For soon I'll be a priest
I hadn't anticipated that I'd be ordained in the middle of a pandemic. But then again, God has been surprising me throughout my entire formation process. Why stop now?
If this is your first time to my site, welcome. You may have made your way here through a super fancy ordination announcement from the Episcopal Diocese of Oregon. Or maybe you saw this post on Facebook, Twitter, or some other hub of community.
Regardless of how you got here, I'm glad you made it.
The Purpose of This Post
I'm going to share some important details about my priestly ordination. Get out your calendars & your to do lists. There are ways you can participate.
1) Date, Time, and Live-stream details
My ordination will take place at 11:00AM on May 9th, 2020 (God willing and the people consenting) at Trinity Episcopal Cathedral in Portland, Oregon. This is the feast day of Gregory of Nazianzus. It's also my 41st birthday! Put it on your calendar.
The service will be streamed on the Facebook Page of Trinity Episcopal Cathedral (Please "Like" it).
2) Wear red on the 9th
One of the things we let go of when we stop going out to public gatherings is our sense of public performance. We're all a little like drag queens, you know? We each put on clothing to communicate a message and each setting has its different norms.
Red is the color of ordinations. So wear red on ordination day. It may seem like a small thing, but it means a lot.
3) Donations to my Discretionary Fund
An ordination tradition is to donate to the new priest's Discretionary Fund. From this fund I can help people in financial crisis, be that in the form of groceries, bus passes, or assistance with bills.
If you'd like to donate to this important ministry, click here and choose "Ordination Donations for The Rev. Matthew David".
4) Gifts?
This is a question I've been asked about by several family members and friends. If we want to give you an ordination gift, what would you like/need?
To be honest, I feel as though I've already been graced by an excess of generosity leading up to this day. People have donated to my tuition fundraisers, sent me notes of encouragement, and offered gifts for my ordination to the transitional diaconate. My cup, as it were, runneth over.
But I will offer a few suggestions for those who feel a strong need to send a gift.
Stoles are often a gift for ordinations. You can find some beautiful ones here, here, or here.
Gift certificates to Almy would be much appreciated. It's a store that sells a wide array of church-related items that I may need.
A beautiful shop to check out is Creator Mundi. This would be another option if you wanted to find a unique gift that moves you.
But the best gift you could offer me is to put May 9th on your calendar, pick out something red to wear, and keep me and all those in the Diocese of Oregon in your prayers.
You don't become an ordained minister simply because you want to. It's a call affirmed by many people. Please pray for us.
See you on the 9th!