The End? Or The Beginning?

Jesus Christ- Our King and Saviour, My Lord

Rector's Rambling: November AD MMXII

I can't say that I was stunned- perhaps saddened and sickened would be better words.  I had logged on to check my e-mail and the Anglican news servers before going to our October Vestry meeting.  What I had dreaded had at last happened.  My friends in the Episcopal Diocese of South Carolina had left the Episcopal Church.  In the words of one of their own officers:

"October 17, 2012

Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

On Monday, October 15, 2012, Bishop Lawrence was notified by the Presiding Bishop, Katharine Jefferts Schori, that on September 18, 2012 the Disciplinary Board for Bishops had certified his abandonment of The Episcopal Church. This action triggered two pre-existing corporate resolutions of the Diocese made on November 1, 2011 and October 2, 2012, which simultaneously disaffiliated the Diocese from The Episcopal Church and called a Special Convention. That Convention will be held at St. Philip’s Church, Charleston, on Saturday, November 17, 2012.

The clergy of the Diocese are consequently called to gather for a special Clergy Day this Friday, October 19th at St. Paul’s, Summerville. Our meeting will begin at 10:30 a.m. and conclude by 4:00 p.m. The clergy of the Diocese are asked to RSVP electronically...

Our time will be spent discussing the significance of the actions taken by the Episcopal Church, our response as a Diocese and the plans for the immediate future. You may read related documents [on the diocesan website].

In Christ,

--(The Rev. Canon) Jim Lewis, Episcopal Diocese of South Carolina"

 

 

The event, so long anticipated with dread, now seems to have been eclipsed by a strange sense of calm.  In the midst of that calm, I picked up Love's Redeeming Work:The Anglican Quest for Holiness, edited by Geoffrey Rowell, Kenneth Stevenson, and Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams, and published by Oxford University Press in 2001.  I believe with all my heart that the Holy Spirit led me to this 788 page anthology of Anglican spiritual writings through the ages.  As I read, the question began to take shape in my mind, "what is the church, what is the real nature of Christian community?"  For me, this is not just about South Carolina.  It is about friends and family members who have followed their consciences (and I believe the leading of the Holy Spirit) to the Eastern Orthodox or Roman Catholic Churches.  I will never again be able to receive Holy Communion with them.  It is about friends and family members who have left Anglicanism to attend Evangelical or Fundamentalist churches.  (I believe that they too are following God's leading in their lives.)  Never again will we share that wonderful sense of awe and unity of Spirit which has so often flowed from prayer book worship in antient buildings dedicated to God.  And as the general introduction to the cited work points out, what of those neighbors and friends and others who seek God with their hearts, minds, souls, and strength who have been alienated from formal church structure by the behaviour of us who bear the name of Christ? 

 

I do not believe that "The Church" can be defineed as any mere denominational structure- particularly if that structure can only manage to draw a bit over a half million people on any given Sunday morning for worship.  But such structures may well be localized expressions of the One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church, and without organizational and institutional structures, it does not take long until the "faith received" develops into mere folk religion and good intentions.  It first ceases to be catholic, and the loss of orthodoxy, order, and loving unity is usually not long in coming. 

 

And so what am I to do?  What are we to do at Saint John's?  I don't have all of the answers, but here are a few things which cross my mind:

1. I will continue to believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the Living God, and that all who are reconciled to the Father receive that gift by his grace.  I will define the terms of this foundational belief in the terms set in Scripture and in the three historic creeds of the Church.

2. I will order my moral life, with God's help and to the best of my ability, after the example and teaching of Holy Scripture, and of our holy Mother the Church.

3. I will worship according to the forms and traditions of The Book of Common Prayer.

4. I will accept and affirm as fellow Christians all who exhibit in their profession of faith the threefold Johannine test (from the First Letter of St. John) of belief in Christ as defined in Scripture and Holy Tradition (the test of Doctrine), of godly behaviour as defined by Scripture (the test of Obedience), and  of mutual love- which is modeled for us by Christ and his saints in Scripture and Holy Tradition (the test of Love).

5. I will honour and respect the decisions of those Christians who believe that our sacramental fellowship and interchangability of orders must be limited for reasons of doctrine or conscience, and at the same tiime, I will maintain our open sacramental ministry at St. John's to all who have been baptised in the Name of the Holy and Blessed Trinity.

