By her own and others’ accounts, the Rev. Davette Turk has always had a thing for ruffling feathers.
“I believe in shaking things up,” said Turk, 75, of Jacksonville. “Jesus shook a lot of people up, and I believe in shaking people up for the sake of love.”
Today is the 25th anniversary of one major way in which Turk did just that: Becoming a priest in the Jacksonville-based Episcopal Diocese of Florida. That made her the state’s first female Episcopal priest, a fact that didn’t sit well with many.
Please…count me out.
Intercessor
When anyone seeks ordination to “shake things up” rather than to lead people to Jesus and build them up in him, I think they seek ordination for the wrong reason.
I had the experience of traveling in the middle East with her on a tour back in the 90s… She never missed an opportunity to disregard signs, ignore warnings, or disobey directives. The topper was watching her dive (fully clothed) in and do the backstroke in the Jordan (posted: no swimming) and then sit on the edge of the river wearing a tallit.
Priestess. Not Priest.