How is Your Ministry Going?

This morning, I received an email from a young woman who is finishing her second year of seminary. She will be ordained at St. John of the Divine church in New York City, on a beautiful June day this year. I was ordained at St. John of the Divine church in New York City, on a beautiful, very hot, June day last year, from the same seminary. She asked me: "how's your ministry going?"

Now this is a frequent question that I receive, and one that many of my fellow graduates have received since being ordained. And many of us have a similar answer: "Uh, well, good, and well, uh, hmmm..." The reason for this rather unclear answer is that most of us are still figuring out what the heck we're doing being ministers.

We felt called. We answered the call. We spent two years exploring the world's major religions, and learning how to create rituals, perform ceremonies, and give sermons. We learned how to experience the energies of celebrations and times of challenges, and how to become ministers. How to speak like a minister. How to be a minister.

The ordination was magical. After an intimate, and deeply moving, retreat, our tightly-knit group of eager seminarians met up with family members for a weekend in New York.

Sunday was our big day. My husband flew from Ft. Lauderdale to be with me. My mother flew in from Oregon to see me ordained. My daughter and her fiance rode the train from Baltimore to be there. My brother and nephew came from Pennsylvania. My dear friend came from Charlottesville. It was affirming, and rich and powerful.

Samora and I sang "The Prayer." Kate sang another beautiful song. Sharon gave the class a voice with her profound speech. We sweated. We celebrated. We cried. And we were ordained.

Then it was all over. We went our separate ways. My study group (nicknamed "The Fertile Ones") stayed together online. We are a diverse group: Jewish, Voodoo, Shaman, Buddhist, Pagan, and Christian - of several faiths including New Thought, Presbyterian and Catholic - and yet all Interfaith. The group continued to meet weekly. We discussed what this meant to be a minister.

One by one, we have found our way. One started Peace House, an interfaith meeting place dedicated to peace. One became an associate minister at her Unity Church. One was a pastor at his community church. One officiated weddings of gay and lesbian friends. One continued his training in his faith and became a priest. Others discovered their ministry is in the offering of themselves to those around them in whatever form is needed.

The question remains "How's your ministry going?"

For me, the answer has been muddled. My vision has been muddled. But it's clearing.

I had the opportunity to give the sermon at the Unity church I attend, and loved it. (Thank you, Rev. Frank!) I'm going to do more! I sing, and I also offer workshops on EFT (and have done a number of them also at Unity as well as other places). I am creating some amazing affirmation CDs, combining affirmations and EFT (a wonderful acupressure technique), and have discovered that this is part of my ministry. (Those who have test-driven my abundance CD have had some powerful financial breakthroughs as a result!) I tried out being a chaplain at a hospital and discovered I did not like that at all. And I officiated at some weddings and found I loved it.

So: how's my ministry going? "Well, uh, good. It's coming." (Basically, this means I'm figuring it out as I go along.) I do feel strongly that where I am right now is not where I'll be in 2 years, or 5 years. No question about that. And that's good news. Where I am is just fine. But where I'm going? Ooohhh, baby! Just you wait!