Spsecial Service, 8 October 2021
Led by Jeannene Powell, Michael Allured, Sarah Tinker, Juliet Edwards, Jef Jones, Ant Howe, Helen Mason, Bob Janis-Dillon, and Jane Blackall
Opening Music: Berceuse by Glière – performed by Abby Lorimier/Rachel Spence
Opening Words and Welcome: (read by Jeannene Powell)
Listen! Can you hear it? The Spirit is calling.
It calls us in the silence and through the noise and busyness of our daily lives.
It calls us in the brightness of the day and the darkness of the night,
in times of hope and times of despair.
Listen! Can you hear it? The Spirit is calling.
It doesn't matter what you call it for it has no name and has many different names.
The Spirit of Life. The Spirit of Love. The Spirit of Compassion.
The Spirit of Hope. The Spirit of Justice.
Listen! Can you hear it? The Spirit is calling.
It's calling to you and to me.
It's calling us to greater wholeness, greater connection, greater service, greater love.
It's calling us to heal the brokenness within ourselves, in others, and in the world.
It's calling us to live more deeply. It's calling us to beauty.
It's calling us to laugh and dance and sing.
It's calling us to live through life's pain and sorrow.
It's calling us to live courageously and kindly, to speak our truth in love,
and to help bend the moral arc of the universe toward justice.
It's calling us into community. It's calling us into the greater Life of all.
Listen! Can you hear it? The Spirit is calling. (pause)
Good evening everyone, and welcome to this very special occasion,
this Ordination and Valediction service for our very own Jane Blackall.
These opening words, by John Saxon, set the scene for our gathering.
For those who don’t know me, my name’s Jeannene, and I’m delighted
to be welcoming you all this evening on behalf of Jane’s home congregation,
Kensington Unitarians, also known as Essex Church. Tonight we will be marking
the completion of Jane’s ministry training, her Valediction from Unitarian College,
and her entry into the Unitarian Ministry. Later in the evening, we will be collectively
affirming her particular vocation, in a special ceremony of Ordination. It’s wonderful
that so many people who have supported Jane on this long journey are able to be with us
tonight and that several of her closest supporters are contributing to the service.
Each time we gather as Unitarians, we begin by lighting our chalice flame, a simple ritual
which connects us with Unitarians and Unitarian Universalists the world over, and reminds us
of the historic and proudly progressive religious tradition of which this gathering is part.
Tonight our virtual chalice will be lit by Jane and accompanied by a virtual choir of friends
singing the chant ‘Rise Up O Flame’ as a round. The chant will be repeated ten times
so you’ve got plenty of time to pick up the tune! Feel free to join in with the words:
‘Rise up O flame, by thy light glowing; show to us beauty, vision and joy’.
Chalice Lighting: ‘Rise Up O Flame’ – performed by our Virtual Choir
Reading: ‘Let Your Life Speak’ by Parker J. Palmer (read by Michael Allured)
Jane’s invited me to give the reading tonight, by Parker J. Palmer, on the subject of vocation, and it’s called ‘Let Your Life Speak’.
What a long time it can take to become the person one has always been! How often in the process we mask ourselves in faces that are not our own. How much dissolving and shaking of ego we must endure before we discover our deep identity – the true self within every human being that is the seed of authentic vocation.
I picked up a notion of ‘vocation’ in my youth: one which said our calling comes from a voice external to ourselves – a voice of moral demand that asks us to become someone we are not yet – someone different, someone better, someone just beyond our reach. It is a notion that made me feel inadequate to the task of living my own life, creating guilt about the distance between who I was and who I was supposed to be, leaving me exhausted as I laboured to close the gap.
Today I understand vocation not as a goal to be achieved but as a gift to be received. Discovering vocation does not mean scrambling toward some prize just beyond my reach but accepting the treasure of true self I already possess. Vocation does not come from a voice "out there" calling me to become something I am not. It comes from a voice "in here" calling me to be the person I was born to be, to fulfil the original selfhood given me at birth by God.
It is a strange gift, this birthright gift of self. Accepting it turns out to be even more demanding than attempting to become someone else! I have sometimes responded to that demand by ignoring the gift, or hiding it, or fleeing from it, or squandering it – and I think I am not alone. There is a Hasidic tale that reveals, with amazing brevity, both the universal tendency to want to be someone else and the ultimate importance of becoming one's self: Rabbi Zusya, when he was an old man, said, "In the coming world, they will not ask me: ‘Why were you not Moses?' They will ask me: 'Why were you not Zusya?"'
