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affirmed


i cannot express today the feeling i have. this picture that i found sort of expresses it but not really. for the last ten years i have poured myself into this vocation, daring to believe that God, the very God of all creation, has called me, even me, to this work. along the way many have affirmed me in this journey, but i have continued to work for the ultimate affirmation, ordination as an elder in the united methodist church.
and now i have it. after two grueling (and i mean grueling in every possible sense, really) days i recieved the call today that the board voted to recommend me to the annual conference for ordination as an elder. and as i have already said, i cannot even begin to express the emotion i feel with words like relief, joy and satisfaction.
there will be plenty of time for me to reflect on this and i will have more to say about it as i do that reflecting, but today is really a day for celebrating for me, and for thanking those who have journeyed with me and supported me and sometimes put up with me because of this journey.
affirmed,
greg.

Comments

Anonymous said…
My brother I have been praying for you since we saw each other last night. I am so happy for you. Celebrate it all, you deserve it. Squeeze those beautiful children close , hold on fast to the wife and soak it all in.

It has been a long ride!
Megan said…
congrats on your ordination!
Kevin and Amy said…
Well this is really spectacular news. Honestly, how fantastic that both God and men agree that you are designed for this role.

Many, many congratulations and I hope you can really enjoy this time. For the record...I'm pretty sure that none of your GCC friends are surprised to hear that you've achieved this accomplishment! And I hope to see it mentioned in the next edition of the ol' Gedunk magazine!!!!
Crafty P said…
AWESOME! I just saw your update on FB and ran over here as fast as my computer would allow me too!

You deserve a special treat- maybe a little dessert.... some vino! Hook 'em up Shannon! I know she's celebrating the heck out of you!

Congratulations!

huge sigh,
CMC
greg milinovich said…
thank you all for the congratulations. i am humbled and overjoyed. thank you so much.
Anonymous said…
Hey, congratulations. Now tell me, because I'm an outsider to UMC polity: is this the final step?
greg milinovich said…
its pretty much the end, man. all that remains is for the clergy session at annual conference to vote on the board's recommendation, but that is pretty much a rubber stamp. so, i just wait until annual conference at the end of may and i will be ordained. and then that part of the process is over. as united methodists (wesleyans) we believe that we are always moving on to perfection in love (sanctification), so i'm never 'done' so to speak. but that's not what you meant.
peace,
greg.
Anonymous said…
Ah yes, I remember well the language of Wesleyan sanctification from Asbury--part of why I'm a Lutheran today!
Anonymous said…
yay! this is great. celebrate! one of the bridges to orthodoxy for me is the idea of sanctification. now i call it theosis, but it is the same idea, was saved, being saved and will be saved. blessings on this next step of your journey.
Anonymous said…
Was there ever any doubt? ;)
Congratulations!

Joe
Anonymous said…
like i said on the phone yesterday, YOU DA (clergy)MAN!!!!!
Dan said…
Congratulations Greg. Karen and I are so very proud and happy for you. We new you could do it.
Erin said…
greg! many congrats! i was praying for you. i had no doubts...
Anonymous said…
Like someone else already said, was there any doubt???? Congrats man and hope to see you soon.
I can somewhat understand what an amazing, difficult, wonderful, and every other adjective journey this has been. Big giant congratulations to you. Going to ask for return prayers in March for my hubby ;)
greg milinovich said…
you got it, karen.
Anonymous said…
Just for the sake of clarification, I should point out that I became a Lutheran not because of a common bridge between Wesley's sanctification and Luther's (as Monica points out was the case for her conversion to the Eastern church), but because of the stark difference between the two.
Anonymous said…
Dude- you rock! Next trip to Red Bank is on me!
greg milinovich said…
i understood, pete. as wesley himself would have said, "in essentials: unity; in non-essentials: liberty; and in all things: charity."
grace and peace,
greg.
Anonymous said…
Yes indeed. Let us be charitable to each other, for our non-essential differences are far outweighed by our essential similarities.
Be Blessed.

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