6. I will work to remain friends with adherents of other Christian denominations and non-christian faith groups, whatever events may occur, and whatever organizations to which we belong may decide to do.

7. I will not participate in or condone any actions, conversations, or gatherings public or private which exacerbate the divisions which plague the people of God.  If I find myself in a place where such things are going on, I will physically leave the gathering without any expression of anger, and will pray for all those involved in the situation, myself included.

 

Honestly, I don't know what else to do.  The Church will prosper and accomplish the mission given her by Christ, but she looks less and less like the beautiful church I once embraced.  That brings me some real sadness, but it also calls me to see real opportunity for the Bride of Christ to engage the world in new and exciting ways in a new millenium.  I pray for strength to make the transition to what will be, in the full knowledge that Christ is Victorious.  But I will always treasure in my heart the vision of what might have been.

 

To Christ- the true King!

Bill+

 

 

What Really Matters

General Convention is now over for three more years.  There were some things that saddened me greatly, like the legislative attempts to legitimize scripturally prohibited behaviour by authorizing a liturgy of blessing for same sex relationships, and the several resolutions and canonical changes designed to accept transexual and transgendered behaviour in the church.  More angered me, such as the endorsements of domestic and foreign political movements, and the pronouncements on technology and social organization, any of which might be acceptable for a Christian to hold, but then the opposing political opinions might also be legitimate for a Christian to hold in the eyes of Scripture.  I will never understand why any religious body endorses political or theological opinions upon which the teachings of Scripture are not clear and decisive.   It only drives people away from the Church and the life giving sacraments which are her's to distribute to God's faithful people. There were a couple of bright points, both of which were supported by our bishop, Bishop Breidenthal.  I was glad to see some tenative steps taken to break up or restructure the authority of the National Church hierarchs, although I am doubtful the resolutions will fully answer to their promise.  The one shining example of faith and doctrine to come out of General Convention was the decision by the House of Bishops (accepted reluctantly by the House of Deputies) to affirm the ancient Christian doctrine that Holy Baptism in the Name of the Trinity is the necessary introduction to the Eucharistic Meal.  But if past history is any guide, the question will arise again in three years, and again after that until the representative democracy of the Episcopal Church manages to change even this most ancient of doctrines.  Such is the curse of modern Protestantism.

But that is all in the past now.  Those who favor the changes and resolutions will point to them again and again, and a few will use them to bully those who disagree.  More will ignore what they do not like and blandly repeat the mantra that resolutions are non-binding, and that the canonical changes only acknowledge what is already going on in some places.  A few will leave, but most of the folks who would leave are already gone, along with over a million others in the last 25 years or so.

But the things that really matter in my life are of a different nature.  I spent yesterday at the barn with Squirt, the Shetland pony.  The heat has been oppressive to this little gal, and as ponys are wont to do in extended heat, she began to founder.  Founder is a dreadful condition, which at it's worst can cause the bones of the lower leg to drive through the sole of the hoof.  Fortunately, we caught this case early.  We walked her and kept her up all day, cooled her feet off with cold water from the hose, and the vet came and administered bute, one of those wonder drugs for which horsemen are so thankful in this modern era.  She is fine now, resting in her stall with daily bute applications, hoof cooling soaks, knee deep straw bedding, and no grain until the middle of next week.

And today was Margaret's fourth birthday.  Grammy and I got to skype with her, Momma, and sister Helen tonight.  It is such a blessing to see this small person grow into all that God has created her to be, and every moment spent with her and her sister, electronically or in person, reminds us how blessed of God we truly are.

Church today was full of friends, friends who walked the extra distance occasioned by the annual downtown Corvette show, which took most of our regular parking places.  As I looked across the congregation, I saw folks I baptised and married, whose loved ones I buried, and with whom I had shared the joys and sorrows of this life.  One of the great joys of my life is being able to minister in a single region for so long, first as a professor, then as a prison and military chaplain, and finally as a parish priest.  There is for me a very real sense of belonging here, and for that I give thanks every day.

In the grand scheme of things, what really matters are the relationships that God has given me in the here and now.  Many things on the world stage can aggravate me with regularity, and have the potential to change my life unalterably, but those things which really matter are closer to home.  In this place, I have found contentment, and purpose, and a sense of the living presence of the true God.  How could I ever in good conscience allow those things of the broader world to distract me from the blessings all around me?  It just wouldn't be right.

