McBride Links: Ordination Day

Worth the wait? I think so. Worth the work? Ask Mike, but I am pretty sure he would say yes. A sanctifying process for sure...for all of us. This probably isn't the best place to post details, but for those of you who prayed for us and encouraged us - you know how the Lord worked. It was good. Like our wedding, we were really able to enjoy this day and the week leading up to it. Mike planned the service and, also like our wedding, it was truly representative of him. He involved many men of many different personalities and gifts, who knew him in various contexts. They really honored Mike in their prayers, charges, and commentary on the process and how he navigated his way through it. They were right. I saw it. God certainly spent the last year pruning his servant - growing humility and patience and wisdom. We are thankful. And now that I think of it...a bit nervous...because a pattern is emerging...God teaching us through stripping us of the things we are most confident in at the time.

Day of - one of the highlights was having the Kays join us for the celebration. Tim is one of our pastors from Atlanta and he preached the sermon from Ezekiel - God's rebuke of the unfaithful shepherds and his call to be a faithful shepherd. Above - the placemat making, bulletin folding party. Below - supper before the service. Would you believe that 10 people ate dinner and got ready and got out the door ON TIME? And we just have one bathroom!

Grace Lutheran Church is where Harbor's Uptown site meets on Sunday evenings. They let us use their sanctuary for the service. This is the dessert table in the fellowship hall.

These are the LOVELY flowers that Amy Veerman had delivered for the reception. They were perfect - fall-ish and beautiful. (Amy, that was one of the short ones. The best part was these huge maroonish green leaves that they wrapped around the inside of the vase. So pretty. One lady commented, "Those weren't just thrown together.") Not a great picture - they were more vibrant than this shows.

One day, weeks before the service, Olivia was cutting and gluing paper and made this little placemat. I loved it. So I asked her and the Kay girls to make a bunch more to put on the tables at the reception. I thought they were fun and colorful and Olivia loved having somthing she made there.

Chad practicing. I think Mike enjoyed picking the music best. We did two traditional hymns - Come Thou Fount and Holy, Holy, Holy. These have been some of the first hymns we taught our kids - so they could sing along. Chad also played two of his tunes that have become particularly special to us. You can listen to them at soundandshape.com. Click on the sound and shape radio link in the upper right corner - Isaiah 12 and Awake, Awake are the second two songs. (By the way, that's my lady like girl in the pink tights in the back. Apparently she needs the charm school my mother sent me to.)