Do Christians in heaven dislike being given the title “Saint”?

Recently a friend of mine, a solid Christian of whom I have a deep respect for his love of our Lord Jesus Christ and the teachings found in Scripture, brought up the objection that perhaps it is wrong for the Catholic Church to give those past Christians who have lived heroically holy lives, the title “Saint.” His reasoning was that if they were truly humble, they would not want to be given this title. By calling them saints we are actually offending them. I'm guessing that he had in mind such verses as when Jesus said to call no man father, rabbi, or teacher (Mt. 23:8,9), which could at first glance be taken as Jesus condemning the practice of using titles to honor people. Is it wrong for the Catholic Church to declare a dead Christian to be a Saint? Are these Christians who have been given this title offended?

To begin, we need to take a closer look at Jesus teaching on titles. When this passage is read in context it is clear that he is not giving a blanket condemnation of titles, but instead using hyperbole in order to condemn the pride of the pharisees who liked to exalt themselves in their titles. We know this for two reasons. First, because common sense tells us that when a little girl calls her dad “Father” or when she goes to school and calls her instructor “Teacher” she is not violating Jesus teaching. Second, because Paul used titles continually (1 Tim. 2:7; 2 Tim 2:11; 1 Cor. 12:28; Eph 4:11). So, there is nothing wrong with titles, unless one is using them to exalt himself.

Next, is wrong to give the title of “Saint” to past Christians who have lived heroically virtuous lives? In other words is it wrong to honor others with titles such as the Catholic Church does? From the above discussion we know that titles are not wrong unless they are used for prideful and selfish aggrandizement. So, the real question is, is it wrong to honor others whether that be with titles or in other ways? An easy way to answer this is by looking at God's command to children: “Honor your parents.” Have you ever heard a child call his mother or father by first name and this made you wince? Why? Because our parents deserve to be honored. We honor them with titles: Mother, Father, Grandfather, Grandmother. However this is true not only with parents, but also with religious leaders. God told Moses: “Make sacred garments for your brother Aaron [the high priest], to give him dignity and honor” (Ex. 28:2). “Let the elders [priests] who rule well be considered worthy of double honor, especially those who labor in preaching and teaching” (1 Tim. 5:17). Christ promised special blessings to those who honor religious figures: “He who receives a prophet because he is a prophet shall receive a prophet’s reward, and he who receives a righteous man [saint] because he is a righteous man shall receive a righteous man’s reward” (Matt. 10:41). As far as I can tell, there is nothing in Scripture that teaches that it is wrong to honor a person by calling him a saint.

Man Up: Be the Dad God has Called You to Be

A reflection for Father's Day by Father Philip Mayer

Men, do you know the immense influence that you have simply because you are a man? I have an uncle who doesn't seem like much: He's mean. He criticizes his wife and grown kids. He's selfish. And yet he is influential. It's almost mystifying. Recently he decided to retire and move to the hill country of Tennessee. Amazingly, his kids and their wives and children are in the process getting things arranged so that they too can move with him. This is the second time that they will follow him across the country. It is amazing. Why does he have this influence? Why do they follow him? Because of his amazing personality? No. Because he has money. No, he's only just making it by himself. Because Tennessee is a great place to be? No, there are no jobs in the area that he wants them to move to. And yet they are following him. He has this influence because he is the father of his family.

You as a man have been given an incredible privilege. As a man and as a father you symbolize God, who chose to go by this same title, Father. As a father you have tremendous influence on your family, whether for good or bad. A study recently conducted in Switzerland (1994) showed that if a man attends church regularly, even though his wife does not, his kids will go on to become church attenders eighty percent of the time. However, if the scenario is reversed, and the mother is a regular church attender but the father is not, the number is cut in half and of those who do attend, most will be irregular attenders. Only two percent will attend regularly. Men, you have an immense amount of influence given to you by God. This has been show time and time again, by study after study after study on the affect of the male influence on the family. As a father, you reflect God in a special way and as a father God has given you tremendous power over the future of your children. He has placed their souls into your hands and even allowed you to use his name: Father. This is an immense responsibility, a sacred trust that we must use well.