The deepest vocational question is not "What ought I to do with my life?" It is the more elemental and demanding "Who am I? What is my nature?" From the beginning, our lives lay down clues to selfhood and vocation, though the clues may be hard to decode. But trying to interpret them is profoundly worthwhile. Our deepest calling is to grow into our own authentic self-hood, whether or not it conforms to some image of who we ought to be. As we do so, we will not only find the joy that every human being seeks – we will also find our path of authentic service in the world.
Hymn: ‘To Worship Rightly’ – performed by Kensington Unitarians
Now it’s time for our first hymn, ‘To Worship Rightly’. This is a recording of Jane’s home congregation, Kensington Unitarians, a few years ago, so please excuse any coughing and rustling of papers you can hear, as it wasn’t originally intended for broadcast! But it’s nice to include the whole congregation in this special occasion tonight. It’s sung to a tune that will be familiar to most people, and the words will appear on screen so you can sing along at home, we’ll make sure to keep you muted so nobody else will hear you.
Now let us sing in loving celebration;
The holier worship, which our God may bless,
Restores the lost, binds up the spirit broken,
And feeds the widow and the parentless.
Fold to thy heart thy sister and thy brother;
Where pity dwells, the peace of God is there;
To worship rightly is to love each other;
Each smile a hymn, each kindly deed a prayer.
Follow with reverent steps the great example
Of those whose holy work was doing good:
So shall the wide earth seem our daily temple,
Each loving life a psalm of gratitude.
Then shall all shackles fall; the stormy clangour
Of wild war-music o’er the earth shall cease;
Love shall tread out the baleful fire of anger,
And in its ashes plant the tree of peace.
Valediction for Jane Blackall (given by Sarah Tinker)
Hello everybody. I’m Sarah Tinker, recently retired minister with Kensington Unitarians and so a long-term friend and work colleague of Jane Blackall’s, her minister for many years, and chair of our Unitarian Interview Panel, who recommended her for ministry training. So you can no doubt imagine why I’m delighted to speak well of Jane. Speaking well of someone is the literal translation of this word valediction and we’re gathered here this evening to mark the completion of Jane’s ministry studies. It’s easy for me to speak well of you Jane because having known you for over 21 years I’ve a great deal of evidence to draw upon, to prove that you are a thoroughly good egg, as we like to say.
Part of my task this evening is to bring to life, for you all, the voices and characters of some people who appreciated and supported Jane along the way, who sadly are no longer with us. I hope you don’t find it too fanciful when I ask us to imagine these people watching over this evening’s proceedings with great smiles of joy and pride. Because you deserve to feel proud of yourself Jane – you really have come a long way to be at this next stage of your interesting and varied career.
So this evening I want to speak for your mum Mary, who I can imagine beaming from ear to ear as she often did, quietly watching your progress in the world. I’m speaking too for Simon John, Simon John Barlow, your dear friend and playmate, eternal child that he was, and source of such inspiration to so many of us Unitarians. And I’m speaking for a marvellous threesome of strong Kensington Unitarians women – Caroline Blair, Doris Campbell and Patricia Walker-Hesson. All these people left this world too soon. All these people would be cheering you on, just as they did all those years ago now.
All of us who knew Patricia recognised her as someone with extraordinary powers of perception. She was able to spot abilities in others and nurture and encourage them, chivvy them even at times. And she spotted your capabilities as soon as you walked through the doors of Essex Church didn’t she. She and Art Lester – another one with a remarkable ability to encourage people to volunteer for a church community. And that’s how this journey towards ministry began for you back in 1999.
Your own almost chance decision to travel across London that Sunday morning echoes the chance journeys that many of us have made into our particular Unitarian communities. And I know that the opportunities this gave you makes you want to provide similar opportunities for others. This is the work of mission that you are now so committed to. Many of us were looking for something and Unitarianism has helped transform our lives. Now let’s be sure to spread the good news to others. Ours is a faith community that encourages us to think for ourselves, to share our ideas with others and to work passionately to build a fairer world for all.
