Dear Shepherdess: My husband at tended the Ontario, Canada, camp meeting this past summer and took part in the ordination of seven men to the gospel ministry. He told me of the lovely way the ordination was conducted. I asked Jackie Beck, the conference pres ident's wife, to tell us about it. I feel we should make these special services out standing, and this is what was done in Oshawa on July third.
Jackie writes: "We felt we wanted to include something for the ladies as we planned the ordination. We thought it would be nice to give them a charge or welcome along with the men. A good part of the minister's success depends on the attitude of his wife. Ginny Geary, wife of the Ministerial secretary, the soloist, and I sat on the rostrum with the speakers. Because the platform was small the ordainees and their wives sat on the front row in the audience, with their families behind them. My husband presented the candidates, and they each came onto the rostrum, standing behind the seated speakers. After all had been introduced, other ordained ministers in the congregation were invited to come to the rostrum, where the ordination prayer was given by Elder L. G. Lowe, and hands were laid on the kneeling men.
"At the close of this prayer the wives of the newly ordained men took their places beside their husbands. At this point Mrs. Geary and I pinned white carnation corsages on the women, whis pering a word of welcome and kissing each on the cheek. I started on the left and Mrs. Geary on the right, and as we met in the middle each continued through the line-up, so each wife had been greeted by us both. Mrs. Santos held the box of flowers for us.
"Elder How gave the charee and Isa bel Santos sang "So Send I You." At the close of her solo Elder Beck gave the welcome to the men, and I followed with a welcome to the wives: "To the fulfilling and meaningful role of Shepherdess of the Flock, I wel come you today, to stand by the side of your husbands, who, by the laying on of hands, have been set apart for the greatest work ever committed to man.
"'Your role, as part of his ministry, is very important. By your actions, and by your words, you enhance his ministry, and you give him the encouragement so vital to satisfying service.
"'In order for your experience to be most rewarding, I welcome you to a life of prayer, of personal commitment, and sympathetic involvement in your hus band's work, cheerfully bearing times of loneliness and separation, whether in the homeland or perhaps on a faraway shore, living not for self but for others.
" 'If you can feel fulfilled in your hus band's achievements, and find your joy in seeing lives transformed, yours will be a thrilling day-by-day experience from which you will never seek release.
To this, I welcome you today.' "The couples received the blessing and congratulation of their fellow min isters and the congregation after the benediction." I believe after a service conducted in this way the wife would, indeed, feel she, too, was chosen.
Muriel Phillips, a young pastor's wife, and mother and music teacher, writes some encouraging words from Gonzales, Louisiana. I have felt lonely at times, though surrounded by people, perhaps because my husband must be occupied instead of being at my side in meetings.
I'm glad Muriel gives us some positive ideas for overcoming the villain of lone liness. With Love, Kay.
TELEPHONE CALLS, prayer meet ings, church services, socials occasion ally, homemaking always, child train ing perpetually, intermittent secretarial work, choir rehearsals, letters from rel atives and friends and the pastor's wife is lonely? You bet! It is uncommon to find a person from any situation in life who has not, at one time or another, been lonely. Loneliness is not a problem peculiar to pastors' wives.
By contrast, however, the aloneness that most pastors' wives experience is of a sort distinctive to persons associated with positions of authority. For exam ple, pastors and their wives encounter the same basic type of loneliness that school principals, conference and com pany presidents, and others in similar occupations face.
It's the loneliness of making decisions that affect many people and knowing that always there will be some who will object. It's the loneliness of wondering whether the parishioners we consider friends are, alas, only religious politi cians. It's the loneliness of knowing that we must be all things to all members, realizing that partiality undermines our husband's total ministry. It's the loneli ness of watching others enjoying family and relatives, well knowing that we will be fortunate to see ours once this year. It's the loneliness of anticipating but two annual festivals with friends of a feather (ministers' meetings). It's the loneliness of a responsibility that's be yond all of us to be a Christian every moment.
But FLEE such negative review of our plight! How can we overcome the villain loneliness? 1. Praise God as Christians we are assured of an unchanging Friend in Jesus. Have we left Him till last lately? 2. Allow our husbands to be our very best friends. And why not? Who else knows how nice we tried to be to Ms.
Gossip today, with such hopeless re sults? Who else knows our food and dress preferences as he knows the nose on his face? And just who else did God create to be our closest confidant and companion? 3. Make family happiness indepen dent of how many invitations we receive or how much money we have.
4. Periods of aloneness can be times of oneness with God and a time for selfinventory.
5. Organize a ministerial association auxilliary. Pastors' wives of other faiths may experience similar difficulties and joys that we do.
6. Devote one morning per week (friend number 1 can baby-sit) to Com munity Services. Visit our neighbor, at tend Dorcas, visit the local rest home or isolated members. 7. Form a secret-pal program among the pastors' wives of the conference.
8. Begin a daytime ABC prayer group for the ladies of the church. Invite about four or five at a time.
9. Be grateful that in our position we cannot afford the "luxury" of a clique.
When thou makest a feast, call the poor, the rich, the youth, the aged, the hand some, the ugly, those who cannot repay and those who also are lonely.
