Stephen's Ordination - Sequence Two

Here's Stephen showing off his very pastoral suit and Betsy her best "pastor's wife" outfit. They were very excited and ready to head off for the ordination.
These are the pictures I took during the Ordination. I figured since I had a front row seat that I should take advantage of the close up perspective. This first one is of Jacob with Leah and Sarah Crowley. All three of them assisted in the worship. Jacob and Sarah were confirmed in the church the next day.Many members from our church have entered the ministry and their pictures are displayed on a wall leading into the sanctuary. Prior to the ordination a new frame had been positioned, ready for Stephen's ordination picture.
Jacob and Sarah lit the pew candles.
After lighting all the candles, Jacob was ready to move to the back of the church for the processional. I caught him in front of Stephen's red stole, which Betsy created.
Jacob carried the cross to lead the processional, and then faced the congregation as the choir and ministers moved to their positions.
Bishop Kevin Kanouse greeted the gathering and explained what the ordination service was about.
For a "high mass" like this service, there is a Gospel procession, where the Bible is led by the cross and the torches, and then the Gospel message is delivered from the center of the main aisle, in the heart of the congregation.
This is during the Rite of Ordination where the ministers read a number of Bible verses to Stephen.
Here is Pastor Eric Murray from Messiah Lutheran, which is the church where Stephen was baptized and Nancy and Jim were married.
Stephen served communion to all his relatives, including his Grandpa Roland.
Jacob led the procession out of the sanctuary.
After the service Grandma Joan, Nancy's mother, worked hard to wipe away her tears of joy. Nancy's sister Mary Sue and Maggie assure her that all will be well.
Betsy and Stephen breathe a big sigh of relief after the service.
Then it was time for formal pictures. I don't think I've seen so many pictures taken since our return from Indonesia.
This is a view of all the ministers who participated in the service.
Here is Stephen and Bishop Kanouse, with Senior Pastor Steve at the far left.
Stephen with all the St. John's ministers (Steve, Amy, John).
Here's the Friedrich family ready to strike a pose.
And strike a pose they did!
Our boys, with Jacob giving it his best Hollywood glam pose.
Stephen with his Grandparents Roland and Mitzi (Jim's parents).
Stephen with Grandma Joan (Nancy's mother).
Stephen with Karen and Wally from Beautiful Savior Lutheran Church, Amarillo.
Stephen with Katha and Jim O'Hatnick, family friends who presented him for ordination as part of the service.
This beautiful cake was served during the reception. For the record it was both white and chocolate under all that white icing.
Afterwards the family gang gathered at our house. Jacob gave an impromptu marching band demonstration in the back yard. You can see by the jackets that the temperature was getting cold.
Here's Jacob wailing away on his sax and demonstrating his marching.
Erica was not feeling good and Laura gave her a big dose of Tender Loving Care.
Jacob also provided some musical entertainment after dinner with his ukulele. Meanwhile Kaley provided several drum solos.
Brooke, Craig and Doug enjoyed the music...
as did Mary Sue, Maggie, Joan, and the corgi.

Here's Stephen the next day after serving as the celebrant for the Reformation Day worship.

Stephen's Ordination - Sequence One

This first sequence of pictures from the ordination is the most comprehensive, taken by my brother Mark. The next sequence to be posted will be the ones from my camera, and then finally we will put up the formal photographs taken by Owen Peterson, our church photographer extraordinaire.

Before the service we hung out in the Welcome Center and visited. Stephen greeted his cousin Kaley and checked her book for Bible parallels.
Stephen and Jacob have enjoyed their time together since our return from Indonesia. Stephen has done wonderful things like take Jacob to school when it's been wet, or when Jacob has been late.
Here's part of my side of the family, starting with my Aunt Elsie, mother Mitzi, brother Doug, father Roland and uncle Cal.
Craig and Brooke arrived 30 minutes before the service, quite a feat! They had time to visit with PA Mack and grandma Joan, along with Nancy's sister Jill.
Maggie and Nancy's sister Mary Sue joined the ever growing crowd.
Betsy waiting patiently (sort of) for this day, for this moment, and it was here!
Jacob led the procession carrying the cross, which unfortunately extends beyond the top of the picture.
Family friends Jim and Katha O'Hatnick represented the St. John's congregation in presenting Stephen for ordination.
Stephen was addressed by the many pastors on hand. Here Rev. Laura Bostrum reads a Bible verse, while Pastor Eric Murray waits his turn.
Reverend Kevin Kanouse, the Bishop of Northern Texas-Northern Louisiana Synod, presided over the service.
This is the start of the "laying on of hands" which usually consists of the gathered ministers gathering around the ordinand and connecting with hands on his shoulders. However, in what proved to be quite powerful and moving, Rev. Kanouse asked everyone present to come forward and participate in the "laying on of hands". Nancy and I got to stand directly behind Stephen and we certainly felt the Holy Spirit.
It was time to present Stephen with the beautiful red stole, created by Betsy.


Then Stephen was presented to the congregation as an official pastor of the church.
He was invited to say a few words and in an un-pastor-like moment, limited himself to just a few words.

Communion was served next and it was wonderful to be some of the first members served by Stephen in his full pastoral capacity.
The worship nearly over, the pastors processed towards the Baptismal Fount at the back of the church.
The service was followed by picture time! It was as if we were back in Indonesia!

Included in this gang is: Laura Stancher, who is in her final year of seminary, who is Stephen's age and has shared many Sunday School and confirmation classes with him; Rev. Bob Blanton, who serves in ELCA Disaster Relief in Mississippi; our senior pastor Steve Misenheimer; Stephen; Rev. Eric Murray, Rev. Amy Figg, our too young to be senior pastor, and Ingrid Shalk, who is in her internship year of seminary and has been connected to our family for many years.
That guy on the far right is Rev. John Tiro, our newest pastor at St. John's and an incredible musical tour de force.
Here's Stephen with Betsy and her parents, Carol and Steve Ward.
Here we are with the new pastor and pastor's wife.
Here's our family portrait. Hopefully Craig posed more formally in the real portrait.
The boys, what a tremendous gift from God they are!
This is the view we see of them more often.
Here's Stephen with my parents, Roland and Mitzi Friedrich.
And Stephen with Nancy's mother Joan, who hoped to live long enough to see Stephen get ordained. It's not like she's sick at all...she just needed a good goal to look forward to.
We have known the O'Hatnicks for many years, even back before Stephen was born. Our families are in parallel children universes, as we each have kids roughly the same age.
Here's a gathered gang of the Olcott side along with the Friedrich family. Yes, Brooke is considered part of the family...just ask Jacob!
We threw in an extra shot just for good measure.