Long ago, in a galaxy far, far away … no, wait: wrong story. Let’s try “Once upon a time”, when I was in my 20’s, shortly after I had accepted Jesus Christ as my savior, I was studying under a dynamic young Preacher named Dennis. He was the first formally educated preacher I’d encountered in my adult(ish) life and he impressed me so much with his knowledge of the Bible that it ignited a fire in me. Dennis thought I showed promise and encouraged me to seek ordination by attending a local seminary. Dennis gave me a letter of recommendation and I filled out the admission paperwork and waited for the enrollment period to come around.
While I was waiting, the church Deacons discovered that Dennis was having an affair with the church secretary and sent him packing. When they announced this to the congregation, I felt personally betrayed by my mentor. Anger over this betrayal sent me off into a time I call my “prodigal period” where I shelved my faith for a while, including abandoning my plans for Christian education and ordination. Continue reading “The Auspices of Ordination”