Celebrating the Ordination of Women in Advent
This can be listened to here
Gate Pa – Year B – 1st Sunday in Advent
Readings:
First
Reading: Acts 16:12-15, 40
Gospel:
Mark 13:24-37
What I want to say:
Advent
is a time to take stock of:
-
what is we
hope for
-
what ways is God seeking to offer us joy
-
where do we see peace breaking out in our lives
and in our world
-
how are we invited into love
then in hope live that out
use the story of the ordination of women in communion and
this land as an example of living it out
What I want to
happen:
time to reflect on questions above
The Sermon
1. Introduction:
Advent in 2 minutes by Busted Halo
-
welcome to advent
è a time to take stock of:
-
what do we hope for
-
in what ways is God offering us joy
-
where do we see peace breaking out in our lives and in our world
-
how are we invited into love
how
might we in hope live that out
2. Celebrating the Ordination of women as Priests
today is also very significant day in life of
our church in this Province
today 40 years ago 2 ordinations took place
in Auckland Rev Jean Brookes, Rev Wendy
Cranston and Rev Heather Brunton –were priested by the Bishop of Auckland, the
Rt Rev Eric Gowing.
Here is Waiapu - Rev Cherie Baker (also on 3
Dec.) by the Bishop of Waiapu, Paul Reeves
and Rev Rosemary Russell (on 4 Dec.) – also by
Paul Reeves
Reading from Acts reminds us of significant role
women played in life of early church
know from Paul that they were recognised as
leaders in churches he helped establish
Know from gospel that Jesus invited women into
roles not traditionally allowed to consider
-
Mary being a disciple
for example
story of ordination in our church culmination
of years of living out the hope
that in reign of God women were being called
into leadership ministries
were
being called to be priests
despite what church said and had said for most
of its life
so they worked out of that framework
until it became reality
not the end of the story by a long shot
still faced years of animosity and opposition
paved the way many others follow in their
footsteps
only 4th Province to allow
ordination of women
3.
History (this is mostly from wikipedia)
The first woman ordained an Anglican priest was Li Tim Oi, ordained
extra-canonically in Hong Kong, 25 January 1944 by Ronald
Hall, Bishop of Victoria, Hong Kong, in
response to the crisis among Anglican Christians in China caused by the
Japanese invasion. To avoid controversy, she resigned her licence (though not
her priestly orders) after the end of the war.
In 1971, the Synod
of Hong Kong and Macao became the first Anglican province to officially permit
the ordination of women to the priesthood. Jane
Hwang and Joyce M. Bennett were ordained as priests by Gilbert
Baker, Bishop
of Hong Kong and Macao on November 28,
1971. At the same time, Li Tim-Oi was officially recognised again as a priest.[78]
In 1975, the
General Synod of the Anglican Church of Canada (ACC) passed enabling
legislation for women priests; the first six women priests in the ACC were
ordained on November 30, 1976.[81]
In 1977, the
Anglican Church in New Zealand ordained five female priests.[82]
In 1990, former Bishop of Dunedin Penny Jamieson became the first female
diocesan bishop in the Communion, one year after Bishop Barbara Harris had
become the first female Anglican bishop in history, on her appointment as a
Suffragan Bishop in the Diocese of Massachusetts.
In 2013, Helen-Ann Hartley became the first woman ordained in the Church of England[91] to become
a bishop when she was elected as Bishop of Waikato and joint diocesan bishop in
the Diocese
of Waikato and Taranaki.
Other firsts for women in this province came in 1978, when the Rev Puti
Murray became the first Maori Anglican woman to be ordained priest, which took
place at Te Kao Marae in Northland. In 2004, the Rev Eleanor Mancini was
ordained in Auckland, becoming the Diocese of Polynesia’s first female Pasifika
priest.
today we wonder what the fuss was about
what the opposition was afraid of
world did not end
and to be honest without women preists we
would be a bit stuck as a church
today we give thanks for men and women who
lived out their hope
we remember deaconesses that chose to not
offer themselves for ordination to priesthood, and continued to exercise significant
ministries as deacons
we give thanks for many ministries that women
have, do, and will offer in all kinds of ways among us and on behalf of us
4. Advent again
Today is first Sunday in advent
offer the story of ordination of those first
women, and all women since as example of what might happen when we live out all
advent offers us
invite you to spend a moment or two reflecting
on:
-
what do we hope for
-
in what ways is God offering us joy
-
where do we see peace breaking out in our lives and in our world
-
how are we invited into love
how
might we in hope live that out
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