You and I first met at our Unitarian conference centre in the Peak District village of Great Hucklow. I wonder who else remembers the Hucklow Summer School in 2000, when you arrived with Patricia and others from Kensington. I’ll never forget your flaming red hair, how shy you were feeling, and how delightful it was to see you unfold and blossom during that week. We saw flashes then of your remarkable skills and capabilities. I really do credit you with keeping Summer School going all these years, with bringing it into the 21st century, and helping it become one of the annual Unitarian flagship events – seamlessly organised, safely held, with an annual theme to challenge and inspire. Not surprising that it’s pretty much sold out each year. Since those early days you’ve put so much into our small group gatherings – both at Kensington and nationally. The concept of engagement groups, as held spaces in which people can explore together, really expresses your commitment to education, to equality and to the value of us communicating deeply, one with another. And paper manufacturers country-wide sing your praises for encouraging all of us to print our handouts on as many different colours of paper as possible. You can always recognise a Jane Blackall handout!
Not that we‘ve had so many handouts to appreciate over the last 18 months or so of meeting online rather than in person. But instead Jane we’ve had your technical abilities to help us move online and I’m both proud of, and impressed by, what you’re achieving in the digital realm. You’ve helped me and others create meaningful online worship, with real spiritual depth. And by running online Heart & Soul groups you’ve created a whole new way for people to gather together in spiritual community. Thank you for setting the great example of sharing resources with others freely both with Heart and Soul groups and with materials for our Unitarian Worship Studies Course.
So Jane, I am delighted to be welcoming you as a Unitarian & Free Christian minister, having been your work colleague and friend for so many years now. I know how much you have to offer our movement and indeed our world, a world so in need of ministering to, in all its forms.
And I hand over now to Juliet Edwards, currently treasurer of Kensington Unitarians – and someone who, like me, has known you since those earliest days, for her to bring you a gift from the congregation.
Presentation of Stole from Kensington Unitarians (presented by Juliet Edwards)
Jane, since you came to Essex Church 22 years ago I have watched your life – academic, creative and spiritual – evolve. Now you have qualified as a Unitarian minister. Congratulations. As a recognition of your hard work and your new qualification the committee and Essex Church congregation have given you this stole. I look forward to seeing you in it when we’re back in the church. You chose the design yourself, so I know you will enjoy wearing it. It comes with our very best wishes as you begin your new life as a Unitarian minister.
Prayer (led by Jef Jones)
Hello everyone I'm Jef - I retired earlier this year as Lay Pastor at Brighton Unitarian Church. Jane is one of my dearest friends - and I'm honoured that she has invited me to lead our prayers this evening. So I would invite you just to take a moment to prepare yourself for prayer, a moment to be still and centre yourself.
Let us pray
Mystery of Mysteries,
Ground of our Being,
Great Spirit,
God
we call ourself into your presence.
(A prayer for our Church and its ministry)
We ask you to bless our free religious faith, to sustain our Unitarian and Free Christian fellowship; we ask you to look kindly on its mission and its ministry.
(A prayer for this gathering.)
We ask you to hold our online gathering in your love. Our purpose in coming together is solemn and joyful; we meet to acknowledge and affirm a calling to the work of ministry. May we meet this evening in truth, in awe and in celebration.
(A Naming, Knowing, Listening and Loving Prayer for Jane's Ministry)
And so we ask you, God of All, for your blessings on Jane and on her vocation.
We ask you to sustain in her a practice of thankfulness. May she praise you for the many gifts with which you have endowed her; may she thank you for the adventures of ministry, for its sacrifices and its rewards; may she centre herself in gratitude.
Help her, God of All, prayerfully to know herself. May she consider her works honestly and prayerfully. May she know her own goodness; may she know the real and positive difference she makes. May she look on the fruits of her calling with dignity and humility.
God of All we ask you to bless our friend Jane with quietness. Help her to find the peace of mind and profound stillness she will need to work in your name.
Remind our friend Jane that she is loved. When she is feeling exhausted and alone, remind her of her many friends and companions, remind her of the network of goodwill and affection which surrounds her. Remind her too of the depths of your love.
(A heart-soul-mind-body prayer for Jane's Ministry)
We become our true selves in your presence God and we ask you tonight to affirm Jane as the person she truly is. Help her to hold as sacred gifts her mind and her body, her heart and her soul.
Bless her passion for justice and for truth. Bless her ambition to build your kingdom on earth. Bless her passion for connection and friendship, for creating communities, for growing safe spaces. Bless her heart.
