Much has happened since my election as your second Bishop on May 14th. My excitement to serve you all has not been diminished at all despite my recent health issues. After a heart attack on June 28th, two stents were placed in my right coronary artery giving me immediate relief. Two days later a second procedure placed additional stents in my Left arteries due to chronic buildup. While I am told genetics played a large role in my attack, I have amended my diet to be safe. The doctors say that I should be back to full strength in time....
I remember my graduation from high school. I said goodbye to many friends, but it did not sink in at the time that I would probably never see most of them again. As I come to my retirement, I am reminded of Paul’s farewell speech to the Ephesian elders in Acts 20. He is heading into persecution in Jerusalem and realizes that this will be his last journey in Asia Minor. He says this as part of his farewell: And now, behold, I know that none of you among whom I have gone about proclaiming the kingdom will see my face again....
Bishop-Elect Alex Farmer suffered a heart attack on Tuesday, June 28 while working in his yard. He drove himself to an emergency room and was sent from there to the University of Florida main hospital where he immediately had surgery to put in two stents. He later elected to have non-urgent follow-up surgery Thursday to insert two more stents in another part of his heart. The prognosis for recovery is very good and Bishop-Elect Alex says that he is feeling great. He should be able to go home on Saturday. After consulting his doctor, he plans to move forward with a previously scheduled retreat with the diocesan staff beginning Wednesday....
I don’t know about you, but I have almost given up on reading diet books. It is not that I don’t need to eat less and eat better. It is more that it almost feels hypocritical to investigate another diet when I have not followed the most recent one very faithfully. I suspect the same is true for many of us when it comes to reading books about discipleship. Why read another one when we haven’t mastered the content of earlier ones?...
I am at a season of transition in life where my heart resonates with the words of John the Baptist, “He must increase, but I must decrease” (John 3:30, ESV). So for the next few Communiques, I want to focus on three topics, three things that I believe are critically important for the life of followers of Jesus. Today I want to consider Bible study and prayer, just for a moment....
When Archbishop Foley Beach heard that I was heading to Israel for a personal trip, he asked if there was some way I could stop in Poland along the way and ordain a Ukrainian woman named Nina there. His diocese is closely connected to Christ Church, the historic Anglican congregation in the walled Old City of Jerusalem. Nina will serve there, once her visa goes through....
As the season of Lent draws near, it occurs to me how counter-cultural it really is. The culture tells us in many ways that our needs and desires come first, and that limiting ourselves by restraining our desires is somehow generally wrong. We also have a culture that tells us that busyness is required to get the most out of life....
It is common for Christians to teach that we live in the Already–Not yet season. Jesus has already called many to be his people, but the kingdom is not yet fully realized, and will not be until Jesus returns again....
I hope that as we head towards Christmas, you are finding the Lord’s peace in the midst of the flurry of the season. Let me share one perhaps unexpected way to prepare for Christmas....
Dear brothers and sisters, What a tumultuous time we are in: pandemic, racial strife, economic struggle, political turmoil, and what might be called "unsocial media" frenzy. How are we as believers in Jesus to respond? First of all, we should not be surprised by all the signs of the fallenness of the world. Instead we should be always amazed that the Lord has extended h...
Keep ReadingSo then let us pursue what makes for peace and for mutual upbuilding. Romans 14:19 Dear brothers and sisters in the diocese, Greetings in the Lord Jesus who reigns over all. Sadly, the pandemic is still with us. Therefore let me briefly share a commendation, a concern and a challenge in this hard season. Commendation for Faithfulness I am very thankful to the L...
Keep ReadingDear brothers and sisters in the Diocese, One of the first choruses I learned when I was a new Christian had these words: "God is our refuge, our refuge and our strength, in trouble a very present help. Therefore, will we not fear" The words come from Psalm 46, which goes on to speak of God's faithfulness in the midst of earthquake and flood. I share these words because...
Keep ReadingDear brothers and sisters, I wanted to commend the following article on the history of churches facing past epidemics. It is by Robert "Budd" Kneip, senior warden of our cathedral, a dedicated disciple of the Lord Jesus whom I know well and deeply respect. He was both a major corporate and government leader prior to his retirement. Budd did extensive research for this ar...
Keep ReadingIn light of the recent pandemic, you might feel it is better to worship from home, or your local congregation may not be meeting temporarily. If so, we invite you to tune into one of the following churches. These parishes will be live-streaming worship services this Sunday. Please click on the links below to visit their websites for more information. If your congregation...
Keep ReadingDear Clergy, Many of you are familiar with the book and movieThe Perfect Storm. It told the tragic story of one fishing boat lost at sea in 1991. It encountered a storm created by three converging factors: a ridge, a cold front, and the remains of Hurricane Grace. At the moment, it feels like we in this culture are facing a similar storm, a combination of a pandemic with...
Keep ReadingDear brothers and sisters in the Gulf Atlantic Diocese, What a heartbreaking season we are in. We are surrounded by death as we have passed the 100,000 mark in the COVID-19 pandemic. In the midst of that tragedy we as a nation are now struggling with the horrific death of George Floyd. Therefore I commend the thoughtful letter linked below written by some of my brother b...
Keep ReadingDear brothers and sisters, Have you ever been promised that someone would give you a present and then you had to wait for it? At his ascension, Jesus promised his disciples that ". . . not many days from now . . . you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the ea...
Keep ReadingDear brothers and sisters,Greetings in our ascended Lord Jesus. One thing I have said continually is that we are in a season of adaptive change. Therefore, I ask that you extend grace to me because the following is a result of my adapting to input and concerns I am hearing from many of you. I am writing this to give each congregation permission to decide when it is best ...
Keep Reading[Nehemiah] said to them, "You see the trouble we are in, how Jerusalem lies in ruins with its gates burned. Come, let us build the wall of Jerusalem, that we may no longer suffer derision." (Nehemiah 2:17) Dear clergy, Greetings in the Lord Jesus Christ, who is the same yesterday and today and forever(Hebrews 13:8). In this season of constant change, with ever changing...
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