12 Comments

Beautiful. Thank you and CONGRATULATIONS!

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I'm so happy for you and love how through this very long journey, God was there to love you and shower you with great friends and restored (ish) relationships to the very end. Praying over you joy and peace. Congrats!

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Im just a random reader from California, but your ordination was beautiful, Jeff. I cried and grinned my face off. So many people cheering you on! I loved especially the laying on of hands - what a cloud of witnesses! (Also, it was a little bittersweet to see a similar lineup to Rachel's funeral. I'm sure she is so proud and happy for you.) It was lovely to see your family. I'm so glad your parents were there. It was a wonderful service and such a picture of God's kingdom.

If you and Rev Fozzie could pray for me as I have some important meetings and deadlines this week, but im dealing with some depression. I need to be creative, confident, and sparkly, but I feel like a blob of gray sludge. Bad timing.

Congratulations again. (And you're right, Thomas does get a bad rap!)

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Congratulations on your ordination! You have long been a pastor now you can claim the title.

Thank you for the much appreciated sermon. Thomas' story has always resonated with me and the focus on embodiment lead me straight to so many dear friends who walk the walk every day. Cant wait to share your perfectly formed thoughts with them.

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Congratulations! I'm so glad it was such a special experience for you. And as another "random reader" (from Germany and not great with time zones, so I tuned in an hour late), it was a joy to follow along with the service from afar.

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Oh this is so wonderful. I was cheering you on from Raleigh! I've loved reading all of the different accounts (Sarah, Nadia) you are so loved by so many!!! Thank you for sharing the sermon - I look forward to sitting down and watching the whole thing - CONGRATULATIONS! Now get some rest!

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Ahhh so beautiful! I love all the “ you embody the good news when…”. This one will stay with me. “You embody good news when you honor others’ humanity and cherish others’ stories, especially those unlike your own”. Thank you for being the wise souls that you are and sharing your words with us. It truly is a joy to read your work. Take good care of yourself after all this hoopla. And love your precious words about your parents.

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Congratulations on your ordination and for serving your parents communion and having them hear you preach for the first time. 🙌🏻🙌🏻❤️❤️🥹

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"You embody good news when..." -- I'm copying those parts and looking at them throughout the day. Such good reminders of what the Kingdom of God looks like in the daily routine. Thanks, and congratulations on your ordination.

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Jeff, I was so sorry not to be able to watch your ordination live but I am thrilled to see the link to watch now. I have to tell you that seeing your parents, Grace and Tim, brought me to tears. They are dear long-time friends and I understand that you and they have not agreed on everything but seeing them there was such a testimony to the love of parents for their offspring. I stand in awe of how they gave in to that love and were there for you.

I loved the excerpts from your sermon. I look forward to your email every week.

His and yours,

Caroline Stone Ruppar

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Congratulations Jeff! What a gift to be present virtually and witness your ordination. Thank you for serving us here…for me, you are one of my pastors.

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Your message on your Ordination day was so very timely for me. Thank you!

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