This morning I was at the cathedral in Boston where two friends of mine were ordained deacons. Jim and Frank are parishioners in Concord where I served as pastor for 25 years. What a gift it was to be part of that community in which these two discerned a vocation to the diaconate! What a great day for their wives and children and the whole parish! During the rite of ordination to the diaconate, the bishop presents each newly ordained with the Book of the Gospels (pictured below). As he does so, he says to each deacon:
Receive the Gospel of Christ, whose herald you now are.
Believe what you read.
Teach what you believe.
Practice what you teach.
Let's pray for the newly ordained deacons and for ourselves...
The good news of the gospel is your gift to all of us, Lord:
we are made in your image,
loved, forgiven and saved!
Healed by your saving Word,
you charge each of us with sharing your good news
in our everyday words and deeds...
Keep us faithful to your gospel, searching its pages
for truth, counsel and wisdom:
help us believe what we read...
Give us the faith, the will and the courage
to share with others, friends and strangers all,
your name, your story, your promise and your love...
By the way we live all that you reveal,
help us "walk our talk"
and put into practice the Word we speak...
Make us heralds of your gospel, Lord:
believing what we read,
sharing what we believe,
faithfully walking our talk...
Protect us, Lord, while we're awake
and watch over us while we sleep
that awake, we might keep watch with you
and asleep, rest in your peace...
Amen.
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Your Walk Talks by the Mark Trammell Quartet
Walk talks, walk talks... Walk talks, walk talks...
There's an account we read about the Pharisees
in the Bible days way back when
How they criticized the Lord Jesus Christ
for eating with sinful men
Jesus turned to say love is the only way
so let your actions speak louder than your words
Though the years have passed this truth will last
a lesson that we all could learn.
You know, your walk talks, and your talk talks
But your walk talks louder than your talk talks
Your behavior toward your neighbor
Is really how you feel about the Savior
When you exemplify and shine the Light of Christ
You know the number in the kingdom will be multiplied.
Yes, your walk talks, and your talk talks,
But your walk talks louder than your talk talks.
Walk talks, walk talks... Walk talks, walk talks...
What did you do today to give your love away
To a lost and hurting soul?
Did you lend a hand to a fellow man
And help him on down the road?
When we illuminate we takes the dark away
So let your little light shine
When we follow through with what we say and do
The Father will be glorified.
Do those things that Christ would do: be loving, kind and caring
Preach the gospel to all men use words when necessary
Chorus
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