An honor to Serve

Today in church we ordained and installed our new Church Officers. Yesterday at our officers retreat we, the current elders officially voted to accept them as officers. Today they stood in front of the church and responded to questions that were asked of them by Terry, our Pastor. Questions like "Will you fulfill your office in obedience to Jesus Christ, under the authority of Scripture and be continually guided by our confessions?", and other questions like this. This is part of our ceremony in the Presbyterian Church. Once the questions were asked of the elders elect, then the congregation had to respond to ceremonial questions as well. Once this was done, we had the laying on of hands. This, like other parts of our ceremonies, go back to the beginnings of the church, in some fashion.

As the elders elect were responding, then when I joined the other ordained members of the congregation for the laying on of hands, my thoughts went back to a year ago, when I was first ordained. To me it is an honor to have been asked to serve in this church. In a way, this morning as I placed my hands on the shoulders of the elders elect I was closest to, it occurred to me that this is yet another way to serve. By supporting th newest officers of the church at their ordination and installation, I am helping to ensure the future of Covenant Presbyterian Church. I am beginning the second year of my first three year term, and feel incredibly blessed to have a voice in the shaping of this church. I pray that God gives me the ability to serve in the best way that I can.