"Choose your favourite Gospel and re-read it"...

At the time, it was the most stressful and "odd" sounding advice I think I remembered hearing. I had made the decision that I was going to go ahead with joining the Anglican Church and had met with the parish priest twice. Prior to our third meeting together, I began to panic that I did not "know enough" about the Anglican church to go ahead with joining it.

In my naive way of going about things, I actually emailed the priest and asked her to come up with a quiz: some way of measuring what I had learned about the Anglican church and it's history, it's liturgy, it's life and culture. I wanted to make sure that I was completely prepared for what I was about to enter into.

This particular priest, in her infinite wisdom, simply replied to my email by saying... "choose your favourite Gospel and re-read it before we meet again."

Now truth be told, I remember worrying about what she was going to ask about my favourite Gospel, how in depth I needed to know it, and interesting facts about what might be specific to that Gospel and biblical trivia. Just to cover my own butt and in a burning desire to be accepted into the church, I called another clergy member within the Diocese and sought her opinion on this question... which Gospel she thought would be a safe bet. The advice I received was to stick to the Synoptic Gospels of Matthew, Mark and Luke and that John was a little too different.

This put me in a tough spot. John is my favourite Gospel by far. But, in trying to fit in, I re-read the Gospel of Luke AND John. I was going to be over-prepared so that I could decide and defend a gospel when asked.

I got to the meeting and sure enough, after opening in prayer, I was asked about which one was my favourite. I decided to start with one of the Synoptic - and began to try and defend and talk about the Gospel of Luke. But it wasn't long before I surprised even myself... there was nothing really to say about Luke's Gospel. I mentioned his attention to widows, orphans and aliens, and that it was of a social focus, but that was pretty much it.

Knowing that it was going to be one of those "now or never" moments, I looked up at this mentor and nervously said, actually my favourite Gospel is John's. Immediately, I started working through the reasons why... John is the only Gospel that mentions the calling of Nathanael... how Nathan (for short) was hanging out under the fig tree and minding his own buisness. Peter came up to him and started to tell Nathan about this "dude" that was in town and that this "dude" was the Saviour... and that Nathan needed to come and follow this guy. Nathan made some smart comment like, "what good can come from where he comes from?" and all that Peter replies is, "Come and See." When Nathan eventually gets up from sitting under the tree and meets up with the Lord, Nathan asks him why the Lord didn't come and call him personally. The Lord repsonds by saying something like, "if I would have called you, you never would have believed and followed and I knew that!"

What kind of invitation is that? Well, who knows... but John won my heart right then and there. That was all it took for me - and I think that God may have realized that I wouldn't follow or respond to his call any other way. So, what does God do?

I took a class with Ms. Chocolate-Adoring friend in the realm of social justice. Somehow our group project ends up being on the topic of Women's Ordination (from an RC perspective - where it is not even allowed to be discussed). Ms. Chocolate-Adoring friend mentions along the way that we could interview her bishop... who just so happened to be one of the first women ordained in Canada and was the first woman bishop. We go and interview both of the local bishops - the RC and the Anglican... take both of their stories and complete our project. Over the span of the term, I become better and better friends with Ms. Chocolate-Adoring friend and so would meet with her once a week for a casual lunch.

Somewhere along the line, I received an email from her... I think I may have even saved the email in my hope chest. All it read was, "Hey... we did our report on Women's Ordination... there is an ordination happening at the Cathedral in the coming month where two women will be ordained. Would you like to come and see? We could make an evening out of it."

That was it. That was all it took. I attended the ordination, excited beyond all reason. Cried all the way through the sermon, and knew that the deeper sense of calling might have some level of validity.

Who wouldn't fall in love with a Gospel in which they can see themselves in... as a character of denial and fear?

It was the best advice I have ever received along the path of discernment. Maybe try it... re-read your favourite Gospel and see where it takes you in life. You might be surprised where you end up... I know that I still find myself surprised at the power of the Spirit in my life. I can't wait for Pentecost!!! Go Spirit Go!