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A Rag-Tag Bunch with the Inner Light
Monday 5th December 2022
Paddy Allen
Recently we had our Journeying AGM in the Oblate Retreat Centre in Crewe and had a marvellous walk to Maiden Castle. I was delighted to be able to take a couple of shots of our group toiling up the hill and they have featured as models for a picture that has been knocking about in my head for just about 25 years!
On 16 December 1997 (25 years ago) I was ordained in Cape Town, having started my training not even sure whether they were going to allow women to be ordained or not. I actually trained under Archbishop Tutu but he had just retired and the Archbishop Njongonkulu Ndungane was presiding - another inspirational man. As Anglicans we make an oath of canonical obedience just before we are ordained, which affirms the authority of the bishop and our willingness to be part of the fellowship of the Anglican Church as its priests and ministers. It can fairly easily become a formality and we were all called to make our oaths the day before we were ordained.
As I was kneeling in front of the bishop, I had this sudden picture of a rag-tag bunch of people toiling up a hill in the morning light, more or less scruffy and more or less tired, but every one of them had a light at their chest. And I found it so moving to think that I was part of this generations long procession of ordinary people that I was overcome by tears - and that spread to most of the other candidates waiting their turn, so there we all were dissolved into this soggy mess in front of a non-plussed archbishop! And I must say I wouldn't have changed a minute of the 25 years, and the privilege of walking in the company of so many ordinary, flawed but faithful companions!
