Reflections on the Call to Holy Orders
Last Sunday the Reverend Dr. Larry Williams asked me to serve with him at Emmanuel Opelika as he celebrated the 50th anniversary of his ordination. Wow. God called him as a young man to the order of the priesthood. Over these 50 years, Larry has served cathedrals and large and small parishes in Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, and Louisiana. What a journey that has been.
Father Rob and I are relatively newly ordained compared to Father Larry, but the call is still the same. God gets a hold and won’t let go. For me, others saw something and called me up to ordained ministry.
A few weeks ago at Clergy Conference at Camp McDowell, we ordained ministers renewed our vows as two transitional deacons and one priest were ordained. The two transitional deacons will be ordained to the priesthood in six months or so.
The proposed slate of bishop candidates is soon to be announced. We will elect a new bishop in January and consecrate the new bishop next June.
It’s important to remember that the ministers of the Church are all of us - lay and ordained. We are all called to serve Christ and His church, to make the love of Jesus known to all.
The Diocese holds Explorer’s Days for folks to ask questions about how they might live into God’s call in their lives. The next Explorer’s Day is Sunday, November 16.
Here’s the announcement from the Diocese:
“If you are curious about discerning God’s call in your life, consider joining us for an Explorer’s Day. Explorer’s Days provide an opportunity to hear about various pathways to identify and live out your God-given call in the life of the church. Over the course of our time together, you will hear from speakers sharing stories about pastoral ministry— both lay and ordained— as well as engage in discussion around discernment and vocation. This Explorer’s Day, we will be joined by Jay Murrill, the Rev. Deacon Kaki O’Flinn, the Revs: Polly Robb, Mike Harber, Sarah DiCarlo-Watts, and the Rev. Canon Cameron Nations.”
Venue: All Saints, Homewood 110 W Hawthorne Rd Homewood, AL 35209
Date: Sunday, November 16th, 2025
Time: 2:30 p.m. to 5 p.m.
Listen to your heart. You never know how the Holy Spirit will surprise you.
God’s peace,
Judy Q +
