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ordination
ordination
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Also known as: holy orders
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ordination, in Christian churches, a rite for the dedication and commissioning of ministers. The essential ceremony consists of the laying of hands of the ordaining minister upon the head of the one being ordained, with prayer for the gifts of the Holy Spirit and of grace required for the carrying out of the ministry. The service also usually includes a public examination of the candidate and a sermon or charge concerning the responsibilities of the ministry. Christianity derived the ceremony from the Jewish custom of ordaining rabbis by the laying on of hands (the Semikha). In the Hebrew Scriptures, Moses ...(100 of 344 words)

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