A Perfect Weekend

The weekend began Friday evening with a casual dinner at the Pub with my Cousins from Cladaugh Council #86, Knight Masons- Irish Constitution.  After a wonderful board with pipe and whistle music to mark St. Patrick's Day, we repaired to the Lodge and conferred the Babylonian Pass on one candidate.  The courage and steadfastness of Zerrubabel and the other Jewish Captives as they sought to rebuild the temple in Jerusalem has always inspired me, and this night was no exception.  We then returned to the pub for convivial fellowship and plenty of time to renew old friendships and make new ones.

Saturday Morning began early at Lancaster Chapter #11, Royal Arch Masons.  Two candidates received the Royal Arch Degree, one of the most sublime in Masonry, and for a change, I was priviledged to sit on the sidelines and see the degree in its entireity.  It was a grand opportunity to reconsider my own dedication to God, and to consider those things that are truly important in life.

The afternoon brought several hours in the garden with my beautiful wife Rebecca.  I divided siberian Irisis and lined the lower north walkway with these diminutive and beautiful plants while Rebecca planted primrose along the east walks as a transition to the conical boxwoods which define our grand-daughters' secret garden.

The evening found me clad in saffron kilt with bottle green socks and tie and day wear jacket at the home of good friends Steve and Camille for their annual Irish dinner.  Beef pie, taties, cabbage and corned beef, lamb, garden peas, and desserts to die for filled the board, and the evening was finished off with cigars and Irish malt, and discussions of faith and fraternity with our hosts and friends Danny and Julie.  Such an evening spent with fellow Anglicans and Freemasons was both uplifting and inspiring.  I returned home with peace in my heart towards all men.

On Sunday morning I preached twice, and on this fourth sunday of Lent considered the life and ministry of Archbishop Rowan Williams, who announced his resignation from the see of Canterbury this week.  While I disagreed with this good man on many things, I have always found in his life and ministry real inspiration and challenge.  In what many might consider this most difficult time for our Communion, he sought to keep us together while providing safe havens for minority faith communities within the communion.  He attempted to lead us into a rational and loving structure which would define our faith and make us more accountable to each other.  And he sought to defend the historic faith received against what at times seemed overwhelming cultural odds.  His gentle counsels were often rejected by those who might have profited the most from hearing them.  I wish him the best as he re-enters the academic life.

After Church, Rebecca and I joined Bill and Nancy, friends and parishoners for a lovely breakfast at Shaw's Restraunt across the street from the church.  The eggs Benedict were splendid, and the asparagus was perfectly steamed.  The conversation strayed from ++Cantaur to the Parish Gardens to the Iraqi Rowing Team, for which Bill is an advisor.  My soul was refreshed by the good work and beauty that surrounds me.

From lunch, we went to the Funeral Home to pay our respects to Jan, the sister of our friend Carole.  Her illness was long and terible and now she is at peace.  Even in times of loss, it is good to see a family where love is so evident in the lives of all.

The day concluded with Choral Evensong at St. John's.  Our choir was joined by choristers from Trinity Newark, St. Paul's Logan, and Holy Cross Carpathian Orthodox Church in Columbus.   The setting, including the Mag and Nunc, was composed by Kathy Heim,  our Choir mistress, and one of the featured hymns was written by Thurlow Weed, our Organist.  To hear the people of so many parishes gathered in worship employing their own original compositions truly gave me a deeper understanding of liturgy as the work of the people.  As we gathered for a light lenten repast in the undercroft, I gave thanks again for God's soverign decision to post me to this place at this time.

I came home to relax on the back porch with a gin and tonic and a bowl of MacBaren's Navy Flake.  The dogs and I watched the lightening show for the better part of an hour and a half, and now we have all retired to the chapel/study to share the weekend with you, my gentle readers.  It is good to dwell in such a place and with such people.  I pray that all who read this post might find such joy in the realities of your own lives.  Surely God is among us here, and we are a people blessed. 

