Pictures from My Ordination

For pictures of my ordination, check on facebook or click here to go to my album on flickr.

Thoughts on my first mass

The ordination buzz and all is finally waning a bit. I thought I should write down a few thoughts about saying my first mass before I forgot.

10. The sunlight from the window that shines down on the presider's prayer desk is pretty bright.

9. You can really throw your organist for a loop when he asks what notes to play to give you the pitch for the sursum corda:
Archer: "I don't need any."
Organist: "Ummm...[awkward pause] okay...[awkward pause] If you say so, Father."

8. Most chasubles are made for short people. (Luckily, my wife made mine.)

7. The Anglo-catholic custom of having roses on the altar for your first mass that parishioners can take home afterward is a big hit with the old ladies in the parish.

6. Folding your hands together during the beginning of the canon of the mass keeps them from shaking.

5. Get a BCP/Hymnal Combination. I never got one for my ordination and always assumed I would, so I was juggling books during the liturgy. Nothing bad happened, it was just awkward.

4. If you don't like the cheap plastic missal stands, check the sacristy closets for old missal stands. Turns out our church had 4 really nice, wooden ones.

3. Three day old ordination cake is still good for Sunday coffee hour.

2. If you are a stodgy Anglo-catholic, the Adult Sunday School class will take odds on whether you will wear a maniple.

1. When leaving altar, check to make sure one's head does not hit the vigil lamp.

Father Archer

The day came and went, and it was probably one of the most powerful experiences of my life. I am now an ordained priest in the Episcopal Church. My field education supervisor from Chicago was in town to be the preacher, and he preached perhaps one of the best sermons I have ever heard. I will see if I can get a copy of it and put it here on my blog.

Our diocesan camera guuy apparently flaked out and did not show up, but luckily one of my lodge brothers whom I had invited showed up with his camera. He dabbles in professional photography on the side, so he did the photo shoot. I will have more on my thoughts about the even later when it all sinks in.

I guess I should give my first official blog blessing to all my readers:

May the blessing of Almighty God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit be upon you and remain with you now and forever. + Amen

-Father Archer

Today is the Day

There is an old war movie or Twilight Zone episode (or something like that) that takes place in a battle of a war. If I recall correctly, it was World War II era, but it has been many, many years since I have seen this film, and I can no longer remember what the name of the film was or what it was about. Obviously, it was not all that great a production.

There is this one scene, however, that has always stuck in my mind, not because it was that particularly well produced nor mind blowing cinematography. It seems to be one of those odd childhood moments the mind etches into memory like a photo negative. The scene was just a rather typical battle scene where the main character was shot and died on the spot. All the action of the battle fades into the background and the character dies in the field. The camera pans around to a now ethereal, almost transcendent, view of the chaos. The viewer suddenly realizes that outside the battle, it is a beautiful, sunny day with blue sky and a bird sings in the background.

At this point, I do not remember if the movie ended at that point or not. I suppose it matters not. I spent the morning taking my mentor priest around to some of the sights in Lincoln. He wanted another pair of cowboy boots, so we went to the aforementioned good ole' boy store. We then went up to the top of the Nebraska capitol building to look out of the dome walkway.

It is a beautiful spring day in Lincoln; a few clouds hovering on the horizon. We then went to St. Mark's, and I gave the grand tour. There was hustle and bustle of the altar guild and the hospitality committee putting up stuff. Having just come from that highest point in Lincoln, the goings on reminded me of that movie scene from so long ago.

Today is the day. I will be ordained as a priest in Christ's one, holy, catholic, and apostolic church. This is the goal that I set for myself, worked hard for, prayed about, for going on 5 or 6 years now, and something I have pondered for many years before that. It is a journey that took me to another city, to another culture in South Dakota, to another continent, to Narnia itself.

Today is the day that segment of the journey ends. Another, longer, more exciting journey begins. Today is the day.

Pray for me, a sinner.

The time draweth nigh

I have officially hit the 36 hour mark until my ordination to the priesthood. (Tomorrow at 7PM for those of you scoring at home.)

I am not nearly as nervous as I thought I would be. I think I was a little more up tight about my diaconal ordination than this, which surprises me. I do not know quite what to make of that. Everyone is carrying on more about it than I am.

Perhaps that will change tomorrow or this evening even, as I am going to drive to the airport to pick up my field education supervisor from seminary who is going to be the preacher. He has promised me a "good catholic sermon" I would expect nothing less from him, as he is more catholic than the Pope and will probably be wearing his biretta. I believe his exact words in the e-mail were "have biretta, will travel."

I am curious to see how he is going to go over at my current parish. This parish is not exactly Anglo-catholic. They do a higher liturgy than is probably normative in the Episcopal church, but not really by that much. So, we will see how the biretta will go over.

I am looking forward to it...

Being a Liaison

The week begins the marathon ordination run, and I have found myself being the liaison for the coming circus. It is turning into a great ecumenical hodge podge of visitors, ecumenical and otherwise. Since I am an officer in the chaplains associate at the University of Nebraska, there will be all sorts processing with the clergy, not the least of which is two Ukrainian Orthodox clergy that I have befriended in my time in Lincoln.

My parents arrived yesterday, so there is that elements. I love my parents, but family in town is always drama of one sort or another, regardless of how well one gets along with the fam.

Then, there are also a few folks coming from my field education parish in Chicago; one of whom is the preacher. That should be interesting, given that he will no doubt be wearing his biretta and other Anglo-catholic garb. I requested that he do such. I am curious as to how St. Mark's will respond.

It will be a hoot...that is for sure.