Ordination Saturday

It was a special day for our church today and a special day for our very good friend Cynthia as she being ordained as a priest by the Bishop of Salisbury in Salisbury Cathedral. I hoisted the St. George's flag to mark the occasion. Sara and I woke relatively early for a Saturday and were able to enjoy each other's company for a while before the children awoke and we had to get up. Both Tom and Mary were very tired this morning after a late night last night and all the excitement of TBC for Mary. Sara took Mary and Tom into town to ballet and shopping and I set off early for the Cathedral, parking at our office car park. I arrived at the Cathedral at around 10.15 am., 45 minutes before the service was due to start, and was given a 36-page order of service - it was clearly going to be a marathon. I was shown to the North Transept and because I didn't have a ticket as a formal guest of I sat towards the back of the transept but only one row behind the invited guests. Whilst waiting a read some of Jeff Lucas's latest book, "Lucas Unleashed" and read about "the bins" again. The service was indeed a long one, starting promptly as the last bell struck 11 a.m. in the clock tower - having been up there only a week or so before I could imagine the machinery winding itself up to strike. The sermon, given by the Treasurer of the Cathedral, was on the topic of "vocation" and lent itself well to my thoughts for the theme for my intercessions at tonight's service. The service was very emotional but the most emotional part for me was when the Eucharist took place. Each of the 21 ordinands was sent to a different station within the vastness of the Cathedral. As I was towards the back of the North Transept I went to that station. It was not until I was about third in line to receive communion that I realised that the bread was to be administered by Cynthia! I could have sat elsewhere in the cathedral and at one point was thinking of moving to the central nave. I am so glad that I didn't as I therefore became the first person from Winterslow to be given communion by our newly-ordained priest. Following the service we all walked out into the scorching hot sunshine at the west front of the cathedral where photographs were taken. I managed to take several and one of those showing Cynthia with Nils, Judith and Elizabeth, the other three priests in the Clarendon Team, is shown above. After the photographs I went for a latte coffee and a Wiltshire pasty at Reeves. It was so hot outside as the sun beat down - as was the latte. I returned to my car with my coffee in my hand and drove home to write my intercessions for the special Evening Eucharist at 6 p.m. - Cynthia's first within the Team. I also emailed the photos I had taken to several of those who had attended the service and were shown in the photos. Mary sang in the choir tonight, I read the intercession and a canon from the cathedral, one of Cynthia's theological teachers, gave a splendid sermon. After the service there was wine and a cold buffet. It was a really great celebratory occasion - Sara likened it to a wedding atmosphere. We stayed in the church until 8 p.m. and on my return home it was grass cutting time again - both front and rear lawns. I struck the flag at sunset - a beautiful sunset too. It has been a wonderful day. I've taken Holy Communion twice too!! Now to bed. An early start tomorrow for Birmingham and the cricket.