Do you want your kids to have the values taught by the Church? Do you want them to stand by their families? Do you want them to be willing to suffer in order to do what is right? Do you want them to show courage in the face of temptation? Do you want them to show persistence, consistency and trustworthiness? These are all values taught in the church, exemplified to the ultimate degree by Jesus Christ, the one who called you to man up give your all in the same way that he did. You as a man must exemplify what it means to live a godly lifestyle. You must be the one to show your dedication to your kids and your family. You are the one that they look to for meaning. You are the one they look to when first learning about God. To whom much has been given, much will be required. God will call you to account. He will ask you what you did not only with your own soul, but with those he placed in your charge. If you sin against him by refusing the responsibility of this charge, he will refuse you for eternity.

Yet there is hope. There is forgiveness. That is what Father's Day is all about. It is a day when we are reminded who God has called you to be: a father who reflects him and who he is, to your family. That is why he gave you this influence. There is yet time to get things right. There's time to make up for past mistakes. To find your hope in him, to learn what it means to be a father from him and to live this out for those he has given you responsibility. This is your opportunity to be the father that God has called you to be. This is what your family wants from you. This is what I as your priest, want for you. This is what God requires from you and he will be with you, giving you the courage and the strength and endurance to be the father that he has created you to be.

The Sacrament of Confession

Finding true healing, God's way.

The first time I went to confession with a priest I was terrified, almost shaking in fear. I knew that I was really confessing to Jesus and that the priest was only his representative, but the priest was still a real person and I could hardly imagine confessing these deep dark things about myself out loud to him. Yet, I went for it—feeling like a man jumping over a cliff. I’m glad I did. When I had finished he absolved me of my sins and I felt incredible—as though I could leap small buildings in a single bound. The experience changed my life. I now go to confession once a month and it has probably been the most healing practice that I have every participated in.

If you are anything like me, the church that you grew up in did not offer the Sacrament of Confession, and you’re probably wondering, where is that in the Bible? Jesus gave his power to forgive sins to the leaders of the church by saying to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained” (Jn 20:22-23). Yet, how could they know which sins to forgive or not to forgive unless the sins were confessed? This is no different than going to a doctor who must see your wound in order to heal you. Regular confession and forgiveness of sins has been a normal part of church life since the beginning. James wrote that if you are sick, either physically or spiritually, you should go to the priest (elder) and confess your sins so that you may be healed (5:14-16).

How often should you go to confession? In the year 1215 all of the leaders of the church gathered together to discuss this and other issues and decreed that at a minimum the faithful should go to confession with the local parish priest or with permission, another priest, no less than once a year, though confession is recommended once a month or more.

The Sacrament of confession is an incredible opportunity, a place where you can freely confess all of your sins without fear since the priest is required by canon law to hold fast to the seal of the confessional. He can share your sins with no one. Sacramental confession is a completely safe—a place to find healing and wholeness. There is nothing you can share that will surprise the priest. He will love you no matter what.

So, feel free to grab me on Sunday mornings between 8 and 8:30 a.m. to hear your confession, or feel free to make an appointment for another time. See you then.

Yours,
Father Philip

P.S. Learn more about confession by going to our website and listening to a talk I recently gave here.

A Simple Examination of Conscience in Preparation for Confession

When was my last good confession? Did I receive Communion or other sacraments while in the state of mortal sin? Did I intentionally fail to confess some mortal sin in my previous confession?

Did I willfully and seriously doubt my faith, or put myself in danger of losing it by reading literature hostile to Christian teaching or by getting involved with non-Christian sects? Did I engage in superstitious activities, such as palm-reading, and fortune-telling?

Did I take the name of God in vain? Did I curse or take a false oath? Did I use bad language?

Did I miss church on Sunday or a holy day of obligation through my own fault, without any serious reason? Did I fast and abstain on the prescribed days?

Did I disobey my parents or lawful superiors in important matters?

