I am now an ordained interfaith minister!
Earlier in life I had distainfully looked up at the altar, and thought, "I can do that," but I didn't do that, at least not in public.
I used to be a daily communicant at my local Catholic Church. I attended in this manner for many many years. One day it hit me. Hey, when we celebrate Mass, we nourish ourselves with the Word and the Body of God. The Mass is divided into two major parts: The Liturgy of the Word and the Liturgy of the Eucharist. That is it.
I still thought, "I can do that."
I wondered why, just why I was putting miles upon miles on my car, burning fossil fuels at least six days a week so I could receive the consecrated (not concentrated, for you non-believers) body of Christ. I could do that, while saving our valuable resources for future generations. Did I need to use all that fuel that was being brought to our shores from the Middle East, where we weren't liked very well? Did I want to play a part in that just so I could go to church and receive a consecrated host the size of a quarter?
We had been taught that it wasn't our duty to question, only to obey. If our faith was strong enough, if our hearts were ruling us out of love for God, then if we drove a lot, had lots of kids, did whatever for the propagation of the Faith, God would honor us, and even all of humanity, by taking care of everything else. Why worry about the small stuff? Why take personal responsibility?
So I didn't....until one day when I decided it was about time to grow up and do some critical thinking for a change.
So I loved the Eucharist. Well, I could take some of my own bread at home, pray some, consecrate the bread, eat it, and be thankful to God for blessing me. After my time of worship, I could get on my bike and ride the mile or so to work. No fossil fuels used in the process, unless I made toast of the bread.
Later I modified my practice, went into work a little earlier, turned down the lights to complete darkness (no windows in my one-person office), and sat in that darkness for an hour of meditation. Nothing to distract me. The entire process turned out to be a great way of preparing for a hectic or not-so-hectic day.
Since moving to Asheville, I have delved into a number of faiths, including the Quakers (where all of us and none of us are ministers), the Unitarian-Universalists (where I'm registered as a Friend), the United Church of Christ (Unitarians who believe in Christ), and more distantly with the Lutherans, the Presbyterians, the Episcopalians, the Christians and a smattering of non-denominational churches. So no one can say I haven't tried to find just the right faith for me.
As I have ventured into my 60s, I now see God and Spirit as a very personal relationship. Churches are great for fellowship and service. However, we all see our Higher Power in very personal terms. I don't think anyone has all of the faith nor none of it. If we truly think that God is above, beyond, within, without (whatever preposition one cares to use) whatever our finite human brains can comprehend, then surely this Higher Power many call God can relate to each of us in the individual ways that minister to us all. It's that simple.
Why we humans have tried to teach one another for eons that an infinite being was finite as far as our beliefs went is beyond me. Just the fact that God is infinite means that we humans cannot put this Being in a box of beliefs that may work for one culture or personality but not for others.
So a few weeks ago I decided that now was the time for me to step into spirituality and become a minister myself, a minister that would minister to the spirit in all of us. I could have just got my ordination by simply sending an email off to a service out there that would automatically make me an ordained minister. That didn't appeal to me. But yet, I didn't have the money or time left in my life to start at square one on a trail to ordination in a faith that I didn't quite agree with.
I settled on a way that was a compromise. I wrote a few papers, filled out some forms, paid a fee. In other words, I did a little homework and some preparation. Today in the mail, I received my certification and ordination. I hope that I can combine this ministry with my doula work, another area in which I became certified recently.
My ministry has no doctrines or dogmas. Of course, I do want to help people see a loving Higher Power, a caring Being that is the real minister in their lives. I want to be with people and to celebrate with them the great passages in their lives: birth, marriage, maturation, commitment, service and death. I will not be representing God. But hopefully, I can act to bring a connection of the person to the presence and essence of Spirit in their individual and communal lives.
So it's now official. I can marry you and bury you. I can give you guidance and support. My shingle is hung figuratively, although I have no business cards, brochures, church, office or advertisement announcing the big news.
May the Force be with us all!