Laying on of Hands
Charles Loflin
The Unitarian Universalist tradition has a long and meaningful tradition. It’s called Laying on of Hands. We held this ordination for our minister, Charles Loflin, in last week’s afternoon event. After this ordination, he or she is called “Reverend” or “Rev.”
But there are many steps to the ordination of a minister. The ordination in our church in Montclair New Jersey included 18 separate steps. It is an ordination of our own choosing. It rests with the congregation which is ordaining the minister.
Each congregation decides which elements to include. For our congregation, we began with a hymn, Oh I Woke Up This Morning, an African American spiritual. This song was composed sometime between 1750 and 1875. The hymn certainly had the rhythmic beats for a hymn of the era. We followed that a little later by the hymn Gather the Spirit. This was composed in 1990 by Jim Scott and is certainly more modern.
We had several other items, followed by the sermon, “Old Growth,” which drew on a series of readings on trees that exist beneath the surface. They are entwined by a multitude of other trees. This was apparently very powerful. But I somehow didn’t get it, I’m sorry to say!
After that, we had another piece of music, Go Out. This has words inspired by Rev. John Murray and included the phrase Give them not Hell, but give them courage and hope. It concludes with And the everlasting love of God, so it was fitting for this ordination.
The climax came with the Laying on of Hands, led by Rev. Ali K. C. Bell and our own Rev. Anya Sammler-Michael. They called the families of the minister. Then they called all the ministers to come forward. After that, they called the other participants in the service. All the people assembled laid their hands on the minister, or on the people in front of them, or in front of others in the large circle.
I find this expression of a congregation for its minister to be a holy event. The solidarity of the church for the minister to be the recipient of love is meaningful. And the care of the congregation for the person to become ordained shows the on-going support for ministers everywhere. At least that is what I believe!
John Tolley
I still remember the ordination of John Tolley in Westport Connecticut. I discovered recently that he was here at Montclair as the Director of Religious Education. I’m sure that was before his ordination in Westport.
It was probably a step to his becoming a minister. I would like to see what his role was here in Montclair. I believe I can consult the archivists.
Floods in Nigeria
Major flooding in Nigeria
Massive amounts of water have come rushing out of the smaller streams in Nigeria. Many of these streams were fed by floods coming from Cameroon. Apparently a dam was built in Cameroon but the outstanding counterpart was never completed in Nigeria.
The release of excess water from the Lagdo Dam in Cameroon, which often contributes to flooding in Nigeria, was supposed to be contained by a dam, the Dasin Hausa Dam in Adamawa State, north-east Nigeria. But after more than 40 years the dam still isn’t complete.
So the water continues to rush in.
Several steps need to happen now! Building dams, as already scheduled, and planting trees, should happen right away! But I have little hope of the government taking action.
At least 600 people have died, and I’m sure the number is much higher. Since earlier in October the water has had an impact in 34 of the 36 states! At the time of my reading of the event, it looks like the rains will continue until early November. One article I read says that 1.5 million houses damaged, and another says that 2.5 million houses are impacted.
In some states the flooding is minor, but in others, including in Anambra (where my husband was from) the water penetration is extreme, in some cases flooding entire houses. Huge numbers of people are displaced.
I don’t hold much hope for Nigeria. I just wish the country and its government could contain the worst of the flooding and find solutions that impact the future. But I somehow doubt it will have much effect!
