Today’s hymn from Sing Praise is ‘In the name of Christ we gather’ by Shirley Murray. It’s a niche hymn intended for an ordination service. In Anglican (and probably Catholic) tradition these usually happen at Petertide, i.e. St Peter’s Day – 29th June, or in practice the nearest weekend. Many cathedrals will have hosted such services today, when people are ordained as deacons or priests, or their ministry ‘upgraded’ from one to the other.
The first verse acknowledges that the ordination is ‘in the name of Christ’. The new deacon or priest is expected in many ways to represent Christ to their community, both the regular congregation and wider parish. That’s what makes it such a high calling, and different from an ordinary form of employment.
The second verse expands this by referring to some of the particular priestly functions: teaching and caring (though those are increasingly shared with lay people), and to administer the sacraments of communion and baptism (‘in bread and wine and water’), to which we could add weddings and funerals.
The third verse recognises that the priestly life is not always easy, needing God’s word to make the ‘preaching, praying and caring’ effective, and that there will be ‘doubts and challenge, days of pain and darkness’. The last verse turns back to God, as ‘Word of joy, enlivening Spirit’, calling him to ‘grow within your chosen servants life of God that has no end’.
Let us pray for all those setting out on this new life today, that they will live up to their calling and stay faithful to it even in the difficult times.
The hymnal notes that the original has one more verse than those printed in the book, and says “this version appears with the author’s permission”. It turns out that the missing verse is the original verse 4 which invites the power of God onto those on whom hands are laid in blessing, to give strength, faithfulness and courage; and the “last verse” Stephen comments on is actually verse 5 not verse 4. I wondered what it was that made this verse undesirable for inclusion in the book, particularly in a book which proclaims itself a “supplement” rather than a main hymnal for a church (page ix of the introduction, 2nd paragraph)?
I admit to a mixture of feelings about the hymn. I endorse all the prayers for those to be ordained – but what is ordination? Is it really “to lead God’s people” (v1)? If so, how come words like “ruler” (which are used for Jewish officials – Jairus is a “synagogue ruler”) are not used for Christian ministers. The bible doesn’t reserve the administration of “sacraments of grace” (v2) to ordained people only, and it’s a shame that this verse hasn’t the breadth of verse 3 which talks about “in OUR preaching, praying, caring …” rather than “in their preaching …”. And I was a bit taken aback by the phrase in verse 5 says that the Spirit is “born in Jesus, born in Mary, born in us”, which gives the impression that Mary is a kind of half-way house between us and Jesus, an impression that surprises me from the pen of a Presbyterian!
Corrected: Petertide is the 29th June, not the 30th.