M is for Ministry

 I haven't done an alphabet post for ages and when I checked I found the next letter due was M which seemed very opportune as twenty nine years ago, on 24th April 1994, I knelt in Lichfield Cathedral to be ordained as a priest.

24thApril 1994

It was a momentous day and not just for me.  On 23rd and 24th April the first fifty one women to be priests in the Diocese of Lichfield were ordained.  In some dioceses there were protests but the Lichfield ordinations were joyful and calm.  The evening of that same day I celebrated the Eucharist for the first time in Shrewsbury Abbey.

There's been a lot of water under the bridge since then.  It's no good asking me to kneel now - that's not going to happen!  I served as curate at Shrewsbury for a further year then moved back to Lincolnshire to be incumbent of five parishes.  Thirteen years ago I retired and I think I have led Sunday worship in at least thirty different churches during my retirement.

Soon my public ministry will reduce further and eventually the time will come to hang up my dog collar. For the moment I still help out a few times a month but my health is making this increasingly difficult and I don't want to wait until a congregation saiys "Enough is enough!"  but I shall never cease to give thanks for that wonderful day back in 1994.