God of All, bless her queer and unruly spirit; bless her artistry; bless her dreams; bless the deep wells of her creativity, bless her solemn devotion to you. Bless her soul.
Bless her independence; bless her questions; bless her originality. We need brave and kind and original ideas, Great Spirit, and the righteous action they inspire. Bless her mind.
Bless her garden; bless her feeling for the green and growing places, bless her adoration of the living world. Bless the diversity of her desires. Bless the wonderful cakes she makes and bless her dancing. Bless her body.
God, we ask that these blessings sustain Jane as a pastor, as a priest, as a preacher, and as a prophet. We ask that these blessings make Jane whole and we ask that they make her ministry real and wise. Breathe kindness and courage into this ministry God of All.
And we ask you to watch over Jane as a person. May she prosper in her life away from ministry. May she be nurtured and held safe. May there be rest and recreation. May there be laughter and music and custard creams and bread pudding.
(Prayers for ourselves and for the world)
We pray too for ourselves and for the world
God
help us to love one another,
to treat ourselves and others
with compassion and respect.
Hold us when we are in pain,
and hear our prayer for those we care for,
that they too be held in your love.
God
We pray for justice in the world
may its brokenness be healed
may its habitats and creatures flourish.
Amen.
We come now to a few minutes of quietness which will be followed by some gentle music.
In the presence of the sacred let us be still together.
Silence (3 minutes)
Music – ‘Blue Boat Home’ performed by Abby Lorimier/Rachel Spence
Valediction from Unitarian College (given by Ant Howe)
Jane, having felt that call within you to offer yourself for ministry training, you dared to answer that call and tread this journey towards professional Ministry.
Today, we are on one hand marking the fulfilment of a process…. But on that other hand, it is just another step on the journey….
Others also discerned that sense of calling and vocation within you over many years.
You applied for Ministry Training within the Unitarian & Free Christian Churches and you came to train with Unitarian College as one of our first students – back when Unitarian College didn’t even have a name!
Now, you have successfully completed your course of study.
You already brought with you the benefit of prior academic theological study, which you have built upon during your training.
You’ve taken part in Unitarian College residentials, congregational placements and online modules - -
Now, having demonstrated that you have met all of the Ministerial Competencies set by the General Assembly, it is our pleasure to now valedict you from Unitarian college.
Jane, we hope that this time of study and preparation has laid a strong foundation for the work you will do as a Minister:
Maintaining the freedom of the pulpit, leading people in worship, speaking the truth in love, offering pastoral care and ceremonies, walking with others in beloved community, working to maintain and strengthen the Unitarian witness… promoting generosity, compassion, faithfulness, love, equality, and peace.
As Ministry Tutor of Unitarian College, I offer my warmest congratulations as we celebrate the end of your ministry training with us.
It has been a privilege to journey with you over the last few years.
I wish you every blessing in your future ministry.
I now call upon Helen Mason, Director of Unitarian College to say a few words……
Presentation of Certificate for Ministry Training (presented by Helen Mason)
Jane has been a pioneer student at Unitarian College, being one of the first group of students to sign up for this new kind of Ministry training. From the start, we were so impressed by Jane’s thoughtful, caring approach to her learning and to her fellow students. Jane has always been very open with the College about the things we do well and the things we can improve, and she has helped us refine and improve our ways of working whilst she has been with us.
Jane approaches her work with diligence, thoroughness and high expectations. She sets herself high standards and we see the hard work she puts in to achieve these. Over the three years we have been working with Jane, we have seen her relax into her Ministerial calling, becoming less anxious, more spontaneous and enjoying the company and support of the other students both in person and online.
We have been amazed at the denominational work Jane has continued to do alongside her training. Not only continuing her work with Kensington Unitarians but stepping up when their previous Minister retired, as well as being the driving force behind Hucklow Summer School and creating the brilliant and hugely successful online Heart and Soul circles.
We are very proud of you, Jane.
I would like to thank Jane’s Dad, her wide circle of ‘chums’ and everyone in Kensington Unitarians for the support and care you have offered Jane during her Ministerial training journey. Ministry training is hard. It changes people. So the support and love of people at home is a critical part of every student’s success.
So, Jane, on behalf of the staff team, the Board and all the students of Unitarian College I am delighted to present you with your certificate of completion of Ministry training at Unitarian College. We wish you all the best in your future Ministries. Well done.
