Psalm 43

Give judgement for me, O God,
take up my cause against an ungodly people :
deliver me from deceitful and wicked men.
For you are God my refuge
why have you turned me away? :
why must I go like a mourner because the enemy oppresses me?
O send out your light and your truth, and let them lead me :
let them guide me to your holy hill and to your dwelling.
Then I shall go to the altar of God,
to God my joy and my delight :
and to the harp I shall sing your praises,
O God, my God.
Why are you so full of heaviness, my soul :
and why so unquiet within me?
O put your trust in God :
for I will praise him yet, who is my deliverer and my God.

 

This is the psalm we read at my son, Luke’s, ordination last Saturday.

It was a very special day- the beginning of his lifetime desire to serve

the Lord and God’s people.  His journey took him into the Episcopal Church

where he is now a priest. 

We traveled by plane, because the roads in Eastern Pennsylvania were

washed out.  There were extra inspections because it was Sept. 11,2011-

And the planes weren’t very full- because not a lot of people were traveling

by plane on that particular weekend.

And we were privileged to play a part in the ordination- Frank and I were presenters-

(along with several mentoring priests),  standing before the bishop, we said,

”Lawrence, Bishop in the Church of God, on behalf of the clergy and people of the Diocese of

Long Island, we present to you Lucas Franklin Fodor to be ordained a priest in Christ’s holy

catholic Church .

Then, after the bishop questioned us further-

We certify to you that he has satisfied the requirements of the canons, and we believe him

qualified for this order.”

And then after much prayer and song, and the laying on of hands, and the reading of

this psalm and other scripture,

 

Luke got this great big hug of welcome from the bishop.

There was a whole lot of liturgy going on- and at the end- we had Communion.

It was a beautiful ceremony and I loved it- seeing my son become a priest.

But the very best part happened the next morning.  When we went to the morning service,

Luke served the communion- I don’t have the correct terms- but you know what I mean.

And at the end of the service, the rector, David Ware, and Luke came down the aisle together,

as we waited in our pews for the last song.  And they were smiling and bumping shoulders

as they walked together- FILLED with the the joy of the Lord!  The looks on their faces were so happy-

like something you would see on a soccer field when one of them has just scored the winning

goal.

Seeing them like that, brought back the words of this psalm, Psalm 43,

”O send out your light and your truth, and let them lead me :
let them guide me to your holy hill and to your dwelling.
Then I shall go to the altar of God,
to God my joy and my delight : “

I wish I had taken my camera on Sunday morning- because that is the picture

I most want to post.  You will have to see it in your mind’s eye.

Two men, coming from the altar of God,

…God, their joy and delight!