Was I selfish in how I treated others, especially my spouse, my brothers and sisters, my relatives, or my friends? Did I hatefully quarrel with anyone or desire revenge? Did I refuse to forgive? Did I cause physical injury or death? Did I get drunk? Did I take illicit drugs? Did I consent to advise someone about, or actively take part in an abortion?

Did I willfully look at indecent pictures or watch immoral movies? Did I read immoral books or magazines? Did I engage in impure jokes or conversations? Did I willfully entertain impure thoughts or feelings? Did I commit impure acts, alone or with others?

Did I steal or damage another’s property? How much was it worth? Have I made reparation for the damages done? Have I been honest in my business relations?

Did I tell lies? Did I sin by slander? By detraction—telling unknown grave faults of others without necessity? Did I judge others rashly in serious matters? Have I tried to make restitution for any damage of reputation that I have caused

If you remember other serious sins beside those indicated here, include them also in your confession

St. Laurence

In the persecutions under Valerian in 258, numerous priests and deacons were put to death, while Christians belonging to the nobility or the Roman Senate were deprived of their goods and exiled. Saint Lawrence was one of seven deacons who were in charge of giving help to the poor and the needy. Under the Valerian persecution, Pope St. Sixtus was one of the first condemned to death and martyred on Aug 6th. As he was led to execution, Lawrence followed him weeping, "Father, where are you going without your deacon?" he said. "I am not leaving you, my son," answered the Pope. "in three days you will follow me." Full of joy, Lawrence gave to the poor the rest of the money he had on hand and even sold expensive vessels to have more to give away.

The Prefect of Rome, a greedy pagan, thought the Church had a great fortune hidden away. St. Lawrence was brought before Cornelius Secularis, prefect of Rome under the Emperor Valerian, who, according to Dom Prosper Guéranger in his Liturgical Year, "aimed at ruining the Christians by prohibiting their assemblies, putting their chief men to death, and confiscating their property." It was for this reason that St. Lawrence, the archdeacon for Pope St. Sixtus II, was summoned to the tribunal of Cornelius, who sought the riches of the Church of Rome. It was the duty of the archdeacon to care for these treasures. St. Lawrence asked for a short delay, so he could gather these riches for the prefect. When the archdeacon returned three days later, instead of bringing vessels of gold and silver, he brought the poor of the city, saying, "Behold, these choice pearls, these sparkling gems that adorn the temple, these sacred virgins, I mean, and these widows who refuse second marriage.... Behold then, all our riches." In response to his boldness, Cornelius was enraged and ordered the scourging and torture of St. Lawrence upon the rack. The following is also taken from Dom Guéranger's entry for the feast of St. Lawrence in Volume XIII of his Liturgical Year.)

"...Laurence was taken down from the rack about midday. In his prison, however, he took no rest, but wounded and bleeding as he was, he baptized the converts won to Christ by the sight of his courageous suffering. He confirmed their faith, and fired their souls with a martyr's intrepidity. When the evening hour summoned Rome to its pleasures, the prefect recalled the executioners to their work, for a few hours' rest had sufficiently restored their energy to enable them to satisfy his cruelty."

"Surrounded by this ill-favoured company, the prefect thus addressed the valiant deacon: 'Sacrifice to the gods, or else the whole night long shall be witness of your torments.' 'My night has no darkness,' answered Laurence, 'and all things are full of light to me.' They struck him on the mouth with stone, but he smiled and said, 'I give Thee thanks, O Christ.'"

"Then an iron bed or gridiron with three bars was brought in and the saint was stripped of his garments and extended upon it while burning coals were placed beneath it. As they were holding him down with iron fork, Laurence said 'I offer myself as a sacrifice to God for an odour of sweetness.' The executioners continually stirred up the fire and brought fresh coals, while they still held him down with their forks. Then the saint said: 'Learn, unhappy man, how great is the power of my God; for your burning coals give me refreshment, but they will be your eternal punishment. I call Thee, O Lord, to witness: when I was accused, I did not deny Thee; when I was questioned, I confessed Thee, O Christ; on the red-hot coals I gave Thee thanks.' And with his countenance radiant with heavenly beauty, he continued: 'Yea, I give Thee thanks, O Lord Jesus Christ, for that Thou hast deigned to strengthen me.' He then raised his eyes to his judge, and said: 'See, this side is well roasted; turn me on the other and eat.' Then, continuing his canticle of praise to God [he said]: 'I give Thee thanks, O Lord, that I have merited to enter into Thy dwelling place.'"