Hymn: ‘Wake, Now, My Senses’ – Chancel Choir First U Church of Oakland
Wake, now, my senses, and hear the earth call;
feel the deep power of being in all;
keep, with the web of creation your vow,
giving, receiving as love shows us how.
Wake, now, my reason, reach out to the new;
Join with each pilgrim who quests for the true;
Honour the beauty and wisdom of time;
Suffer thy limit, and praise the sublime.
Wake, now, compassion, give heed to the cry;
Voices of suffering fill the wide sky;
Take as your neighbour both stranger and friend,
Praying and striving their hardship to end.
Wake, now, my conscience, with justice thy guide;
Join with all people whose rights are denied;
Take not for granted a privileged place;
God’s love embraces the whole human race.
Wake, now, my vision of ministry clear;
Brighten my pathway with radiance here;
Mingle my calling with all who will share;
Work toward a planet transformed by our care.
Homily (given by Bob Janis-Dillon)
Distinguished guests, Jane…it’s so good to be with you. My name is Bob Janis-Dillon, I am attending from my home in Danbury, Connecticut; but for the last six years I lived in England, where I served as co-minister at the Merseyside Ministerial Partnership, serving congregations in Warrington, Wigan, and Chester; and I also served as the Congregational Connections Lead as The General Assembly of Unitarian and Free Christian Churches. It was during those six years I met Jane, who has quickly become a dear, dear friend. Jane and I see the world in very similar ways – and the ways in which we see the world differently are even more fascinating. Jane is, as you know, an incredible human being, wise and wonderful and passionate and kind. She will be, starting in about…fifteen minutes?...an incredible minister.
What a day this is, huh? This day is a culmination and expectation, a well-earned reward and a grace warmly received, a day of truth and hope and love. We are welcoming you into the ministry, Jane - a path you have already travelled for some ways, into a future that is, as yet, undetermined. We are celebrating the individuality, the uniqueness, of all that you are, dear Jane, while also affirming that you are not alone – and none of us alone, we are bound by an ever-unfolding tradition, by our profound connections and sacred responsibilities to each other.
Can you feel it? Can you feel the presence of the ancestors, biological and spiritual? Can you feel the hope of what is yet to be, the promise of this moment? Can you feel the community, gathered in this time together but also stretched out throughout our years on this earth? This is a sacred moment.
This seems like an opportune time, Jane, to remind you about the history of tomatoes. I’m sure most of you, like Jane, know this stuff inside and out but it bears repeating.
Tomatoes, like so many other good things, hail from the Americas. They have been known to be grown in the Aztec empire from at least 700 AD, from records; they may have been cultivated a lot longer than that. They were often combined with chilli pepper and onion in roasted corn dough – I don’t know if over, in England, you guys have heard of a taco, but that’s essentially what it was.
After the European marauders arrived in the 1500s, tomatoes spread all over the world. But not everywhere was equally receptive to the juicy red or yellow fruit (or vegetable…there have been so many arguments of whether a tomato is a fruit or vegetable when it is really both – botanically closer to a fruit but nutritionally closer to a vegetable – I don’t know why we human beings so often get so hung up on the simple fact that nature is often non-binary…)
Anyway, several places in Europe – and in the Americas as well – were frightened of tomatoes. Tomatoes are part of the nightshade family of vegetable, along with potatoes, peppers, mandrake, jimson weed, and deadly nightshade. A few of these are highly toxic to human beings (deadly nightshade is a dead giveaway, really; it’s right there in the name). They all contain alkaloids, which can be harmful to human beings, but also can be health-inducing in other ways, depending on the person and the context. Life is complicated.
So many countries, especially in the North of Europe, were slow to adopt the tomato as a culinary staple, although gardeners in many cases still grew tomatoes as an ornament, as they look so lovely. Tomatoes could be harmful, even deadly, for those who were wealthy. You see, the wealthy often ate off of pewter plates, which looked nice, and signified status, but unfortunately for the owners of these pewter plates they had a high lead content. Tomatoes are very acidic, and they would leach lead off of the plate, et voila, lead poisoning. Meanwhile, the poor, who ate off humble wood plates, kept saying “I’ve been eating tomatoes all my life, it never hurt me.” Nobody figured out it was the pewter plates killing people, and not so much the tomatoes, for many years.
