Installation of Area Minister

I know this is a big blog, but wanted to post anyways.

This past Saturday Olivet was the host church for the installation of our new Area Minister, Dr. Kris Tenny-Brittian. Since her service I have shared with several people that I found the installation of Kris very moving and I was sorry that they had not been able to attend. One person was quick to ask me what was special about it and I shared that the whole service fostered a sense of excitement in me and then I explained why it energized me. As I spent more time reflecting I began to ask myself what was it about the service that stimulated me so much. Sometimes I think I/we go too fast through life to really think about why something impacts us positively or negatively. So I want to say to you who were not able to witness the installation service that you missed something and here is why:

The service began with a procession of the Ministers, and there were a lot of them, from within the Area as everyone sang from the Chalice Hymnal “We Call Ourselves Disciples”. The hymn begins with:

“We call ourselves disciples, as pilgrims on the way.
We seek the truth in wisdom and beauty in each day.
As women, men, and children, we serve, Christ’s path to clear.
In Joyful expectation we see God’s reign draw near.”

I found these words meaningful as it was sung and knew I would have to revisit the entire hymn once the service was over. If you have a chance to read the hymn you should do so. So much of what it says personifies my faith and what I believe. As I interpret the first stanza, I am a pilgrim seeking Christ along the way and waiting with anticipation for God to be even more real to me. To someone else it could have a totally different meaning, but that is the beauty in how God speaks to us individually.

A group called God’s Angels from Willow Street Christian Church in Hannibal shared their gift of dance. Through their demonstration of active worship I believe they set the tone for the rest of the service and I found their willingness to share their gift refreshing. Seeing them dance brought back wonderful memories of past ministries and I was blessed by their sharing.

Olivet’s choir sang “You Raise Me Up” which was of course beautifully done and well received. But what caught my attention was the absolute focus Kris exhibited in listening to the choir. She was not only hearing them sing a song we would later find out is a favorite of hers, but she was feeling it. This was evident as she became obviously emotional from hearing the words of this song. I found that to be particularly touching.

Then Kris delivered her message with her own special flare and energy. So many things that she said was met by my thinking yes, that is absolutely how I would like to see myself articulate my faith. She talked about our being the co-laborers for the Kingdom through encountering and encouraging each other as well as those who may not yet know Christ. In a very basic way that summary of her sermon is what drives me in my ministry and parallels the hymn we sang earlier. To have someone express how you feel and believe with so much enthusiasm is uplifting and affirming. Then to have her also communicate it so effectively as to get you excited about what she is saying is a true gift and one that I envy in her.

Each church was asked to bring a rock that will be used to build an altar at the Northeast Area office. During the service each church was asked to bring their rock up and add it to the pile. When the altar is built there will be a rock that represents Christ placed in the middle of the pile and the rocks from the different church will surround it. The statement made through this demonstration is that God is at the center of all we do in this Area and that he is present for each of the churches. I typically like representational displays and when they have a specific meaning that tells a story of our desire to draw God closer I find that the story develops a greater significance.

And finally I found the prayer that we did over Kris spiritually moving and found myself wishing at that point that more people could have experienced this installation. Kris was asked to stand at the bottom of the stairs as the congregation came forward and placed their hands on her and if they could not reach her placed their hands on the person in front of them and we prayed over her. Prayer is such a powerful tool that God has given us and in my experience this type of corporate prayer has a vitality and meaning that is powerful. What is so exciting about this type of prayer is that it is meaningful for the person being prayed for and the people participating in the prayer.

By the end of the service I not only felt enthusiasm and joy but also a sense that this was the beginning of something. If Kris can bring this type of enthusiasm to our service imagine what she will bring to the Area over time. I for one am ready for her leadership and wait anxiously for the next round of momentum as God uses her to bring Him to the center of our attention. Until then I can be satisfied with the memories of her installation. My hope is that her faith is contagious and that the Northeast Area will experience God’s presence in her and then take that back to their congregations as well as we grow excited exponentially. To me, that would be a good thing.