November 2003
Dear All Saints’ Family,
The old saying ‘Time flies when you are having
fun" sure holds true for me. I recently realized that I just passed my 15th
anniversary of ordained ministry, and what a time it has been. As many of
you know, I went to seminary after 17 years in the retail business where I
worked my way through the management ranks. Attending seminary with Janet
and our three children was an act of faith, and God has never let us down.
While in seminary there were times of uncertainty, anxiety, and
hopelessness, followed by times of provision, answered prayer,
steadfastness, and outright certainty. Ordained ministry has been more of
the same.
All through life we face times that seem hopeless
and confusing, and we wonder if God is still listening. It is during these
times that our faith is tested and made strong. The great Christian
teacher Oswald Chambers calls these times "God’s silence". He asks, "Has
God trusted you with his silence?" He explains that these times of silence
are actually answers to our prayers. Yes, God can respond to our prayers
with visible answers, but "His silence is a sign that he is bringing you
into a deeper understanding of Himself." When times are muddled, and there
is not a clear answer from God, we are brought into a place of having to
trust, and that trust brings a peace that passes all understanding.
Chambers goes on to say when you are in that place "You will find that he
has trusted you in the most intimate way possible, with absolute silence,
not a silence of despair but of peace because he saw that you could
withstand an even greater revelation of Him"*
Recently I attended the meeting in Dallas where
nearly three thousand Episcopalians gathered to deal with the issues that
face our denomination. Many of us were looking for clear answers and
direction. The final outcome was that the future is muddled, and we do not
know what in direction God will lead our denomination. What I came away
with was a peace deep within that God has the answer, and, in His time,
that answer will be revealed. God remains in control.
Recently the Primates of the Anglican Communion
met at Lambeth to discuss the future of the Church. After the meeting the
Primates said that the unity of the Anglican Communion was in jeopardy if
the consecration of the Bishop of New Hampshire proceeds as planned.
Exactly what that means or how that will affect us is unknown. Again, we
are left with no definitive answers as to what will happen to our
Episcopal Church. Could this be a time of God’s silence? Is God saying to
us, "Be still and know that I am God?" I think so, and this brings me
great peace.
The months ahead will be a time of prayer, trust,
and growth for all of us. We must carry on with our ministry and trust
that God will bring about His perfect will for our Church and us. Our
faithfulness to Jesus and His great commission to be and to make disciples
cannot be slowed by anxiety over things we cannot control. It is a time to
place our absolute faith in the one who is the ‘author and finisher of our
faith’. If I have learned one thing during my 15 years of ordained
ministry, it is that God has never failed to keep his promises. God has
not, and never will, let us down. Even in times of ‘silence.’
Faithfully, Fr. David
*All quotations from My Utmost for His
Highest.
top
|
