Revd. Steve Alston- Ordained at last!
It has been great to start working in the Benefice of Baschurch, Weston Lullingfields and Hordley and thank you so much for your friendly welcome and prayers. The current pandemic certainly makes things a bit different to normal, my ordination was delayed for three months and being an unordained ‘curate’ has had its challenges. Not having the ‘badge’ of the collar has meant that I often had to explain who I am to local people and I must admit that with no formal ordination service the beginning of my new life as your curate felt a bit messy.
In Lichfield Cathedral on Saturday 26th September my ordination as Deacon finally happened. This also was different to usual and filled with ‘Covid safe’ restrictions. Instead of 500 people in the cathedral there were only 30 of us and I was only allowed two guests. We were all socially distanced, masked and not allowed to sing (although the Bishop said we could hum if we wanted!). Poor Bishop Michael had to sanitise his hands over 20 times during the service, but he did a great job in leading us.
Despite all this Covid weirdness I really sensed God’s presence as we worshiped. The words of the service are both beautiful and challenging and bring home my role of helping God’s people in the Benefice to ‘make Christ known’ and proclaim the story of God’s love in ‘word and deed’. Most important for me was the prayer for the Holy Spirit to fill me. I certainly need as much of God’s spirit as possible if I am to do the job of being your curate- so please keep praying for me!
On the morning of my ordination I read the following words about Jesus as he lived in a world that was filled with fear and disease.
‘Seeing the people, he felt compassion for them, because they were distressed and dispirited like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Therefore, beseech the Lord of the harvest to send workers out into his harvest.”’ (Mat 9.36-38)
These words are so relevant to the pandemic situation in which we live today. Jesus is with us and at work even when things are difficult or odd. This is his promise and I am really excited to be in the Benefice and joining in with Revd. Linda and the rest of God’s people in helping spread the transformation that comes when we let Jesus into our lives and communities.
Steve Alston 29/9/2020