After the Order of Melchizedek

It has been a long journey and a lot of work, but we all rejoice that Son In Law Matthew (center- aka "the preaching bear" by children in Malawi) was ordained to the Sacred Order of Priests by Bishop Mathes of San Diego on behalf of Bishop Lawrence of South Carolina on December third. Matthew asked me to preach for his ordination, and here is my sermon, along with some pictures of the day.

Concelebrating with Bishop Mathes

Presenting Fr. Canter and His Family

Putting up with Marines (little brother is on the right!)

Greeting Friends at the Reception

A Goodly Heritage

Ordination Sermon- Matthew Canter
Preached at St Michael’s by the Sea, Carlsbad California
On the eve of the feast of Nicholas Ferrar

Exodus 3:1-6
Psalm 121
II Timothy 4:1-8
Saint John 10:1-18

May the words of my mouth, and the meditations of our hearts, be alway acceptable in thy sight, O Lord, our Strength and our Redeemer. Amen.

There are times in our lives when we, like Moses, stand in the very presence of God. It may be at a burning bush, or in the vicinity of a bolt of lightening, or when we hear a voice in the dark, but we know instinctively that we have been in the presence of the living God. His Spirit bears witness with our spirit that we are indeed the children of God and joint heirs with Jesus Christ. In July of 2000, Matthew’s mother Kathy received a letter from Scotland which I have been given permission to share with you today. Her son wrote, “I feel and felt within me on the late night of first July that my life be used to spread and minister the Word of God. I believe that God tells all of us different matters in our lives. It just so happens I was listening when he told me I should be in the ministry.” What a blessed letter for any mother to receive. It is no wonder that it has been so lovingly preserved. I don’t know the exact details of what happened in Scotland in July of 2000, but it made a young man aware of God’s presence in his life, and he was listening, and here we are today. I presume, in fact I know that over the last decade or so, that young man had times when he doubted what he experienced on that first of July, but over the years an ever growing circle of friends and family, mentors, congregations, bishops, seminary faculty, and the members of the commission on ministry have come to the same conclusion that he reached that night, that his “life be used to spread and minister the Word of God.”
Matthew, thank God that by his grace, you were listening. Thank God that the good people of Fairview Church had lived before you the Word of God in such a way that you had some idea of how to recognize the voice of God in your life. Thank God that Mike Morgan sent you to us at St. John’s, and that you met a godly professor at Presbyterian, and that there were men in your unit in Korea and Iraq who served God faithfully- until the very end of their lives. Thank God that you met my Daughter and fell in love with an Anglo-Catholic pietist and went to Nashotah House and met Bishop Salmon and went to Malawi and came here. As I imagine you can attest, there are no accidents in our lives. God has prepared you for this day that he anticipated before the foundations of the earth were laid. He knew you in your mother’s womb, and knew that your “life would be used to spread and minister the Word of God.” He has positioned us all, the members of his one, holy, catholic, and apostolic church, along the way as witnesses to discern, and affirm, and acclaim the reality of your call. And now, under the leadership and direction of the bishops of his church, we gather today to affirm that you are called to be “alter Christus,” in the place of Christ, as a Presbyter of the church catholic. As president of the Eucharist, you will stand in the place of and along side of your bishop to model for your people the life and example of Jesus Christ. Like him, you will represent to the Father that holy sacrifice of ourselves in love and humility on behalf of the whole world and teach us that “no man hath greater love than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.” By word and example, you will teach us to “love one another,” and to “prefer one another before ourselves.” You will make mistakes, and from time to time fall into sin, but you will return and repent, trusting in the Lord Jesus Christ to shower you with his grace and to give you strength; because you are “sealed by the Holy Spirit in baptism and marked as Christ’s own forever.” You will discipline your life according to the precepts of the Bible, because it is in your behaviour and character that men and women will know Jesus. But now I have gone to preaching at my son-in -law, something I’ve looked forward to for a long time, but enough is enough, so let me regroup and restrain myself.
Son in law, as you are commissioned and ordained this day to spread and minister the Word of God, you are ordained by Bishop Mathes on behalf of the Holy Church of God to stand in the very place of Christ. At the Altar, in your preaching, and by your example, you are set apart in a very special way to proclaim to everyone, because God loves everyone, that the way to enter the sheepfold of God’s mercy is through the wicket gate, the door of Jesus, who died for us and was resurrected to glory that we might live forever with peace, and purpose, and hope, and the knowledge that God loves us. Love all those made in God’s image, and honour their decisions and their outlooks, and their beliefs, but never under any circumstances waver from your commitment that Jesus is the door, and that he is the way to the Father’s forgiveness and love.
Be faithful to your people, “wallow with them in the midst of their daily affairs”, and so order your life that they will see in you the Good Shepherd who giveth his life for the sheep. So order your life and your family that they will see in you the holiness and the humility of Jesus. When times are difficult and discouragement sets in, do not flee, thereby allowing the wolves of this world to scatter the flock of Christ, but stand firm in the Gospel you have received. Give your life for the people of God, that they may know firsthand the character and love of God in Jesus Christ the Good Shepherd, in whose place you stand.
As you strive to do this thing by his grace, remember your covenant with my daughter and grandchildren. It is so easy to become so busy in good works that we neglect those whom God has given us first. And yet it is in your marriage that you most perfectly model the image of God in the world. It is there that you show the respect and consideration that characterizes all true leadership and models the headship of Christ. It is there in your wife and children that people see the true role of the Church, submitting to godly headship not out of fear or mere duty, but because your character and fidelity to the Word of God produces for them an ark of safety and the knowledge that you would never demand or coerce anything that would be hurtful, or humiliating, or unloving. It is in your marriage, and in the begetting of children that God has allowed you to participate with him in the very act of creation. Cultivate and love your family with all humility and tenderness, that all people might see in your home the true nature of that love which exists betwixt Christ and his Church.