The last part of the history of tomatoes I want to share is to comment on their role in the ongoing ministry of Dr. Jane Blackall. As many here (but not all) may know, Jane grows her own tomatoes in abundance and gives them away in abundance. I’m sure many here have been beneficiaries of Jane’s tomato ministry. Only a small part of your overall ministry, to be sure. But not all that different. Growing tomatoes takes skill – and good fortune. Some years a blight or a worm or whatever undoes your best efforts; some years the yield is hard to fathom, growth everywhere, delight everywhere. Many lessons for ministry in that, obviously. Gardening takes a lot of work, care and attention. And: the results are in many respects out of your hands. It’s a hard lesson we’re continually learning. I just had lunch (when was it, Wednesday?) with a priest celebrating 50 years of ordination and I asked him about his ongoing call. He said, basically, you can make all the plans you want, God will still find a way to surprise you. But if you are faithful to that call, it gives you a joy the events of this weary world can neither supply nor take away. I assume he doesn’t mind me quoting him.
But let’s not get off topic; I want to talk to you about tomatoes. (And ministry). People are often suspicious of new foods and new ministries. In 16th century Europe the tomato was…unfamiliar. Dangerous. In fact it was more the lead plates than the tomato that were dangerous; sometimes we get the cause wrong.
Jane, I know you are looking to do ministry in a different way. Good. Very good: the world desperately needs new ways of doing ministry, new ways of tending our souls, producing spiritual growth and making justice happen through our actions and how we relate to each other. The world is in crisis; humanity is at a critical point.
I don’t know how we’re going to save the world, honestly. And I’m beginning to suspect that maybe no one does. But surely trying something new is a better idea than destroying the planet but gathering every Sunday to wring our hands about it.
And by “new ministry” I don’t mean – and you know I don’t mean – a ministry completely disconnected with the past. Tomatoes have been around for thousands of years, even when they were brand new in Europe. We are never entirely disconnected from the past, even if we wanted to be, it’s impossible.
Jesus, for instance: as many commentators have noticed, there’s nothing in Jesus’ mission wholly alien to the Jewish tradition. Jesus stood firmly in the Jewish prophetic tradition. Even in his rebelliousness and iconoclasm; the idea that love, kindness and mercy are more important than strict adherence to the law was well ensconced in Jewish religious thought, if not wholly accepted, many centuries before Jesus.
What Jesus did was to queer the narrative a little further. There was a concept of mercy, Jesus pointed out how strange, how liberatingly strange, this concept of mercy was in stories like the good Samaritan and the parable of the vineyard. Jesus queered the narrative – he stripped away the normative blinders and helped us to see just how shockingly liberating kindness can be; how love is not just a nice idea to think about but a radical re-shifting of societal norms, a call to deliberately give away all that we’re clinging to so tightly, give away our preconceptions, our grudges, our money and possessions, our routines and our comfort, give away whatever is holding us back from experiencing the radical strangeness of being alive with others on this beautiful earth.
Jane, you have committed to a ministry of authenticity and liberation. This ministry can be demanding. Oh, I’m not talking about working weekends or interminable board meetings or wedding couples showing up two hours late for rehearsal. It’s all those things, but who cares, that stuff is easy. Ministry is hard in those ways, but it is much harder than that.
A ministry of authenticity requires, as you well know, that you delve deep into the truth of things, search yourself, even those places that are difficult. You are more fearless than most, Jane, but still, it isn’t easy. You don’t need to do that delving every second of every day – take time to rest, real time, proper rest days and weeks and sabbaticals as well as rest within the circuit of each day. And then resume to the soil, to do that digging, gently, to search yourself for the seeds of truth that will sprout fruit.
And liberation sounds great, but it is hard, hard work. A ministry of liberation requires you, Jane, to pray for the liberation of people you don’t like very much – I mean earnestly, not just lip service. And liberation, including our own liberation, is challenging. If it were easy it would be done already. If we think again of queering the narrative, coming out is often extraordinarily difficult, both externally – with negative forces out in the world – and internally, with our own reckoning. People who come out, in one form or another, do so because they absolutely have to, in order to be fully alive. And as difficult as the process is, the rewards, in happiness and authentic living, are enormous. In ministry you’ll be searching for this truth, trying to help us all grow, and sometimes it’ll taste a little alkaloid. People will tell you that it’s poison. Well, maybe it is a teeny bit poisonous but also liberating – nature is often non-binary. You have chosen this ministry. It will be challenging. It will be liberating, too. And all you really need to do is keep, gently, persistently, lovingly, digging at that soil. All this <> - all this wondrousness and light around you – and the light inside you, and the wonders inside you…all this will do the rest.
