I have been a priest for more than eight and a half years. I have officiated at countless Masses, baptisms and funerals, but only a few, twenty or so, weddings. Not very many of my friends have gotten married, and I've never worked in a church with lots of weddings.
Yesterday was the wedding of one of my former confirmands. And, coincidentally, confirmations and weddings are the only worship services that always make nervous. Not that I think the bride and groom ever notice it, but I feel the flutter in my stomach, and I check and re-check everything.
There's simply so much that can go wrong. The car with the couple can get stuck in traffic, the cantor might play the wrong music, I might say the wrong names... This time, though, nothing went wrong. As usual, of course, the nervousness is seldom called for.
It was a sweet and pretty simple ceremony. Straight out of the Church of Sweden service book (English-speaking readers might call it the Book of Worship, or Book of Common Prayer), and yet the couple and relatives were very happy and thought it was personal and different. I smiled, and thought quietly to myself "Yes, of course, I'm young(-ish) and female, and you expect all priests to be old and male. That's all the difference it takes", but of course they're right. Knowing the young couple makes the big difference, the other things just contribute.
Yeah, it was a good day.
3 kommentarer:
Have met the same respons, but - however;
I think the difference was that you are young - female or male don´t matter that much...
At least I hope so, being "young-ish" male priest my self! :)
*smiles* yes, of course. The young part is what matters most, although it is often followed by comments about how different women priests are...
Well, on that matter, I can only say... Fine! you got me on that one! *smiles bigtime*
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