"On the Eve of Ordination" by Lynn KIinlin ARCWP

A murder of crows

A congregation of alligators

Perhaps even a parliament of owls

Not a flock of sheep

A  bunch of priests and a bishop

moving alongside, not behind Jesus

They’ve had me in a witness protection program, you know

It works just fine

They do the witnessing

I get the protection.

They live and think and pray

with deliberate love and willingness to go where

ministry takes them.

Meanwhile, I savor

Discernment undercover

Safe harbor with a front row seat on fishers of souls

Gracious suggestions, not commands or demands

Osmosis learning, invisible and enveloping

These months of candidacy have been an Emmaus power walk to exercise my fledgling faith.

Tomorrow, I will stand ready to witness

But I stand on their shoulders

In mutual assured protection

Let the Body of Christ be assured:

There will be many more streaming out of witness protection with original blessing

A cacophony of gadflies

A tower of giraffes

A changing of the guard