Amen.
Music: ‘Slane’ – performed by Abby Lorimier, Mikaela Livadiotis, Nina Sarnath
Act of Ordination (led by Bob Janis-Dillon):
We have now come to the moment when we will formally and joyfully bestow the ministry upon Jane Blackall.
We will do so by a virtual “laying on of hands”. The Laying on of Hands is an ancient tradition, ever evolving. By extending our hands to Jane, we express the connection and support that has brought Jane to this moment, and will help sustain her in future.
Jane, you have discerned a calling to this ministry, your calling has been affirmed by Unitarian College, by those around you, and by those you serve. You see before you, gathered in many spaces and many homes, and in one spirit, colleagues in the Unitarian ministry, spiritual direction colleagues, interfaith colleagues, beloved members of your home congregation, members of the Heart and Soul and summer school communities, activists in social justice causes and the queer community, engagement group participants and leaders and dear, dear friends. It is to us, and to the world at large, and to the divine mystery, to which you say your words of commitment.
Jane, I invite you to say your words of commitment now.
Words of Commitment (spoen by Jane Blackall):
It’s been over twenty years now since I first felt a sense of calling to the ministry.
So I’ve had plenty of time to think about this – to ponder and pray about it –
to try and discern the nature of my vocation – what God is calling me to do –
what it is I’m meant to be doing with the time and the gifts I’ve been given.
And over the last few weeks, as we’ve been planning this ceremony,
I kept trying to put it into words which would sound ‘proper’,
or ‘official’, befitting the occasion. I got stuck, though.
Nothing quite sounded right. And last night I realised why:
that’s not me. I can’t really speak of my vocation –
the words just won’t come – unless I speak in my own voice.
So this isn’t quite an elegantly crafted set of ordination vows.
But it’s as true and as real an account as I can muster of what it is
I think I’m letting myself in for – willingly! joyfully! – as I commit to a life of ministry.
I commit to living a life of authenticity, truth-telling, integrity, and realness,
as far as I am able; and to creating safer, kinder, spaces where others
feel safe to share the complicated realities of their own lives too.
I hope to offer encouragement to those who are struggling and
comfort to those who are suffering through life’s ups and downs.
I will hold up a vision of church as a space of learning, growth,
and transformation; a religious community where we are committed
to the spiritual life, sharing wisdom, and equipping each other for the journey.
I will centre the concerns of marginalised people, and pay attention
to intersecting forms of oppression, shining a light on all the ways we
are un-free, and putting the work of liberation at the heart of my ministry.
I commit to standing up for what is right, even if it means going
against the grain, and saying hard things; cultivating counter-cultural
communities of resistance to the unjust systems of this world that we live in.
I will attend to my own spiritual life and daily prayer, grounding my life and ministry
in the deepest reality I know, and discerning God’s unfolding call to me in each moment.
I will continue to seek wisdom, wherever it may be found,
and be receptive to new insight and learning in the years to come.
I acknowledge that I am a flawed and messy human being,
with limited capacities, who will repeatedly fall short of these aspirations;
and I commit to practices of reflection and renewal, rest and retreat, and reaching out
for help when I need it, in order to support these intentions and make ministry sustainable.
I remain open to new possibilities for doing ministry,
and furthering our mission, in this ever-changing world.
I will join in continuity with a long line of Unitarians and Free Christians
who have come before me, respecting our historic tradition,
upholding it, and helping to shape its ongoing evolution and unfolding.
And in so doing, I will help to build the beloved community,
create outposts of paradise, reveal glimpses of the Kingdom of God.
Virtual ‘Laying on of Hands’ (led by Bob Janis-Dillon):
Now, friends, we bless Jane and welcome her into the ministry.
I invite you to hold one hand on your heart centre. This symbolizes your own connection to spirit, to love, to life, to God – whatever we call it, that which is larger than we are, and connects us all. In our heart centre we also feel our own love and support for Jane and Jane’s ministry.
And I invite you to extend a hand outward, palm up in the expression of generosity and vulnerability and openness. This symbolizes the giving and receiving of connection, a connection that flows through us, between us, and beyond us. Let’s pause for a moment and feel that connection with one another.