Matthew, would you please stand.

“I charge thee therefore before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing and his kingdom; Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables. But watch thou in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, make full proof of thy ministry. For I am now ready to be offered, and the time of my departure is at hand. I have fought the good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith; Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing.” In this his second letter to Timothy, from which our second lesson was drawn today, St. Paul proclaims those same characteristics of effective life and ministry that St. John gives us in his first Epistle General, namely that our lives should be characterized by love, sound doctrine, and personal holiness, which is obedience to the clear teachings of Holy Scripture. Matthew, love everyone. Love everyone. Love everyone. for God has sent you to represent him as a priest of his church. Believe and teach the Faith received from apostles and martyrs, and from Christ himself; grounded in the Bible, contained in the creeds, and proclaiming to all the beauty of the Holy and Blessed Trinity- one God, and of the unique, historic person and work of Christ. Conform your life to the clear teaching and example of the Word of God written, which is the authentic eye witness Holy Spirit inspired record of the Word which was made flesh and dwelt among us. And with St. Paul I say “Do thy diligence to come shortly unto me.” And I, along with Rebecca and your parents would add, bring the girls with you. Now, would you please face the people to whom God has called you.

Ashley, would you and the girls please come and stand beside Matthew.

Would the congregation please stand.

Behold one soon to be ordained a priest of the living Christ. Behold him whom you have acclaimed as one called and set apart to this holy office. Bear with him and remember that he is human. Love him and his family. In honesty and with kindness share with him in those tasks and sacrifices and risks to which God has called you. Share your burdens with him, and help him to bear his own. Remember that you are called together to be the people of God. None is above and none below, but all labour together in humility in the Name of him who called us all to believe in Jesus and to love one another. Remember that in God’s economy, the most experienced may learn much from the youngest and most naive, and the simplest man or woman might be the teacher of the most highly educated. Give thanks for each other, and go forth to show the people of this community that God loves them, and that he has a wonderful plan for each of their lives.

And now Father, continue with us in this place. Make this day to be not only a landmark for your servant Matthew, but for all the people of this parish and this church. Make it to be for us all a time of commitment and beginning as we do the work you have given us to do.. In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. AMEN.

Preached at the Installation of My Friend

Installation of the Rev’d Mr. David Halt as Rector of St.Matthew’s Church, Springfield

