From the Rector

Ordination of Deacons

Nancy Nevins of our congregation will be one of two persons ordained to the Sacred Order of Deacons on June 5th at Grace and Holy Trinity Cathedral; the service is scheduled for 10:30 am and Saint Matthew's is invited to attend. Nancy's first Sunday as an ordained person will be June 6th; a special reception to honor Nancy and Stan will follow the 9:30 a.m. Holy Eucharist.

The word "Deacon" comes from the Greek word "diakonos" meaning "servant". In The Acts of the Apostles, chapter 6, the apostles cannot handle all the details of everything going on - preaching and helping the poor. Seven are chosen to take over caring for the poor, sick, etc. This is where deacons come from. During Nancy's ordination, the Bishop will say to her (Prayer Book, page 543): "In the Name of Jesus Christ, you are to serve all people, particularly, the poor, the weak, the sick, and the lonely."

We see the Deacon carrying the Gospel Book into the congregation during the processional...spiritual food to feed the spiritually hungry. When the Deacon reads the Gospel, the words of Christ are being offered to all who hunger for them. The Deacon bids the prayers, guiding the people to pray not only for their own needs, but to broaden their prayer focus to include the world's people and concerns. . At the Offertory, the Deacon receives the food (not the money!) that will go out to the hungry. The Deacon is the servant who prepares the table for the Eucharist and afterwards, clears the dishes. At the end of the service, the Deacon, along with the congregation, sends out the Lay Eucharistic Ministers, carrying holy food to the sick and homebound. Finally, at the conclusion of the service, the deacon calls for the people to go forth into the world to serve.

Deacons have a special relationship to the Bishop. They stand next to the Bishop during services. The Bishop will say to Nancy during her ordination: "God now calls you to a special ministry of servant hood directly under your bishop." (Prayer Book, page 543). Traditionally, in an ordination service for a deacon, only the Bishop lays hands on the new deacon; in the ordination of a priest, other priests also lay hands.

There are two types of deacons. There are deacons who feel they are called to be deacons, period - called "Vocational Deacons"; and there are deacons who feel they are also called to be priests and they serve as a deacon first, to remind them they are servants - called "Transitional Deacons". Nancy will be a Vocational Deacon. Laurie McKim of our congregation is now a Transitional Deacon studying in Seminary to become a priest.

Priests wear their stole over both shoulders, to remind them they carry "the yoke of Christ" (Matthew 11). Deacons wear their stole over one shoulder, draped across the side. Like a towel. John 13:4. It should be added however, once someone is a deacon, they are always a deacon. You don't quit being a deacon, when you become a priest; you don't quit being a priest when you become a bishop. When ordained a priest, the priest's vestments are put over the deacon's vestments; when consecrated a Bishop, the Bishop's vestments go over the priest and deacon vestments ("the layered look"). This was made clear to me, "once a deacon, always a deacon" at my own ordination to deacon's orders some 47 years ago, June 29, 1963.

We congratulate Nancy, as she becomes a Deacon of the Church and pledge to work with her as she ministers in theWorld and here at Saint Matthew's.

Faithfully,
Gary Gilbertson +
Interim Rector