Ordination to the diaconate at Philadelphia Cathedral ~ 9 June 2007

Nine Years Ago:

Ordination to the diaconate at Philadelphia Cathedral ~ 9 June 2007

One year (almost) ago - Ordination to the Diaconate Video

Approved for Ordination to the Priesthood

On Friday, I received a call on my cell phone while I was teaching a class of 3rd graders about Anglican Worship at Williamsbug during colonial times.

The substance of the call was that I was approved for ordination to the priesthood which was the final hurdle in a 6 year discernment process which included 3 years of parish work, 3 years of seminary, and the last few months as a transitional deacon. While I expected to be approved, strange things sometimes happen in these processes, so it is a great joy for me to move through to this step of the process and I rejoice. So, if you are in Philly on December 15th, come by the Philadelphia (Episcopal) Cathedral, and send along your prayers and good thoughts if you cannot be there.

Peace and blessings,

Peter

Sermon Preached at my Ordination to the Diaconate by the Rev. Robert L.Tate

Bob Tate sponsored me for ordination out of St. Martin in the Fields, Chestnut Hill, PA and he preached this challenging and incisive sermon at my ordination to the (transitional) diaconate.

~ The Rev. Peter M. Carey

Diocese of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia Cathedral, Saturday, June 9, 2007

A Sermon Preached at the Diaconate Ordination Service

A sermon preached by the Rev. Robert L. Tate, Rector, Church of St. Martin-in-the-Fields, Philadelphia, on Saturday, June 9, 2007 on the occasion of the Diaconate Ordination Service at the Philadelphia Cathedral.

I.

Last week I picked up my teenage son from his AP US History exam. Now any parent can tell you that some of the most important conversations happen in the enclosed environment of the automobile. “So, Andy, how did your exam go?” “Ungh ” “How do you think you did?” “Uh-uh-ungh.” See what I mean? Quality conversation.

I kept pressing. “So what do you think was the most important thing you learned this year in AP US History?” Long silence. Then. “OK Dad. We learned that your generation has completely ruined this country for our generation. Social Security. Health Care. Public Education. The tax system. Our cities. Our reputation in the world. The environment. You want me to go on?”

I didn’t know quite what to say, so I just kept driving. Because I know in my heart he is right.

I have spent the last three days leading the pre-ordination retreat with our seven ordinands at the Diocesan Conference Center at Wapiti. In several of our sessions I heard their comments about the current state of the church. “The parish church model is bankrupt. For 400 years we have basically perpetuated an anachronistic 18th century English agrarian model of living the Christian life that no longer works. Our aging buildings are killing our parishes and stifling ministry. Many, maybe even a majority, of our parishes seem to be expending all their energies and resources simply trying to meet the ever-rising costs of everything and trying to survive. That is not why Jesus Christ lived and died for us. That is not ministry.”

And they did go on. “We haven’t even begun to realize the vision of the ministry of the baptized embodied in the 1979 Book of Common Prayer. Clericalism is still a cancer in the church. And the leadership of the church, not to mention the people in the pews, are clueless about the paradigm shift that is required.”

I didn’t know quite what to say, so I just kept listening. Because I know in my heart that they are right.

Read the rest HERE or HERE.