Now I invite us, to say together the words of ordination. You’ll see them on the screen, let us say them together…
Spirit of Life, God of All Love – present within each of us, between us, beyond us,
and greater than us all – by this symbolic laying on of hands we ordain and appoint
Jane Blackall to the office of sacred ministry, committing her to a life of service and leadership.
We give thanks that Jane has heard and responded to the call to ministry.
May she be for each of us a source of strength and inspiration,
that with her we may share in the ministry of all that is holy,
seeking healing for those who are suffering, and liberation for those who are oppressed,
together building the beloved community: a vision of truth, justice, peace and love.
Short Prayer to Conclude Act of Ordination:
Rev. Jane, welcome to the ministry. Now let us pray.
Oh God,
love,
liberating life,
Together we have ordained the Reverend Jane Blackall to the ministry. We pray that the blessings of liberation and truth-telling may continue to flow through her, that she may experience them, cultivate them, and witness to their abundant growth in the world.
May Jane remember this day throughout her ministry as a reminder that she is supported by, and connected to, a marvellous group of human beings. She is a part of a tradition, and a part of a community.
We pray for Jane courage, to break the bonds of oppression wherever they are, to say the hard things and stand up for what is right, as she committed to in this service.
We pray for Jane strength to endure the hardships and sacrifices of ministry, but also joy and delight, which are a natural part of our life on this earth, and to be praised.
We pray for Jane resilience, because ministry is not about perfection, it is about trying and failing and trying again, about forgiveness and grace.
We pray for all the people who will be in Reverend Jane’s care in this ministry. May Jane’s manifolds gifts and talents, her compassion and sense of justice, be transformed in their lives into forces for liberation and fullness of life.
We pray for our shared future, which all of us bear some responsibility for, and which none of us control.
Spirit of life and love,
We are so happy today to welcome the Reverend Jane Blackall into ministry. What a blessing for us all to be a part of it. May Jane know how much she is loved, and cared for, trusted and delighted in. Now let’s go out there and love the Hell out of this hurting world. Amen.
Hymn: ‘We’ll Build a Land’ – performed by Unitarian Music Society
We'll build a land where we bind up the broken.
We'll build a land where the captives go free,
where the oil of gladness dissolves all mourning.
O, we'll build a promised land that can be.
Come build a land where sisters and brothers,
anointed by God, may then create peace:
where justice shall roll down like waters,
and peace like an ever flowing stream.
We'll build a land where we bring the good tidings
to all the afflicted and all those who mourn.
And we'll give them garlands instead of ashes.
O, we'll build a land where peace is born.
Come build a land where sisters and brothers….
We'll be a land building up ancient cities,
raising up devastations of old;
restoring ruins of generations.
O, we'll build a land of people so bold.
Come build a land where sisters and brothers….
Come, build a land where the mantles of praises
resound from spirits once faint and once weak;
where like oaks of righteousness stand her people.
O, come build the land, my people we seek.
Come build a land where sisters and brothers….
Thanks and Benediction (Jane Blackall)
What an occasion! Thanks so much to you all for being here tonight – and thanks to everyone who’s supported me along this long and winding journey so far – thank you to Unitarian College and all its supporters, my tutors, my fellow students, everyone involved in my training in one way or another down the years – and to the General Assembly for the funding to make it all possible. Thanks especially to my home congregation, Kensington Unitarians – and also my other Unitarian families – the Hucklow Summer School community and the Heart and Soul gang too. And all my chums from every sphere of life who have broadened my horizons and shown me love and care and pom-poms along the way. Thank you for keeping me going through all the ups and downs.
And for all the lovely messages, cards, and flowers you’ve sent me in the run-up to this special day.
It’s time for me to draw proceedings to a close now with a few short words of benediction.
This time we’ve spent together in worship ends.
Soon we’ll turn our attention back to our daily lives.
In just a moment we’ll extinguish our virtual chalice flame.
Let us remember, though: the light lives on, in all of us, always.
And as we leave this sacred gathering, may we bear that light –
the light of faith, hope and love – to a hurting and troubled world.
In awareness of our interdependence, let us care for one another,
each doing what we alone are called to do for the sake of the common good –
our little bit, whatever that may be, to help bring about the better world we dream of –
and may we be blessed with the strength and courage we need to meet the days to come. Amen.
Closing Music: ‘Goodnight Hymn’ – performed by Virtual Choir
8th October 2021