The Ordination of Marc Delannoy by Michael Ferrel

“Ordination to the priesthood can be understood as a modern initiation, as a beginning (initium), that starts with an individual person, but which then takes hold of the whole community” 

- Sacramental Theology for a Modern and Future World, Michael Debus

In celebration of the ordination of Marc Delennoy, Michael Ferrel, long time member of the congregation in Toronto and lover of the Word, blessed Marc with an original poem.

I sent for you. 

Now I give to you 

The keys of heaven. 

Wherever you turn, 

You must find me there, 

As plain as the day. 

I bear witness to you. 

You must suffer my scrutiny, 

As well as my joy in you. 

I bathe you with light 

That all may be well with you. 

Feed my sheep. 

There is no distance that you have 

To travel to find me. 

I am in your heart. 

I forbid you to leave me. 

You must serve me now.

Michael has been a member of the church for 45 years, and has been writing poetry for 35 years. Some of his poems have appeared in Perspectives Magazine. He is a retired social worker, and is Treasurer for the Toronto church.

- This is a blog entry by The Seminary of the Christian Community in North America.  These are posted weekly by the student blog team of Athena Masilungan, Nicole Reinhart, and Lincoln Earle-Centers.  For more information about our seminary, see the website: www.christiancommunityseminary.ca and for more video/audio content check out the Seminary’s Patreon page: www.patreon.com/ccseminary/posts.  

The views expressed in this blog entry are the views of its author, and do not necessarily represent the views of the Seminary, its directors, or the Christian Community.