24.06.2024
‘Listen out for the one who knows us’ – Newly commissioned lay readers urged
There was a great diocesan celebration in Christ Church Cathedral on Saturday evening (June 22) as eight people were commissioned for the work of lay ministry by Archbishop Michael Jackson. In all, five parish groupings were represented by the new Parish Readers and Diocesan Lay Ministers and the cathedral was full of family, friends and parishioners.
Five new Diocesan Lay Ministers were commissioned. They were Olive Good from Castleknock, Philip Middletown from Rathfarnham, Ziva Newman from Clontarf, David Snow from Swords and Daniel Stanford from Dun Laoghaire.
Three new Parish Readers were commissioned. They were Femi Atoyebi for Castleknock, Niall Minto for Swords and Donabate and Blessing Obioha for Clonsilla.
The preacher was the Archdeacon of Glendalough, the Ven Ross Styles. He noted that each person brought their own individual skills and attributes to the role of Parish Reader and Diocesan Lay Minister. “As humans discernment is a difficult task. We try our best to discover more about each other yet there is always an extra layer, those hidden aspects that surprise us. There is only one who knows us inside out, who knows everything about us from our outward appearance to our innermost thoughts,” he said quoting the Psalms and adding “Through the Psalms we learn that God has known us since we were formed in the womb and he knows all about us.”
Archdeacon Styles said that most people who first felt called to ministry struggled to discern the truth of their call and questioned themselves. “Very often we fail to place our trust in the one who knows us best,” he said.
He said it was a very special day for Femi, Niall, Blessing, Olive, Philip, Ziva, David and Daniel which marked the start of their ministry, a ministry which extended back to the very first disciples who left their boats and nets to follow Jesus. Ministry is a great privilege, he said – to work with people, share the work of God, share people’s lives and to be living witnesses to the message of love found in the Gospel.
“Today that ministry is so important, it is vital in the United Dioceses and across the Church of Ireland and it must be cherished,” he said urging lay and ordained to work together to share the message of Jesus Christ in a world that so desperately needs it. He said that often ministry was not easy but there could be amazing moments with precious glimpses of something truly special that bring us nearer to God. “We need to listen out to hear the one who loves us and knows us, to trust in him, to stand up and raise our heads high,” he concluded.
Bringing the service to a close, Archbishop Jackson thanked all who had participated in the commissioning. He paid tribute to the Parish Readers and Diocesan Lay Ministers for their willingness to serve and their willingness to “go public about their faith”. He thanked the Revd John Tanner for his preparation and care of the candidates and the Archdeacon for preaching as well as the assistant Diocesan Registrar, the Revd Sean Hanily, for his legal preparation. Dean Dermot Dunne was thanked for organising the service and for enabling the service to take place in the cathedral.
There are more photographs on our diocesan Facebook page here: https://www.facebook.com/share/p/kjUczireYikMWb1r/