"As he was on the point of death, he remembered the Church. The thought of the eternal Rome gave him fresh strength, and he breathed forth this ecstatic prayer: 'O Christ, only God, O Splendour, O Power of the Father, O Maker of heaven and earth and builder of this city's walls! Thou has placed Rome's scepter high over all; Thou hast willed to subject the world to it, in order to unite under one law the nations which differ in manners, customs, language, genius, and sacrifice. Behold the whole human race has submitted to its empire, and all discord and dissensions disappear in its unity. Remember thy purpose: Thou didst will to bind the immense universe together into one Christian Kingdom. O Christ, for the sake of Thy Romans, make this city Christian; for to it Thou gavest the charge of leading all the rest to sacred unity. All its members in every place are united - a very type of Thy Kingdom; the conquered universe has bowed before it. Oh! may its royal head bowed in turn! Send Thy Gabriel and bid him heal the blindness of the sons of Iulus, that they may know the true God. I see a prince who is to come - an Emperor who is a servant of God. He will not suffer Rome to remain a slave; he will close the temples and fasten them with bolts forever.'"

"Thus he prayed, and with these last words, he breathed forth his soul. Some noble Romans who had been conquered to Christ by the martyr's admirable boldness, removed his body: the love of the most high God had suddenly filled their hearts and dispelled their former errors. From that day, the worship of the infamous gods grew cold; few people went now to the temples, but hastened to the altars of Christ. Thus Laurence, going unarmed to the battle, had wounded the enemy with his own sword."

St Lawrence was burning with so much love of God that he almost did not feel the flames. In fact, God gave him so much strength and joy that he even joked. "Turn me over," he said to the judge. "I'm done on this side!" And just before he died, he said, "It's cooked enough now." Then he prayed that the city of Rome might be converted to Jesus and that the Catholic Faith might spread all over the world. After that, he went to receive the martyr's reward. Saint Lawrence's feast day is August 10th.

(also based from http://www.catholic.org/saints/saint.php?saint_id=366 based on narrations by St Ambrose and Prudentius, Butler's Lives of the Saints)
On this day, the reliquary containing his burnt head is displayed in the Vatican for veneration.

According to lore, among the treasure of the Roman church entrusted to Lawrence for safe-keeping was the Holy Chalice, the cup from which Jesus and the Apostles drank at the Last Supper. Lawrence was able to spirit this away to Huesca, in present day Aragon, with a letter and a supposed inventory, where it lay hidden and unregarded for centuries. When Augustine connects Lawrence with a chalice, it is the chalice of the Mass: "For in that Church, you see, as you have regularly been told, he performed the office of deacon; it was there that he administered the sacred chalice of Christ's blood".

According to Christian history the Holy Grail is a relic that was sent by St. Lawrence to his parents in northern Aragon. He entrusted this sacred chalice to a friend whom he knew would travel back to Huesca, remaining in the monastery of Saint John of Pena, core of spiritual strength for the emerging kingdom of Aragon. While the Holy Chalice's exact journey through the centuries is disputed, it is generally accepted by Catholics that the Chalice was sent by his family to this monastery for preservation and veneration. Historical records indicate that this chalice has been venerated and preserved by a number of monks and monasteries through the ages. Today the Holy Grail is venerated in a special chapel in the Catholic Cathedral of Valencia, Spain.

O Almighty God,
Who didst give unto Blessed Lawrence power
to be more than conqueror in his fiery torment;
grant unto us, we beseech thee,
the power to quench the flames of our sinful lusts.
Through Jesus Christ, etc.
Amen

St Lawrence, we pray together with you to our Lord Jesus Christ that we may learn to Love with the greatest of Love which is to Sacrifice all that one has and is, as Christ on the Cross, our Redeemer and Supreme Example.

"Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends." Jn 15:13

With Faith like this who needs anything else. Let us pray for Faith, the martyrs have died not for a heavenly thought and probability, but for a surreal, incomprehensible and supernatural reality. Heaven is a real eternal bliss, and so is the opposite, therefore walk the narrow path even if they want to destroy you, fearing not and remembering that no man and no demon can harm the soul if it has already been given away to God completely.

http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=455448&id=100000054596391&ref=fbx_album

The Growth and Relocation of St. Peter's

Debt

This Sunday I am preaching on Breaking the Chains of debt and in my research I found some very interesting information on the history of the Church's resolute stand against usury (that is loaning money for interest). Check out this excellent paper: A Short Review of the Historical Critique of Usury

A good civilization is that in which the society is structured in such a way that makes it easy for the citizens to be good. A bad civilization is structured in such a way that it makes it easy for the citizens to be bad. Are we a good society or a bad society?

A Need for the Spirit

This morning I was brought to tears while reading the passage below from Fundamentals of the Faith: Essays in Christian Apologetics by Peter Kreeft.

When Paul visits the church in Ephesus (Acts 19), he notices something missing -- I think he would notice exactly the same thing in most of our churches and preach the same sermon -- and he asks them, "Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?" (Acts 19:2). Why would he ask that unless he saw a power shortage? Why did twelve fishermen convert the world, and why are half a billion Christians unable to repeat the feat? The Spirit makes the difference ...

We have received the Spirit by faith and baptism. "Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him" (Rom 8:9). But we need the release, the empowering, the anointing of the Spirit. Such empowerment is probably what the New Testament means by baptism in (or of or with) the Holy Spirit. It is supposed to happen at confirmation. Apparently, it usually does not. Millions of confirmed Catholics receive it afterward, usually in charismatic prayer meetings or seminars. The charismatic movement is obviously God's answer to Pope John XXIII's prayer for a new Pentecost. Popes Paul VI and John Paul II both blessed it but said that it will fulfill its purpose only when, like the early liturgical movement, it ceases to have a separate identity of its own and is absorbed into the whole Church. In other words, every Catholic should be a charismatic, baptized in the Spirit, empowered like the apostles.

The difference this baptism in the Spirit makes is not primarily in any particular charismatic gift, such as tongues. Paul clearly says not to get hung up on tongues (1 Cor 12-14). The difference is far greater: like the difference between a picture and a live person, between dead orthodoxy and living truth, between words and power. If we are not certain that Jesus Christ is present in us, working, acting, making a difference, rather than just being a teacher, an example, a lovely but remote historical figure, then we need Pentecost. And when that happens, the world will be won again.

Hanging with Elvis

Had a great time this past Thursday going to see Daniel Cardona perform as Elvis at a local Italian restaurant named Amore's. Daniel packed the place out. He's an excellent singer and worked the crowd very well. It was a lot of fun.

I met Daniel at a young adult barbecue that we hosted a few months ago and we have become good friends. He's a dedicated member at St. Peter's. I am blessed that God brought him to us.

 

Unloading Wood

Good times at camp. Here I am along with my dad and other family members unloading our campfire wood.

The Mayer Family

Here is the most up-to-date picture of my family. Everyone is here except one of my sister's and her husband: parents and six of my siblings and their spouses and children.

Camping with the Family

Here are all of the people who Melissa and I went camping with this past week. Camping for a week with forty-something members of your family is great fun.

Singing at the Ball Game

Check out the St. Peter's choir yesterday, singing for the Frisco Rough Riders, a double-a affiliate of the Texas Rangers. This was a special honor for me--being allowed to jump in at the last minute to lead the tenor part. We had a lot of fun.

The sound quality is not the best--but it will give you an idea of the talent at St. Peter's.

Encourage the Preacher

Melissa and I had ice-cream last night at Cold Stone Creamery with another young adult who recently began attending St. Peter's. She and her husband hadn't been going to any church for quite a while, but through a chance meeting I had with them at a party, God began to draw the two of them back to himself through the body of Christ at St. Peter's. It has been fun having them and getting to know them, as well as seeing them come alive to the faith.