Joshua 1:7-9
Psalm 43
Romans 12:1-18
John 15:9-16

The Scripture Lessons appointed for today are most instructive, and they are echoed and affirmed by Saints throughout the ages. Be humble. Love one another. Be faithful and obedient to the Word of God written. Acknowledge and appreciate and enable one another’s gifts. Stand with courage and steadfastness for that which is right, whatever the cost may be; and together you will model for this city and this diocese the very nature of God.
Dave, we go back a long way. I remember taking our hummer deep into the woods at Camp Grayling to find a quiet place to read Morning Prayer, and running the ridge line at the east end of Camp Atterbury to the old settlers graveyard to do the same. I remember when we broke away from the convoy on the way to Fort Knox so that you could meet Bishop Thompson. He stood us up, but treated us to a wonderful meal at his club in downtown Cincinnati. I think it was on that trip that we had the tire blow out somewhere around Louisville. We were young then, and you were Methodist, and I used to be. We both loved God and our families. Our hearts burned with a desire to serve him and the Republic, and we shared so many things, tears and joys and fine and gentlemanly things, and dreams of what the future held.
Now I am on the downhill side of my active life as a Priest of our Lord, and you, you are at a grand new beginning. The people to whom God has called you come to this place faithfully every week after they have toiled in the workplace and sought to build their families and relationships in times which are often so very, very difficult. Honour them, and the vast majority of them will honour you virtually all of the time. After all, you are God’s gift to each other. Forget most of what you learned in school about being a good pastor. Go back and re-read Gregory’s Pastoral Care, and Herbert’s Country Parson, and Baxter’s Reformed Pastor, and throw in a bit of Bishop Grafton for Good measure. Don’t forget Archbishop Ramsay’s Christian Priest Today, and remember the godly examples of Mr. Harding and Father Tim. Buy a little farm and mabey even burial plots, and write your name in the soil of this place. Become one with this people. Share their dreams and visions. Baptize their children and bury their honoured dead. Weep with them and laugh with them. Rejoice with them when their children win the state championship, and be by their side when those same children go off to war, or college, or to a new love. Serve them faithfully in Word and Sacrament, and guide them in the one, holy, catholic, and apostolic faith; for that is your primary task here. Programs are fine, and sometimes are even helpful, but your primary purpose is to preside in Word and Sacrament, that the people of God at this place might come to know themselves, and God and each other, with an ever deepening intimacy…an intimacy which ravishes their souls and leads them to that peace which passes all understanding. It will never do for you to be a professional priest or sacramentarian. You must be one with this people, “wallowing in the midst of their daily affairs.”.. loving them and thereby proving your amateur status, remembering that amo, amare- is the latin root for love, which ought to motivate everything you do here. Bind yourself to them with an holy co-dependence, and thus demonstrate to this entire county the true nature of the Holy and Blessed Trinity. As we cannot imagine the Father without the Son and the Spirit; or the Son without the Father and the Spirit; or the Spirit without the Father and the Son—So may the people of saint Matthew’s be bound so closely in love that none of you can imagine what your church would be like if any one of you were absent.
This will not be an easy task. There will be times when your own humanity and that of others here will show its ugly possibilities, and you will think the worst of each other’s motives. You will disagree with vigor over agendas and programs and prerogatives. You will release arrows you wish could be recalled, and perhaps for a time even think their release fully justified. And this is where the admonition of today’s Scriptures becomes so important. Always conduct yourself with humility, preferring others before yourself. Be willing to listen, and covenant with your people to hear one another. Teach them that the Word of God written is the rule and guide of our faith, that it contains all things necessary to salvation, and that no Christian man ought to be required to do or believe anything that is not clearly taught therein; and that we ought to submit to the clear teachings of the Bible, even when we do not agree with them. Questions are good things, but at the end of the day, obedience must be our goal. Such obedience grows not out of coercion or slavish worship of laws or precepts, but out of an absolute confidence in the character of Him who loves us, and who gave himself for us. Because he has always been so constant in seeking our best, we can follow with confidence where He leads the way, even when we do not understand His grand strategy.
Dave, my friend, you will make many mistakes, as will every member of your vestry, and of every committee, and as do all of us here. There will be those who will hold onto the mistakes of others with a seemingly eternal memory. But if your life is holy; If you live according to the ways of God taught in the Bible; if your attitudes and demeanour give evidence that the love of God is spread abroad in your life; if you are a man of good will; the people here will gain such confidence in your character that they will work with you in spite of your shortcomings. And if you seek to see that same holiness and evidence of the Holy Spirit in their lives, your love and acceptance and understanding will be mutual- an empirical evidence of the efficacy of Holy Baptism in the lives of all here.
And so in closing, I would say to you, my friend, and to all here:” Be strong and of a good courage, be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest.” AMEN and AMEN