The Ordination of Priests
(also called Presbyters)
The Gathering of the Community
All standing, the bishop greets the congregation.
The bishop says
Glory to God,
Creator, Redeemer and Giver of life,
who is, who was, and is to come.
Grace and peace to you from God.
Kia tau ki a koutou, te atawhai me te rangimārie o te Atua.
God fill you with truth and joy.
Mā te Atua koe e whakaū, ki te pono me te hari.
A hymn of praise, waiata or a psalm may be sung,
or the following is said or sung.
Glory to God in the highest,
and peace to God’s people on earth.
Lord God, heavenly King,
almighty God and Father,
we worship you, we give you thanks,
we praise you for your glory.
Lord Jesus Christ, only Son of the Father,
Lord God, Lamb of God,
you take away the sin of the world:
have mercy on us;
you are seated at the right hand of the Father:
receive our prayer.
For you alone are the Holy One,
you alone are the Lord,
you alone are the Most High,
Jesus Christ,
with the Holy Spirit,
in the glory of God the Father. Amen.
The congregation kneels.
The bishop says
God has promised forgiveness
to all who truly repent,
turn to Christ in faith
and are themselves forgiving.
In silence we call to mind our sins.
Silence
Let us confess our sins.
Merciful God,
we have sinned in what we have thought and said,
in the wrong we have done
and in the good we have not done.
We have sinned in ignorance:
we have sinned in weakness:
we have sinned through our own deliberate fault.
We are truly sorry.
We repent and turn to you.
Forgive us, for our Saviour Christ’s sake,
and renew our lives to the glory of your name. Amen.
The Absolution is declared by the bishop.
Through the cross of Christ,
God have mercy on you,
pardon you
and set you free.
Know that you are forgiven
and be at peace.
God strengthen you in all goodness
and keep you in life eternal.
Amen.
Glory to God in the highest may be said or sung here, all standing.
All sit.
The Presentation
The bishop says
E te whānau a te Karaiti / People of God,
we have come to ordain a priest/priests in Christ’s holy Church.
Christ is head of the Church;
he alone is the source of all Christian ministry.
Through the ages it is Christ
who has called men and women to serve.
By the Holy Spirit all who believe and are baptised receive a
ministry to proclaim Jesus as Saviour and Lord,
and to love and serve the people with whom they live and work.
In Christ they are to bring redemption,
to reconcile and to make whole.
They are to be salt for the earth; they are to be light to the world.
After his resurrection and ascension
Christ gave gifts abundantly to the Church.
Some he made apostles, some prophets, some evangelists,
some pastors and teachers; to equip God’s people
for their work of ministry and to build up the body of Christ.
We stand within a tradition
in which there are deacons, priests and bishops.
They are called and empowered to fulfil an ordained ministry
and to enable the whole mission of the Church.
Our authority is in Scripture
and in the Church’s continuing practice through the ages.
Therefore let us welcome NN, who come/s to be ordained priest.
Each candidate is presented by a priest and a layperson.
The priest says
Bishop N, we present N.
Those responsible for her/his training
believe her/him ready to be ordained priest
in the Church of God.
The layperson says
We give thanks for N’s ministry as a deacon.
We believe that s/he will serve Christ well as a priest.
The bishop says to the candidates
Priests in the Church
are called to build up Christ’s congregation,
to strengthen the baptised,
and to lead them
as witnesses to Christ in the world.
To do this they are called to be pastors.
They are to share people’s joys and sorrows,
encourage the faithful, recall those who fall away,
heal and help the sick.
Above all they are to proclaim God’s word
and take their part in Christ’s prophetic work,
to declare forgiveness through Jesus Christ,
to baptise,to preside at the Eucharist,
to administer Christ’s holy sacraments.
Do you believe that you are called to the office and work
of a priest? N?
Each candidate responds
I believe that God and the Church are calling me to this ministry.
I thank God for this call, and the Church for its encouragement.
All standing, the bishop says to the people
E te whānau / People of God,
are you willing that NN should be ordained priest?
People We are. Thanks be to God.
The bishop prays
Holy and living God,
you call men and women
to bring us your creative and redeeming Word.
Equip your people
for their work of ministry
and give to these your servants,
now to be ordained,
the gifts of grace they need.
Amen.
The Collect of the Day may follow.
The congregation sits.
The Proclamation
The Readings
The readings are selected from the following
OLD TESTAMENT |
PSALM |
| Numbers 11:16–17, 24–25b Lookup: NLT Jeremiah 1:4–9 Lookup: NLT Ezekiel 33:1–9 Lookup: NLT |
43 Lookup: ANZPBNLT 145:1–7, 21 Lookup: ANZPBNLT |
EPISTLE |
GOSPEL |
|
2 Corinthians 4:1–7 Lookup: NLT Ephesians 4:1–16, (1–7, 11–16) Lookup: NLT 2 Timothy 4:1–5 Lookup: NLT 1 Peter 5:1–4 Lookup: NLT |
Matthew 9:35–38 Lookup: NLT John 10:11–18 Lookup: NLT John 21:15–19 Lookup: NLT |
The reader first says
A reading from ... (chapter ... beginning at ... )
Silence may follow each reading.
After each reading, the reader may say
Hear what the Spirit is saying to the Church.
Thanks be to God.
A psalm, hymn or anthem may follow each reading.
Then, all standing, a deacon reads the Gospel, first saying
The Holy Gospel according to ... (chapter ... beginning at ... )
Praise and glory to God.
After the Gospel, silence may be kept.
The reader says
This is the Gospel of Christ.
Praise to Christ, the Word.
The Sermon
The Sermon is preached here.
