Thanksgiving for Forty
I have been thinking a good deal about time and mortality lately. I preached on All Soul’s Eve last Monday, which was also my fortieth birthday (tick, tock, tick, tock). I have also been to the hospital several times this week to visit elderly friends of the family who are clearly in their last days. The ravages of time and the certainty of death are clear enough, especially since I am now indisputably middle aged. I just saw a photo of myself at an awards banquet at Brite Divinity School a mere seven years ago. I looked so young! Tempus fuget.
I can’t say that I am exactly where I thought I would be a few years ago. When I enrolled at U of C in 1998 I thought I would probably have my PhD in hand by the time I turned forty. Then as I began to discern a possible call to ordained ministry a few years ago I figured I might already have been priested before reaching the big four-oh. Neither of those things has yet come to pass (though progress is being made on both fronts), and I cannot shake a feeling that I have failed to meet some of my goals.
That being said, I am a happy man. I am doing things that I feel are important at both the cathedral and its school. I feel that in some small way I am making a positive contribution to the Kingdom in a concrete way. Certainly I am immeasurably happier than I was when I was practicing law. And it is a pleasure to be home with family and “my people” generally. God has been very good to me, and it would be preposterous for me to complain.
Almighty God, Father of all mercies,
we thine unworthy servants
do give thee most humble and hearty thanks
for all thy goodness and loving‑kindness
to us and to all men.
We bless thee for our creation, preservation,
and all the blessings of this life;
but above all for thine inestimable love
in the redemption of the world by our Lord Jesus Christ;
for the means of grace, and for the hope of glory.
And, we beseech thee,
give us that due sense of all thy mercies,
that our hearts may be unfeignedly thankful;
and that we show forth thy praise,
not only with our lips, but in our lives,
by giving up our selves to thy service,
and by walking before thee
in holiness and righteousness all our days;
through Jesus Christ our Lord,
to whom, with thee and the Holy Spirit,
be all honor and glory, world without end. Amen.
I can’t say that I am exactly where I thought I would be a few years ago. When I enrolled at U of C in 1998 I thought I would probably have my PhD in hand by the time I turned forty. Then as I began to discern a possible call to ordained ministry a few years ago I figured I might already have been priested before reaching the big four-oh. Neither of those things has yet come to pass (though progress is being made on both fronts), and I cannot shake a feeling that I have failed to meet some of my goals.
That being said, I am a happy man. I am doing things that I feel are important at both the cathedral and its school. I feel that in some small way I am making a positive contribution to the Kingdom in a concrete way. Certainly I am immeasurably happier than I was when I was practicing law. And it is a pleasure to be home with family and “my people” generally. God has been very good to me, and it would be preposterous for me to complain.
Almighty God, Father of all mercies,
we thine unworthy servants
do give thee most humble and hearty thanks
for all thy goodness and loving‑kindness
to us and to all men.
We bless thee for our creation, preservation,
and all the blessings of this life;
but above all for thine inestimable love
in the redemption of the world by our Lord Jesus Christ;
for the means of grace, and for the hope of glory.
And, we beseech thee,
give us that due sense of all thy mercies,
that our hearts may be unfeignedly thankful;
and that we show forth thy praise,
not only with our lips, but in our lives,
by giving up our selves to thy service,
and by walking before thee
in holiness and righteousness all our days;
through Jesus Christ our Lord,
to whom, with thee and the Holy Spirit,
be all honor and glory, world without end. Amen.
posted by Texanglican (R.W. Foster+) | 11:47 AM
1 Comments:
Randall,
Happy belated birthday! I am glad to hear that you are finding fulfillment in what you are doing in ministry right now. There are many, I'm sure, who are glad that you are ministering in the Body of Christ rather than practicing law. Certainly there is nothing wrong with that in and of itself, but your academic gifts are now being put to use in the service of the Church, which desperately needs articulate and scholarly voices to make the case for the Faith in the academic and lay spheres alike. Keep up the good work!
BTW, outstanding All Souls sermon.
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