News
First Year Ordinands Commissioned as Student Readers
Four new ordinands were commissioned as Student Readers at the Church of Ireland Theological Institute yesterday evening (Wednesday September 23).
Natasha Coombes Liddle (Armagh), Andrea Black (Dublin and Glendalough), Laura McIvor (Armagh) and Eric Hughes (Dublin and Glendalough) were commissioned by Archbishop Michael Jackson during the weekly Community Eucharist. They are among seven ordinands who have embarked on their first year of study in CITI this year.
The students were presented for licensing by the Revd Dr Chris MacBruithin. Student Readers are called to lead worship, proclaim the word of God and assist in the distribution of Holy Communion.
Archbishop Jackson addressed the students in his sermon as they embark on a life towards ordained ministry and said they were being commissioned to learn. He urged them to “learn long before you lead”. The commissioning, he said, is not ordination but about moving into a realm of informed, experienced preparation towards ordination.
“Learning is about being open to receive not only new stimuli – but also to being open to being informed and corrected regarding things you do not know, you thought you knew well or have previously known differently. And you will learn both from and alongside seasoned and skilled exponents of the work of ministry. Like your first day in ‘big school’, it is all about to start all over again,” he said.
He encouraged the ordinands to learn to serve, to learn to listen and to learn to be served.
He concluded by saying: “LEARNing is what lies ahead of you. The greatest learning that you can do is to learn to let the cross and the glory of Jesus Christ disclose, shine forth and shine through the ministry on which you now embark as you let God the Holy Trinity help you to navigate it, and also the people among whom you will work, towards the Kingdom of the same God.”