The Affirmation of Faith
The Nicene Creed is said, all standing.
We believe in one God,
the Father, the Almighty,
maker of heaven and earth,
of all that is,
seen and unseen.
We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ,
the only Son of God,
eternally begotten of the Father,
God from God, Light from Light,
true God from true God,
begotten, not made,
of one being with the Father;
through him all things were made.
For us and for our salvation
he came down from heaven,
was incarnate of the Holy Spirit and the Virgin Mary
and became fully human.
For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate;
he suffered death and was buried.
On the third day he rose again
in accordance with the Scriptures;
he ascended into heaven
and is seated at the right hand of the Father.
He will come again in glory to judge
the living and the dead,
and his kingdom will have no end.
We believe in the Holy Spirit,
the Lord, the giver of life,
who proceeds from the Father and the Son,
who in unity with the Father and the Son
is worshipped and glorified,
and has spoken through the prophets.
We believe in one holy catholic and apostolic Church.
We acknowledge one baptism for the forgiveness of sins.
We look for the resurrection of the dead,
and the life of the world to come. Amen.
All are seated except the candidates who stand before the bishop.
The Commitment
The bishop addresses the candidates who respond individually or together
NN, you have declared your faith in God.
We believe God is calling you to serve as a priest.
We now ask you to declare
your commitment to Christ in his Church.
| Bishop | Do you believe that the Bible contains all that is essential for our salvation, and reveals God’s living word in Jesus Christ? |
| Candidate | Yes, I do. God give me understanding in studying the Scriptures. May they reveal to me the mind and heart of Christ, and shape my ministry. |
| Bishop | Will you set forth the doctrines of the faith as this Church has received them? |
| Candidate | Yes, I will. My duty and my joy will be to witness to Christ crucified and risen. |
Bishop | Will you accept the order and discipline of this Church and the guidance and leadership of your bishop? |
| Candidate | Yes, I will. And God give me grace to work in partnership with my sisters and brothers in Christ’s service. |
| Bishop | Will you seek the lost and lonely, caring for all God’s people whatever their need? |
| Candidate | I will. My concern will be to show love, care and compassion. God give me courage to strive for justice and peace among all people. |
| Bishop | Will you so live the gospel that you challenge us with the demands of love? |
| Candidate | I will. God give me strength and humility. |
| Bishop | Will you be constant in prayer and study? |
| Candidate | I will. God give me imagination and perseverance. |
| Bishop | Will you do all in your power to build up the body of Christ? |
| Candidate | I will. I commit myself fully to this ministry. I will proclaim the word of God and celebrate the sacraments of the new covenant. |
The Bishop says to each candidate in turn
| N, will you then give glory to God, the holy and blessed Trinity? |
Each candidate responds
| Glory to God on high, God of power and might. You are my God. I can neither add to your glory nor take away from your power. Yet will I wait upon you daily in prayer and praise. |
The bishop then continues
NN, we praise God for your commitment to serve Christ
in the order of priests.
Serve patiently and cheerfully,
remembering that the work you are called to do is God’s work;
it is in God’s hand, and it is done in God’s name to God’s glory.
Follow Christ whose servant you are.
Share the burden of those whose cross is heavy.
You are marked as a person who proclaims
that among the truly blessed are the poor, the troubled,
the powerless, the persecuted.
You must be prepared to be what you proclaim.
Serve Christ simply and willingly,
and let your joy in Christ overcome all discouragement.
Have no fear; be humble and full of hope.
The candidates and the congregation kneel.
Those priests assisting at the laying on of hands join the bishop.
The Invocation
After a pause, the bishop continues
Like the first disciples waiting for your coming,
empowering Spirit, we watch and pray.
The congregation prays in silence for the candidates.
Silence
A hymn invoking the Holy Spirit may be sung.
| Bishop | Holy Spirit of God, meet us in this moment as you met the apostles of old. Be with us, Holy Spirit, |
| People | bring faith and hope, we pray. |
| Bishop | Come Holy Spirit, |
| People | be present in your power. |
After a pause, the bishop continues with The Ordination.
The Ordination
The assisting priests then stand beside the bishop, who, facing those being ordained, says this prayer of consecration.
All present join with the bishop in saying the concluding part of the prayer.
Blessed are you,
God our creator, God in history, God in revelation;
throughout the ages your unchanging purpose
has created a people to love and serve you.
Blessed are you in Christ Jesus,
your Incarnation, our Servant Lord,
who by death overcame death.
Through his resurrection and ascension,
through the gift of the Holy Spirit,
you have given life and order to your Church,
that we may carry out the ministry of love.
We thank you for calling these your servants
to share this ministry as priest(s).
The bishop, and the assisting priests, lay hands on the head of each candidate in turn, with the bishop saying after silence
God of grace, through your Holy Spirit,
gentle as a dove, living, burning as fire,
empower your servant N
for the office and work of a priest in the Church.
At the conclusion of the laying on of hands, the bishop continues
May every grace of ministry rest on these your servants.
Keep them strong and faithful,
steadfast in Jesus Christ, our Saviour.
Amen!
May they herald the joy of your kingdom,
bring freedom rather than bondage,
serve rather than be served;
through the sacraments they minister
let your grace abound.
The new priests stand.
The bishop gives each of them a Bible, saying
N, here are the Holy Scriptures;
learn from them
and proclaim Christ, the living Word.
The new priests may now be vested and symbols of ministry may be given.
The congregation stands and the new priests may be presented to the Church.
The Peace
The Eucharist continues at The Peace, during which the bishop may share the sign of peace with the newly ordained, who then greet their families and the congregation.