Change is Good

It’s been 8 years since Bishop James Judd laid his hands on my head and ordained me a priest in the Old Catholic Church.  Wow. It seems like yesterday.  It was an unimaginable night for me.  40 years after I felt God’s call to the priesthood, 20+ years of working in ministry for the United Church of Christ and the Lutheran Church, 9 years of working as a clerk in the Federal Courts, I finally felt like I was home – and wholly me. It was also a miraculous night for me because my dad, who had Alzheimer’s, was fully aware of who we were and what was happening. He laid his hands on my head to give me a blessing and said “Joanie, I never believed in my lifetime there would be a woman priest. Yet, here you are. Thanks be to God.”  Amazingly, after that, when I took him to his doctor’s appointments, he didn’t always know who I was, but he would say to the doctor “You know, I have a daughter that’s a priest - - the church does that now.”  It had made as big an impact on him as it had me.  

Sometimes, being Church, is hard work.  Holding onto faith, while learning and growing, is hard work.  Jesus knew this. A man who loved his faith, loved his God, loved his people and traditions, had to tell them all that it was time to change.  He had to speak God’s truth even when those he loved the most didn’t want to hear it and/or didn’t understand it.  Confronted with those who were “more learned” than he was, more powerful than he was, Jesus chose to follow God’s path for him. He healed the sick, ate with the outcasts and sinners, and told parables to anyone who would listen. He spoke with the authority of faith – with the deep knowledge of God’s love and how to live in that Love. He loved his Church, yet knew it needed to change in order to reveal God’s love and salvation to the world.

We are called to be God’s church in this world, to be examples of God’s love and redeeming grace.  I believe this task involves continuous reflection on our words, thoughts and action.  Just as the church of old thought that women couldn’t be priests, or that we couldn’t say mass in any language other than Latin, the church of today needs to be aware of practices or policies that don’t jive with God’s command to “love one another as I have loved you.” And since the church is us….  (don’t worry, the Holy Spirit is here to guide us!)

As we enter into the season of Advent, we have the beautiful opportunity to rest in the darkness, knowing there is light.  We have the opportunity to reflect in the silence, knowing God is speaking.  We have the opportunity to discover new and different ways to be God’s love to each other and to the world. Personally, I am praying this Advent season to be a better imitator of Christ, to always speak truth even if it’s not popular, and change when it’s needed. I want to “prepare the way of the Lord” for all people and love them as God does.  I want to live with the same deep knowledge of God’s love and how to live in that Love, as Jesus did. Want to join me? 

Rev. Joan