During our conversation over ice-cream, she began to tell Melissa and me how my sermons have been helping to her to understand and dig into the Bible. She said that she is seeing the Scriptures in a new way. This was a nice encouragement.

May God continue to move and work in his Church.

My Experience with Financial Peace University

Alan Ladd led us in beginning the thirteen week Financial Peace University this past Tuesday. There are eighteen of us who are taking the course and Dave Ramsey, who teaches the class, is amazing! I couldn't stop laughing. And not only funny, but extremely helpful—I have discovered this class to be foundational in the way that I use and view money and it will forever impact my life—putting Melissa and me on solid financial footing. I wish that I would have taken this class earlier—as does everyone else who came to the first session. I strongly encourage everyone in our church to look into this opportunity the next time we host this program.

Cursillo – A Spiritual Retreat

Can you imagine it—an entire weekend away, just you and God (and a few other people too—like 35 or so :-)? That’s what I was able to experience—a mountaintop experience: refreshing, exciting and challenging.


Cursillo is a short course in Christianity designed after Jesus’ model of taking his disciples away for a time to teach them about himself. We often get so busy with our lives, that we need this time to get away to be challenged and taught and inspired.

It all began on Thursday. Karl and Laura Hartronft, a couple from our church, drove us to the camp and dropped us off. We were warmly greeted and then we went to the chapel for a somber service of the Stations of the Cross and an evening of silence (to assist us in listening to God). On Friday morning, the silent portion of the retreat ended at breakfast and the rest of the weekend was filled with talks, discussions, and services—ending on Sunday with a great big celebration. It was quite an experience.

I was very impressed by how well they took care of us even to the smallest details such as setting out an array anything you can think of from aspirin to bug spray to super glue—in case you forgot anything. All throughout the weekend they had a table of food out the entire time and they were always looking for ways to serve us at every opportunity. The team worked very hard to see that we had a great experience of the love of Jesus Christ.

The camp where the weekend was held was beautiful with great accommodations—very similar to what a hotel room would have. Melissa and I took one afternoon to walk across the river and go trail walking and say hi to the horses that are scattered throughout the camp. The people were especially fun—constantly making jokes and laughing and having a good time. Everyone was very kind and I made a lot of new friends.

The weekend was full of prayer—soaked in prayer by the team members and people at many difference churches praying for us. Lives were changed over the weekend—it was as though you could see people visibly changing right before your eyes. God was at work. I was challenged to press on and grow further in the faith.

It is my hope and prayer that many people from St. Peter’s will be able to go to Cursillo. If you would like to be refreshed and encouraged in your faith Cursillo is an excellent experience. The next Cursillo weekend is scheduled for September 17-20, 2009. For more info check out
http://www.episcopalcursillo.org/ or for the history of the Cursillo movement en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cursillo

Visiting another Church

Today after our service I went and visited another church in The Colony that has easily has five times as many people as we do in attendance on a Sunday, but discovered the service to be quite boring--it dragged on and on. I was somewhat amazed that people were willing to sit through that sort of thing Sunday after Sunday.

This was actually encouraging to me--I had the realization of how much potential our little church actually has. It seems that the reason why their church is so much larger than ours is because they have an excellent crew of Sunday School teachers that help to hold things together. The challenge for us at St. Peter's is to raise up leaders who will lead our community groups.

Noteless is going well

The noteless preaching has been going excellent. I have received more positive feedback on the last few sermons that I have preached without notes than nearlly all of my sermons combined since arriving in Texas.

I feel as though noteless preaching has truly allowed me to be me with nothing held back.

Noteless Preaching

This Sunday I am planning on preaching without using any notes. I’ve tried preaching without notes before and did so successfully, but discovered that I spent so much time practicing and attempting to memorize my sermon that it was not productive. Since that time I have gone through much learning in sermon development and composition and I think that I am ready to try it again. This past week I read a little book titled Preaching without Notes by Joseph M. Webb, who gave me the confidence to give it a go again and a method that does not take nearly so long to pack the sermon into your head so that it is ready to be released with the full power of Holy Spirit. I am looking forward to the challenge.

