time just to be in the presence of God, that felt so good.
One of the moments that remains so vivid in my mind just before the ordination service started, was holding hands and praying in the Priory Room with two ordinands that I had trained with. It felt like for me that at long last the letting go was complete. Rather like Peter fastening his own belt and being led where he may not wish to go, ordination is a letting go of self. The photos are amazing my smile says it all. I also want to say thank you for the many gifts, prayers and cards that I received. Also for those who came to support me especially my family, those of you in St. Andrews and friends, especially my cousin and his family coming from Cambodia and my friend coming from France.
My parent's house was sold and cleared on the Monday before my Ordination so it felt like new beginnings. We had also found under the carpet a blessing written in 1968 for us as their children. This was for prayer, for love and for blessings; strange to find it just before the Ordination, I know they would have been so proud.
So now to ministry as the Revd Janet Minkkinen. Still getting used to the title especially when people ask what they call me, I just say Janet. On my first day in the parish I had to go to Oxford for a meeting with all the other curates that had been ordained. Curate training was changing, I now have to reach benchmarks, have annual assessments and am to start a BA honours in theology and religion in September. I still cannot believe that I am doing this after leaving school with just a few CSE's and am extremely grateful for what God has given me. I am working full time in the parish, having Mondays off and Wednesdays as study days. I am at present following Sue around to get a feel of the parish and meeting new people and attending resident meetings etc.
We held the Poppets Summer Party the theme for this was Moses, some of the children arrived dressed up as bulrushes, burning bushes, Moses and sheep. This was a good way to get them to interact with the bible story. We had over 60 children turn up bringing along with them 42 parents.
I took my first Baptism on Sunday with Sue standing alongside; I was so nervous and could feel my tummy turning over. The family had over 100 family and friends, but everything went smoothly, although I had better warn parents their children will get wet.
I have encouraged, the families to write their own prayers, and it has been a joy to listen and pray alongside these families as they begin their relationship with God through Baptism. At my first Baptism it was a 9 year old that stood at the front and read out this beautiful prayer that she had written, she had also decorated it and then she presented to the parents of the child being baptised. The prayer was all about asking God to take care of this new baby.
Revd Sue spoke about prayer during her sermon on prayer, she asked, why do we find it so difficult to pray out loud to God? I think we do find it difficult, but I think it is all about our expression of love and having to share that publicly that it becomes difficult. For me it is the intimacy of my relationship with my Lord, the fear of ridicule if you say the wrong words, and the not making sense, that often happens in love, these are those parts of spontaneous prayer of why I find it so hard. It is so much easier to write it down first, but I, like the disciples can still ask to be taught by Jesus, for prayer is always about loving, sharing and learning.
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