Renewal of Vows

Today, a good number of people ordained in the Episcopal Church will head to Phoenix for the Renewal of Vows service. I will be among them.

The service is paired with receiving Holy Oils blessed by the Bishop for use in churches throughout the coming year.

This is not only a local event. Across the country, deacons, priests, bishops attend such a service annually, many of those services traditionally occurring on the Tuesday in Holy Week. This year, that falls on March 31.

This is serious business, yet not grim. It is a joyous opportunity to remember not only our day of ordination, when promises were made, but also the intervening years of serving God’s people, both when it has been uplifting and also when it has borne the weight of tears. 

This service we are called to provide is a twenty-four-seven calling. Over time and as the new wears off, we may find our spirit threatened.

But then we receive the Holy Week call to renew the vows made at our ordaining and we happily respond as we did then: I will.