Ordained, and Thank You…

I want to thank everyone who worked to make my ordination an incredible event… Everyone who participated in the service, everyone who worked to make the reception such a wonderful success, everyone who came and shared the fellowship with us. I specifically want to thank Chaplain Lt. the Rev. Cynthia Kane for an incredible sermon… it was a testimony to ministry, and the challenge and call of the prophetic ministry in-between communities.

I want to thank Rev. Barbara Pescan and Rev. Connie Grant for their hospitality and each for the Charge to the minister and the Welcome from the congregation respectively. Barbara, you made me cry… and Connie, you surprised me in a wonderful way with the poem by my mom.

I want to thank Rev. Lisa Presley for her Charge to the Congregation, requiring the congregation to remember me, even when I am gone… and Rev. John Tolley for the reminder of prayer within silence… and Rev. James Hobart for calling attention to the costs of seminary in the offertory… and Rev. Ian Evison for the reminder of why the Fellowship of ministry is so important in times of crisis, with the Hand of Fellowship… and Rev. Lori Hlaban for her prayer before we processed, and keeping us all together and in order… and so much of my journey to and through ministry has been through the doors and the counsel of the Rev. Nan Hobart, that no one else could have brought us the invocation.

I want to thank Chaplain Anne Edison-Albright, Chaplain Johnny Gillespie, and Chaplain Jeremy Wright for their readings from Christian Scriptures… and for being willing to be in a UU Ordination Service. I want to thank Chaplain Greg DuBow for his amazing reading of Ralph Waldo Emerson.

I also want to thank Steve Serikaku, the UCE Board of Trustees President for facilitating the Act of Ordination, and Carol Nielson for the absolutely beautiful stole (it’s perfect!). Also, credit goes to Bart Bradfield and the UCE Choir (and that wonderful band) for the beautiful and life-filled music! To the Internship committee who Invested me, and the Ordination Committee for making it all happen, my heart is touched by you all.

To all of those who worked stuffing envelopes, setting out food, cutting the cakes, and all the other items that went into making this service an incredible event, my deep appreciation. For all the gifts, I give my deepest appreciation and thanks. For all those who sent cards and letters, you were with us in spirit. To all those who attended, and all those ministerial colleagues who came from many different traditions and many different places to be with us, I am humbled. And… to Trudi Westwood… who worked tirelessly and with great patience with me to bring this event together… you are forever in my heart, and I thank you.

And last, but definitely not least… to the Unitarian Church of Evanston Illinois… thank you for ordaining me to the Unitarian Universalist Ministry!

You can see some photos of the event here.

Yours in faith

The Reverend David Glenn Pyle…

Rev. David