Texas: Our Next Adventure Awaits

Earlier this year I remember waking one morning and feeling fear pressing upon me: I would be graduating from seminary soon and had no place to go, a wife to care for and student loans soon coming due. The heaviness upon me seemed to have grown like the giant icicles that hung outside the bedroom window. As Melissa lay sleeping beside me I prayed silently, “Dear Lord Jesus, I cannot bear this on my own. You have to take this from me.” And he did. I fell back asleep.

Graduation came and went and we still didn’t know where we were to go. Within a few days of leaving the school I received an offer to work as an assistant at a parish in Chicago—a nice position that came with a four bedroom house and a talented rector to learn under. But Melissa and I felt that this wasn’t where God was calling us and so I nervously turned it down.

A few days later I was ordained as a deacon in Florida and then flew to Houston to interview for an assistant position with a very likeable man and a great listener. Next I flew to a small town north of Dallas to look into a position as deacon-in-charge of a mission congregation of about sixty people. Although this would be a risk for a young guy like me, my heart leapt when I spoke with them—was God directing me toward Dallas?

Decision time came when the rector from Houston called about flying Melissa and me back for a second interview. Yet, I hadn’t heard from the church near Dallas—did our interview there go as well as I had thought? Were they going to extend a call? Were they hearing the same thing from God that I was hearing? I didn’t know, but I had to be honest with the rector from Houston who was now on the phone. “I’m beginning to lean strongly toward a church near Dallas,” I told him. “Okay,” he said, “I’ll keep looking.”

That same afternoon I received a call from the mission church near Dallas. They wanted me to come and be their pastor. And so we’re off. In less than two weeks time we head to Texas to learn and grow with St. Peter’s Episcopal Church. Our next adventure awaits.

May Newsletter

There I knelt before the dean of the seminary, the faculty and hundreds of guests including the archbishop of Kenya and the archbishop of the West Indies. The chapel was packed full of people who had come to witness and participate in the 2008 graduation from Nashotah House Theological Seminary. As the faculty stood surrounding me in a half circle, the dean who sat in the center asked, “Sirs, do you approve?” “We approve,” they responded. And then the dean ceremonially tapped me on the head with a Greek New Testament and said, “I admit you to the degree Master of Divinity.” A hood was hung around my neck, I shook the Dean’s hand and then stood. This was the culmination of three years of study and discipline. I had made it through.

Over the next few days Melissa and I packed everything that we owned into a little U-Haul trailer that was hitched to our 1991, Oldsmobile (which by the way has over 260,000 miles on it) with the hope that it would take us back to Florida where I would be ordained as a deacon the following week. We said our goodbyes to the friends we had made--people we're going to dearly miss--and then began the two day drive. Unfortunately the drive was frought with stalls and difficulties including an over-heating car. Somehow or another, with much fear and trembling and prayer, we arrived in Florida.

A week later I found myself again in a great chapel, the Episcopal Cathedral in Orlando—a building of immense grandeur, of stone and gothic architecture. At the beginning of the service I and the others involved walked down the center isle to our seats. I was then presented to the bishop by the people of the Church to be ordained to the sacred order of deacons. Before everyone present I solemnly declared that I believed in the Holy Scriptures to be the Word of God, and to contain all things necessary to salvation, and to conform to the doctrine, discipline, and worship of The Episcopal Church. The bishop then laid his hands upon my head and prayed, “Therefore, Father, through Jesus Christ your Son, give your Holy Spirit to Philip; fill him with grace and power, and make him a deacon in your Church.” And then all the people said, “Amen.”

And now, Melissa and I are off to follow God’s leading—the prayerful and humbling process of seeking a parish in which to serve. Melissa has also received her degree, Master of Arts in Religion, so we’re a dynamic, well trained team, sure to have an energetic impact where God calls us to be. We appreciate your prayers as we move through the interview process.