General Church of the New Jerusalem (1916)

General Church of the New Jerusalem

Liturgyfor the General Church of the New Jerusalem

ORDINATION

All kneeling, the Bishop shall repeat one of the following, or other suitable Prayer:

O Lord, our Redeemer and Savior; we beseech Thee to bless Thy servant now about to enter (more fully) among those who teach Thy Word and lead in the way of heaven; enlighten him by Thy Holy Spirit; warm his heart; strengthen his hands; give him knowledge and understanding, that he may see Thy truth and follow Thee, seeking to know only Thy Divine will and Thy Divine law, in Thy presence evermore. Amen.

O Lord Jesus Christ, who art our King and High Priest forever; we pray Thee for the fulness of Thy presence in this act and ordinance of Thy Church; come Thou, O Lord, with light and power, to give enlightenment and strength to this Thy servant now entering (more fully) upon the duties of the priestly office; be Thou with him in the work that is before him; bless his ministrations for the good of Thy Church; lead him in the way of truth and order in the promotion of Thy Divine work of leading souls to Thy kingdom; as he works so may he grow in knowledge and intelligence, and in all good, that he may fulfill the measure of his use, to the honor and glory of Thy holy name. Amen.

The Minister and People shall say together:

Our Father, who art in the heavens, hallowed be Thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, as in heaven so upon the earth.

Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we also forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For Thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever. Amen.

 

 

THE FIRST DEGREE.

The Candidate still kneeling, the Bishop standing shall lay on his hands, and shall say:

In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, I do hereby ordain thee a Priest of the New Church, in the first degree of the office of the Priesthood.

The Bishop shall then say:

The Lord bless thee and keep thee; the Lord make His face to shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee; the Lord lift up His countenance upon thee, and give thee peace. Amen.

The Minister rising, the Bishop shall say to him:

By this act of ordination thou art authorized to preach the Doctrines of the New Church, to lead in public worship, and to administer the sacrament of Baptism; and so to teach men the way to heaven, and lead them therein.

The Bishop placing the stole shall say:

By this sign it shall be known that you are furnished and prepared to perform the duties pertaining to the first degree of the priestly office.

The Bishop may then say:

You have been introduced into the first degree of the Priesthood of the New Church, and I now recognize you as a Minister in the General Church of the New Jerusalem.

 

THE SECOND DEGREE.

The Minister still kneeling, the Bishop standing shall lay on his hands, and shall say:

In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, I do hereby ordain thee a Priest of the New Church, in the second degree of the office of the Priesthood.

The Bishop shall then administer the Blessing as above.

The Minister rising, the Bishop shall say to him:

In addition to the duties already conferred, thou art by this act of ordination authorized to administer the Holy Supper, to consecrate marriages, to preside over a Society of the Church; and so to enter more fully into the use of teaching men the way to heaven, and of leading them therein.

The Bishop placing the stole shall say;

By this sign it shall be known that you are furnished and prepared to perform the duties pertaining to the second degree of the priestly office.

The Bishop may then say:

You have been introduced into the second degree of the Priesthood of the New Church, and I now recognize you as a Pastor in the General Church of the New Jerusalem.

 

 

THE THIRD DEGREE.

The Minister still kneeling, the Bishop standing shall lay on his hands, and shall say :

In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, I do hereby ordain thee a Priest of the New Church, in the third degree of the office of the Priesthood.

The Bishop shall then administer the Blessing as above.

The Minister rising, the Bishop shall say to him:

In addition to the duties already conferred, thou art by this act of ordination authorized to ordain ministers, and to preside over a general body of the Church; and so to enter still more fully into the use of teaching men the way to heaven, and of leading them therein.

The Bishop placing the stole shall say:

By this sign it shall be known that you are furnished and prepared to perform the duties pertaining to the third degree of the priestly office.

The Bishop may then say:

You have been introduced into the third degree of the priesthood of the New Church, and I now recognize you as a Bishop in the General Church of the New Jerusalem.

The Bishop may then say to the Minister, Pastor or Bishop, newly ordained:

By this act of inauguration you are introduced (more fully) into our use of charity among men ; and as a man is regenerated by his use of charity, when he shuns evils as sins, so the priest by the faithful performance of the duties of his function, and by a loyal obedience to the laws of order as applied to his use, is led in the path of heaven and eternal life; even as we read in the Heavenly Doctrine concerning charity in the priest: — If he looks to the Lord and shuns evils as sins, and performs sincerely, justly, and faithfully, the work of the Ministry, he does the good of use continually, and becomes charity in form. And he does the good of use, or the work of the Ministry, sincerely, justly, and faithfully, when the salvation of souls affects him; and as this affects him, so truths affect him, because by them he leads souls to heaven; and he leads souls by truths to heaven when he leads them to the Lord. His love then is to teach truths diligently from the Word, because when he teaches them from the Word, he teaches them from the Lord. For the Lord is not only the Word, but He is the Way, the Truth, and the Life, and also the Door; wherefore he who enters by the Lord as the Door into the sheepfold is a good shepherd; but he who does not enter by the Lord as the Door into the sheepfold is an evil shepherd, who is called a thief and a robber.

In this teaching of the Heavenly Doctrine concerning charity in the priest, we learn that he is to look to the Lord, and he is to shun evils as sins. This is the sum of the law and the prophets, the sum of all Divine Truth, the two universals of salvation and eternal life. When this is done by a priest in his use, he then performs his use sincerely, justly, and faithfully, and is a good shepherd providing for the welfare of the sheep; and he is affected by the love of the salvation of souls, which is from the Divine Love, and the Divine End, of the salvation of the human race, and the formation of an angelic heaven; and he is affected by the love of the salvation of souls when he is affected by truths, for truths are what save souls. He therefore looks to the Lord when he looks to the truths of His Word, and follows those truths, without regard to the allurements of the world, and with- out fear of any consequences to himself; for he knows that the Lord will protect and provide for everyone who faithfully performs the work of his use, and the duty of his calling.

The duty of the priest then, as the duty of all men, is given in sum in the Divine injunction to look to the Lord, and to shun evils as sins; the application of which is left to every ne, according to the illustration that is given him, and the spiritual discernment in the duties of his use.

And now may the Lord go with you in all your walks, and by the Spirit of truth lead you into all truth. Amen.

A Hymn or Psalm of Praise may be sung, and the Benediction may follow.