“It’s all about the call. It’s all about the message. It’s all about the people.” Those were words the Very Rev. John Burwell, Rector of Church of the Redeemer, Orangeburg, stressed in his sermon at the ordination to the priesthood of the Rev. Matthew Rivers, Tuesday, November 27, 2018 at St. John’s Chapel in Charleston.
“It’s not a job. You can’t treat it like one,” said Burwell. “It’s a calling.” He noted that though the ordination itself would be “glorious,” the ministry entails hard, often thankless work and clergy rarely see the result of their efforts.
He encouraged Rivers, using words spoken to him personally by the late Bishop Terry Kelshaw, saying, “Preach the Word – the good news – every Sunday and your church will grow.”
Burwell also encouraged Rivers to focus on the people. Quoting his grandmother, he said, “They don’t care what you know until they know you care.” “Love the people the Lord puts in your path,” he said.
(Diocese of SC) Matthew Rivers Ordained to the Priesthood https://t.co/rfMxlyuuY5 #anglican #parishministry #southcarolina #lowcountrylife #charlestonsc @HolyCitySinner “They don’t care what you know until they know you care” pic.twitter.com/KrB7ZtNsE0
— Kendall Harmon (@KendallHarmon6) December 6, 2018