In 1980 there was a...
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In 1980 there was a gathering to celebrate the Tenth Anniversary of the ordination of women into Lutheran churches in the U.S.A. It was held at a Franciscan Motherhouse in the Midwest. The theme of the gathering was from this text: "Therefore, having this ministry by the mercy of God, we do not lose heart." (4:1) All the participants wore buttons which said: "By the mercy of God." As the days went on, more and more of the sisters at the Motherhouse appeared wearing the buttons! The closing Eucharist was held in a sanctuary which was two stories high. The second story had a balcony, where elderly nuns could come from their rooms and observed the services. At the close of the Eucharist, we all walked out in procession, singing the hymn: "On Our Way Rejoicing." We looked up, and there were many elderly sisters in full habit, standing around the balcony, waving and clapping their hands. It was an experience not to be forgotten, as those veiled faces opened us to the wonder of all the people of God sharing in the ministry of the Gospel. All of our ministries are from the mercy of God, and in that we all go "On Our Way Rejoicing."
