It’s so great to be worshipping at Parish of the Epiphany again! Some of you may have noticed that I wasn’t around much in the previous program year. This absence was because almost exactly two years ago, the vestry voted to put my name forward as an applicant to become an ordained deacon in the Episcopal church. After review from the diocese, the application was accepted, and last June I officially became a postulant. I began the formation process in September and, as part of that, I was doing a parochial internship at St. John’s Church in Gloucester. It was a wonderful experience, but I’m so glad to be back at my spiritual home.
You can be forgiven if you don’t know exactly what a deacon is and why a person might want to be ordained as one. The deaconate is an ancient order of the Christian church — some say even older than the priesthood. Tradition reckons that St. Stephen was the church’s first deacon. However, in recent years, especially in the Episcopal Church, the deaconate has seen declining numbers and confusion about the role of this order in the modern world. This situation is regrettable, because a healthy deaconate is a critical part of the activation and redefinition of the church in a volatile, modern world.
So, what is a deacon? Let’s start with what it is not — a deacon is not an assistant priest. Priest and deacons have very different though very complimentary roles. According to the catechism in the Book of Common Prayer, the ministry of the deacon is “as a servant to those in need.” The vow one takes is to “serve all people, particularly the poor, the weak, the sick, and the lonely” and to “interpret to the Church the needs, concerns, and hopes of the world.” The final clause is the most theologically powerful and profoundly humbling for those of us considering it: “At all times, your life and teaching are to show Christ's people that in serving the helpless they are serving Christ himself.”
Easy to say — hard to do! I guess that’s why we need three years of formation. So, I’ll be back at my beloved sponsoring parish this program year. I will need your help in discerning together how we can better serve Christ by serving those in need, and how we might further bring the concerns and hopes of the world into our collective hearts as a community. And I daresay, we might find a few other potential deacons in our midst because none of this is new to Epiphany. We are and always have been a generous community, concerned about building the Kingdom of God.
I find this all very exciting and can’t wait to engage with these existing strengths in new ways. See you in the fall!
Jason Kinchen
