In a beautiful, sacred worship service last month, Amanda Howard was licensed as our church’s worship pastor, and afterwards, people asked me to share the vows that she affirmed. I am so proud of this special young woman–a leader in her generation–and I am pleased to post her vows here.
This is the script of the vows that I read to Amanda with her simple, profound responses. Let’s insert our own names into these vows, modifying them to fit our own callings, and then let’s live them every day for the rest of our lives.
Amanda, do you affirm that you have experienced God’s call to serve our church in the capacity of our worship pastor? I do.
Remembering your baptism, do you reaffirm your faith in Jesus Christ as your personal Lord and Savior? I do.
Do you believe the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments to be the Word of God, totally trustworthy, fully inspired by the Holy Spirit, and the only infallible rule of faith and practice? I do.
Is Jesus’ life and ministry your standard and pursuit in all your ministry efforts and personal interactions with people both inside and outside the church? It is.
Will you promise to live a life commensurate with this calling to service in the church? I will.
Will you value and prioritize humility, love, courage, ongoing learning, and reliance on the Holy Spirit in your ministry? I will.
In your role as our worship pastor will you model for us what it means to live by faith, to be known by love, and to be a voice of hope for our world? I can and I will.