The Process

I've been thinking a bit more about the priesthood, and especially about the process by which one becomes a priest. It is a long and complicated process, and it is very easy for the person seeking ordination to get blocked. Some and perhaps even a majority believe the process to be flawed in all sorts of ways, from complaints that it takes to long to complaints that it looks more for people who are well liked by influential people in the church. I have heard similar complaints about the life of a priest. Parishes can be horrible to their rector, pilling up unreasonable demands and having hidden agendas they expect the priest to fulfill. Further, when the priest fails to be perfect, some parishes will triangulate around the rector and spread nasty rumors about him or her. It is also true that some parishes are a delight to work in, and some almost worship the ground the rector walks on. This latter situation, the hero worship, may seem delightful at first, but it can result in as much damage to the rector and parish as the backbiting and backstabbing that can go on.

Granted that the process is flawed and the work is filled with painful experiences as well as the potential for great blessing, how should I, or anyone else for that matter, approach the ordination process?

The first thing to do is obvious. I need to go in with my eyes open, and recognize the potential pain and blessings exists in both the process and the work that follows ordination. It may not make it easier to live with, but at least I that way I won't be surprised.

What else? As I said a couple posts ago being a priest means living in the context of a community. How does this influence the matter before me? Being in community takes a lot of hard work. It requires a great deal of respect from and for the people involved. No one involved gets to say "to hell with that person" or to strive to marginalize anyone for any reason whatsoever. This is especially true of all those who intentionally choose to be defined in part by the community. Careful listening is required and so is a quick mind, to see where things are heading. Coming into the community with an agenda set without reference to the community is problematic, and the agenda will most likely either fail or twist the congregation painfully, maybe even to the point of breaking the community. For someone leading the community the quick mind and careful listening are even more important. Ditto for respect. The people who just find their way in may very well have issues they've never resolved, agendas they want to see enacted, and could very easily decide that they despise someone else in the community. A leader in the community doesn't have as much freedom in a way, they are bound to and by the community by the fact of their type of service, and leading is definitely a type of serving when it is really done for the benefit of the community. A leader also has to deal with the negativity that comes in, helping the community respond in a healthy way and maybe even helping to bring healing to the person or people at the heart of the negativity. In the case of a priest, who comes into a community as a leader rather than being raised up in that community, it is also important to employ the listening, respect, and wit to see where the community is headed, including any unresolved issues festering below the surface, where the community is called to go, and how to get the whole group headed in the direction to which they're called. This calling, like the calling of an individual, isn't exactly the same as where the community wants to go, although the two are very closely related. One of the primary differences is that call takes what is possible and what is needed into consideration. Another difference is that following a call may be less than happy some of the time. Undergirding the whole mess there needs to be a lot of love, without love there won't be enough staying power for tough times, and a leader will most likely get totally drained and burned out trying to deal with all the problems that come up.

Of course underlying this burden of responsibility is the hard truth that no matter how hard a person tries they will inevitably fail part of the time. They may even fail when trying to deal with something of great importance in or to the community. It's kinda sad, but there are only two things to do about it. First, learn to live with the reality of failure. Second, develop good support structures. God and prayer are helpful, but a spiritual director or some other friend outside the immediate community is more helpful when it comes to giving direct advice and feedback.

I seem to have wandered away from the question a bit. I think the proper attitude to take in addition to be aware, is one of deep respect for the community, recognizing that the community gets to decide who will be called, and assuming that, whatever is decided, the community's choice needs to be lived with and thought over regardless of whether it is the desired answer or not.

Jon