“Life is a journey, not a destination” – Ralph Waldo Emerson

 I think it is pretty safe to say we all realize that life is a journey. We are constantly  on a path to somewhere, reaching for something, with hopes of becoming greater  than we are today.

Journeys in our lives take shape in many different ways. For the purposes of this  post, let’s use education as this example. I will be even more specific, I am going to talk about my friend Anita Walker and the completion of her journey that I had a great honour of being a part of this past weekend.

Let me take you back about six years. I was out with my friend and she told me that she was going back to school for her masters degree. Fantastic I replied. A masters in what? She replied – A Masters in Divinity. Divinity, I asked, what is that? She went on to explain what it was and at the end of her Masters she will be a Minister. Wow, a Minister I thought.

Let me take a step back for a moment. My friend Anita is a full-time businesswoman/entrepreneur, she is a full-time mother and was taking on this task at becoming a full-time student again as well?  Of course she was. Which is a very strong lesson to learn. If you put your mind to it, you can make it happen. But you can’t do it alone. Everyone’s journey is made up of a team of people to make it happen.

She began her learning, and working and continued to do all the things she had always done. Just with a greater purpose. In the thank you note that she gave to all of us on Saturday, was filled with thanks and praise to all the people in her life that made up her “Team Anita”. Her Spiritual guidance, her family, friends, congregants and so many others that silently (or not so) help pave the way so that we all can succeed in our goals.

I remember a few years back Anita and I were talking and she was telling me about one of her classes she needed to participate in an alternate service and of course as her Jewish friend if she could come to a service with me. I took on her to a Shabbat service with my mom. Not just any Shabbat service – a Shabbat on Sukkot, with a Bar Mitzvah. She enjoyed the ‘marathon’ service (her words). She invited me the next day to hear her preach. She told me not to worry, that our services are one hour, start to finish, all in English so I would have nothing to worry about.

I remember returning from Israel, and having many conversations with Anita regarding my experiences and what I saw and learned about. Even with my continued learning the past three years. All of this made this past weekend even more meaningful.

It was a beautiful service. Songs and hymns, with worship and scripture in between. The key-note sermon was given by the Very Rev. Lois Wilson. Rev. Wilson was the first female moderator in the United Church. While she spoke about a lot of things regarding the state of religion and prayer today around the world. Because all of the individuals that were being ordained all had an army of people in their corner (mentors, ministers, family, friends) she asked the following questions:

Who opened your eyes? Who’s eyes are you opening?

Who mentored you? Who are you mentoring?

Take a moment and think about those questions how it relates to your own life.

After all of that began the Ordination part of the service. Each candidate was called up with their spiritual guides and a couple of hand chosen people for the ceremony. The Reverend and family put their hands on the head and shoulders as they are knelt down and say a prayer for them. If there was a dry eye in the house, I didn’t see one. Considering I have never seen this done before (live) it was very powerful. For me, to see Anita kneeling there, knowing that is the completion of journey into Ministry for her.

After each ordination, there was a song sung for them:

Yahweh be praised in the heavens, Yahweh be praised in the streets.

Yahweh be praised with our singing. Yahweh be praised in worship when we meet. 

Of course, being Jewish this experience was not anything I was accustomed to. I consider myself to be a spiritual person and very in tune with other spiritual people. It is unspoken, but present all the time. I felt that throughout the rest of the day when I spent time with Anita’s friends and people around her. Some of them I had met before, but others it was my first time. I walked away knowing I had learned something by knowing them, and I gave that back in return.

After the service was over there was a reception for all the candidates for their friends and family. After I gave Anita a congratulatory hug, I asked her, “what do I call you?”

Let me introduce to you:

Reverend Anita Walker – ordained into the Ministry of Word, Sacrament and Pastoral Care.