On a day that was like any other day, I was doing the work of the church.  The day was October 27, 2005, my twentieth anniversary of my ordination into ministry with full standing in the United Church of Christ.  I've thought about that anniversary and where the time has gone.

My ordination certificate hangs in my office with the signature of the Rev. Dr. Paul Peters, my Association Minister who ordained me.  The Rev. Peters went on to the national setting and retired.  He was Eastern Ohio Interim Association Minister and retired, again.  For a number of years he cared for his ailing wife until her death.  He has recently found a lady friend, and when I saw them in the fall, they were making wedding plans. My ordination certificate also has the signature of the Rev. Dr. Avery Post, who was at that time the President of the United Church of Christ.  The Rev. Post retired as fourth president after serving from 1977 until 1989.  After Dr. Post came the Rev. Dr. Paul H. Sherry, fifth president who served from 1989 until he retired in 1999 as part of the restructuring of the United Church of Christ.  The Rev. John H. Thomas became the sixth President of the United Church of Christ in 1999, was reelected and is the current General Minister and President of the United Church of Christ.

When I was ordained, the United States 40th president was President Ronald W. Reagan.  Next was the 41st president, President George H. W. Bush, followed by the 42nd president, President William J. Clinton, and the current and 43rd president, President George W. Bush.  That is a lot of history from the release of the Iranian hostages, the invasion of Granada, the Gulf War, the War in Bosnia, the War in Somalia, unprecedented economic growth, the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, and the War on Terrorism.  There were two space shuttles lost, one in the ascent to space and the second in the descent from space.  There the Columbine shootings, which introduced a new term "school lock-down."  There was the first attack on the World Trade Center Towers and then the 9/11 attack in the World Trade Center Towers, which also included the flight into the Pentagon and the flight that went down in Somerset, PA, which introduced the Terrorist Advisory (green, blue, yellow, orange, red). 

In the last two decades there were also terms introduced to daily vocabulary such as AIDS, bio-terrorism (anthrax), Mad Cow Disease, desk top computer, laptop/notebook, PDA (personal digital assistant), e-mail, spam, blog, internet, mobile phone, text message, HD TV (high definition television), flat screen, Global Positioning, hanging chads, Google, Microsoft, reality television, digital photography, various flu viruses (such as Hong Kong, Asian, and most recently Avian or Bird), commercials with ED, CDs, and DVDs, to mention just a few.

There were also in the last two decades terms that seemed to be fading into history such as the Soviet Union, the Berlin Wall, Cold War, conventional war, floppy disks, Volkswagen Beetle, long-term hospital stay, chicken pox, smoking sections, Nintendo, situation comedy, black and white photography, World War veterans, denominational loyalty, gas-under-a-dollar, long-distance call, Made in the USA, personality radio, Revised Standard Version Bible, Pilgrim Hymnal (the maroon one), The Hymnal (the old blue one), Hymnal UCC (the red one), and Ma Bell.

During that time I have served congregations in Ashtabula, Ohio; Delaware, Ohio; Bethesda, Maryland; Bel Air, Maryland; and now, Defiance, Ohio.  I have had the privilege to share with families in those intimate moments of joy and crisis: births, medical crisis, personal crisis, and death.  I've also been honored with those times of   passage and meaningful rituals in baptisms, confirmations, weddings, anniversaries, funerals/memorials, and holy communion.

In the last twenty plus years Arevena and I have reared three wonderful children.  Matt married Michelle and gave us our first granddaughter, Isabella; Heather married Seann and gave us our first grandchild, a grandson, Colin; and Jonathan was a student at Montgomery College in Maryland but has transferred to the Ohio State University.  During that time Arevena worked for a major insurance company with the mainframe computers.  In Maryland, she worked in commercial property management, and now she works in property management for  low-income senior citizens.  She was loved and appreciated by those she worked for and with in each setting.  Together we shared an apartment, a church parsonage, our first home, our second home and now our third home.

With so many changes in family (we are getting older and our family is growing) and our world which has changed so much since I was ordained, the constant has been our God.  The author of Hebrews reminds us, "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever." Hebrews 13:8 The Psalmist reminds us, in the midst of all the changes and challenges, "Be still before the LORD, and wait patiently for him; do not fret over those who prosper in their way, over those who carry out evil devices." Psalm 37:7  And, "'Be still, and know that I am God!  I am exalted among the nations, I am exalted in the earth.'  The LORD of host is with us; the God of Jacob is our   refuge." Psalm 47:10-11 Our God puts all these changes in perspective. 
Our God is the one in whom we put our trust.

Bill

Your partner in ministry,
The Rev. Dr. William R. Nirote