On Ordination

Praise God from whom all blessings flow. I am deeply honored to accept ordination from MCUSA and AMC. I offer you my response and my gratitude.

Anabaptist ordination

In a tradition where we actively practice the priesthood of all believers, where the office of pastor is often a concession of practicality, rather than a holy or ontological one, Mennonite ordination differs from its Roman Catholic and higher church Protestant forms. Pastors are not the sole administrators of sacraments in our tradition—rather our “sacrament” is the very Body of Christ that we serve. In this spirit, the call to ordination and to pastoring in general is found in submission to God in the person of Jesus Christ, represented in Christ’s body, the church. Ordination binds me to my church, my conference, my denomination, and above all, God.

The church calls ordained pastors to proclaim the Good News of Jesus, the Gospel, to our attendees and members, and also to the world—immediately our neighborhood and also the entire world. I’m called to preach and live out the Gospel of forgiveness and reconciliation, of neighborly and enemy love, and of peace and justice for all the world. The Gospel that I proclaim is fundamentally in the incarnation, life, death, and resurrection of our Lord and Savior. Ordination calls me to shepherd the church and to the duties of leading worship, teaching, and offering care, and to submit to their body as the authority above them. It is a serious commitment to Christian discipleship, specifically as defined by the Mennonite Church in our confession of faith, that sets pastors apart as servants of Christ’s church.

Ordination is then an expression of the discernment of the body and calls me too. The discernment of the community by denominational leaders confirms the ordained pastor. The call must be taken seriously, and one that I will. That seriousness is found in my own walk with God, my own formation by God, and God’s body. I do so in terms of personal devotion to God and holy living according to the scriptures. This life is both internal and external, expressed within my body, and in my actions. Ordination binds me to my leaders and to the body that has discerned and affirmed my calling. I serve them with humility, and also with my energy, love, and passion. As I relate to the people in my care, I submit to their voices and to the voices of the leaders around me, not in a way that sacrifices my own, but in a way that finds harmony with who God calls me to be.

Gratitude

As I accepted this call at West Philadelphia Mennonite Fellowship, I was met with so much gratitude.

At the top of my list, I am extremely grateful for my own children. Being pastors’ kids is no easy task. And while I hope I am as present as I can be to them, as their dad, a job that comes first and foremost in my life. But despite that commitment, I know they endure many costs of being pastors’ kids, which sometimes means meetings after bedtime, which sometimes feature them if sleep doesn’t come easy to them. It also means weekends away, which can be filled with sadness as we miss one another—and I am grateful, I should say, for my coparent for her flexibility and support in that as well. But my kids hold that cost, and I’m grateful for them and the important part they play in my own ministry. I don’t have a lot of expectations for their own faith development, but I hope the good work I am called to do rubs off on them a little, and they can feel and express hope in what is often unseen or even metaphysical. I pray that they can find hope in God, by whatever name they call her. I hope they know the world can be different and they can play a part in defeating those menacing Goliaths that seem too big to conquer. God has used people about their size to do miraculous work.

I am also grateful for my parents, who planted the seed of faith within me that has blossomed into this vocation. There is very little that my family and I see eye to eye on. That lack of resonance is a source of grief for me, but I am joyous that we share faith and that their influence still impacts me today. I’m probably not the kind of pastor they expected, but I am proud to be the one they raised.

And I am grateful for my friends who have been with me through every joy and difficulty in my journey. Some of them have known for a long time and can tell you about the many versions and renditions of Jonny Rashid. Thankfully, they are circumspect enough not to share them too widely. Some of these people have not only been friends, but allies and comrades. We’ve done meaningful work together and that work has shaped me. I haven’t embarrassed myself enough for them to stop calling me their friend. For their patience when they see me at my worst, I am obliged. For their support in my trials, I am indebted. And for the joy they share with me in my successes, I am honored.

I’m also grateful for my mentors and my professors. I have a special place in my heart for Joshua Grace who called me to this work. For Julie Hoke, who remains the best pastor I’ve ever worked with, for her faith and perseverance through all of our shared struggle and difficulty. For John Reitz, who was my pastor coach during a deeply troubling season. I’m grateful for my spiritual director for her guidance and tending to my little flower of faith. For Amy Yoder-McGloughlin for being a providential gift as my conference minister. For George Hancock-Stephan, Donald Brash, Marsha Woodard, Deborah Watson, Deborah Winters, and Diane Chen for being deeply meaningful professors to me, from whom I still profit.

I’m grateful for my faith communities of my past. That Evangelical free church I grew up in, and my old youth pastor, Marc Zeisloft, who let this burgeoning anarchist be exactly that, even in bright red Lebanon County. For Circle of Hope, even, who blessed me and scarred me in ways that forever changed me.

I’m grateful for Mennonite Church U.S.A and the Allegheny Mennonite Conference for their support and love. MCUSA is a wonderful denomination and conference to grow as a pastor. I’m grateful for the strides they have made to let even someone oriented like I am be a pastor. It is no small accomplishment, and I am proud to be named among this motley crew of pastors. I offer gratitude to the Anabaptists in the Cloud of Witnesses that have paved the way for this radical way of following Jesus for 500 years.

I’m especially grateful to WPMF for their faith in me, when maybe they didn’t have a lot of reason to offer. They trusted me and have blessed me in ways I never thought was possible. They are evidence of God’s power and provision in my life. That I am their pastor is not a work of merit, but a work of grace. In the short time I have been here, I have particularly loved each of you, and I can confidently say you have returned the favor.

Finally, to my maker and my redeemer. It is you who has been there with me the whole time. It is you who knows me inside and out and yet somehow you love me. It is you who has delivered me from difficulty, and yet, bless me with opportunity. That I am alive, that I am pastor, that I am a Christian, and a beloved of God, is a testament to your presence and life in the world. May my life be a testament to you, Lord. May my love and devotion to you grow. I submit myself to you, God, and these people who you have called to guide me and to pastor. Thank you to the Heavenly Parent, the Son, and the Holy Ghost.