Archive: This Transitory Life

(This article was printed in the August 16, 2009 edition of SpiritAlive! and was seen by the brothers at that point.) The life we live, brothers, is the life of those longing, pushing, hoping, and praying to be fully born into Glory. As I sit in the quietness of this day and look about me, there is nothing I see that is not passing away; there is nothing I see that I cannot do without; everything around me – save the precious souls the Lord has graciously placed in my life – is worthless. “In the end,” Saint Paul reminds us, “there are only three things that last – faith, hope, and love. And the greatest of these is love.” If that’s true – and I know it is – then my whole life has to change. I have to stop thinking of what I want, and start thinking about what God wants. Why God? Because “God is love.” Because “our lives are hidden with God in Christ Jesus.” Because “our hope is in the Name of the Lord.” I have discovered, often very bitterly, over the past few years that what I lack – what is withheld from me or taken from me – is often the very thing that would have hindered my understanding of God’s love. In fact, when the truth is told, the very experience of being ‘deprived’ of something brings me closer to the heart of God. The act of willingly surrendering to deprivation and suffering – which certainly is not something we seek in and of itself – is the very means by which we come to understand the deprivation and suffering of our Lord Jesus. It’s also the means by which we are joined to Christ in his sufferings, that we might be raised with him into glory. I have learned to think of this transitory life in the following manner: This world in which we live is but a womb. Those who want nothing to do with God and his call in their life are like those who really don’t care about seeing the world outside the womb. They have made the womb, rather than the life beyond it, their home. In so doing, they are failing to develop the requirements for life beyond the womb. When their time comes to be born, they are like the baby that is still-born – dead at the moment of birth. Such people are lost eternally when they leave the womb of this earthly life. For those of us who say “Yes” to Jesus while we are still in the womb of this earthly life, we are more or less developing and growing like a healthy baby. From the moment we say our “Yes” to Jesus, we begin growing and moving – hopefully and confidently – toward the birth canal. To the extent that we desire to see the world beyond the womb – the world that God is promising to us – we begin to look at the womb as nothing more than a place of pilgrimage. It’s no longer our home, our haven, or our ‘heaven’. But sometimes, because we get wrapped up in the gift of the womb that God has provided for us, we forget that our focus is to be on the Giver, not the gift – especially not a gift intended only to be ‘life-support’ for our journey toward real life. I have heard estimates from various followers of Jesus claiming that anywhere from 50% to 90% of all Christians have fallen into the trap of loving the gift more than the Giver, the womb more than the life beyond the womb. I would believe it – I’ve done it. Having done it, I’ve had to repent of it. Having repented of it, I have to continually be vigilant against it. This life – with all its beauty, joy, sorrow, and emotion – is not the end of the road for me. But neither is it meaningless. As I grow in the things of God, I learn to give him ever greater glory for what he’s done and how he’s done it. I’ve learned to proclaim, “how great thou art!”; to humbly sing, “I surrender all”; and to understand what it means to “rescue the perishing.” Brothers, we have been called together, not by the actions or thoughts of men, but by the love and desire of God. We have been called together to see and understand our lives for what they are – for what God intended them to be. Even as we begin to develop in this womb of life and move confidently toward our birth into God’s amazing glory, we learn to say “I love you” in a way that’s totally foreign to the world around us. We learn to say it in the way Jesus said it – and still says it. We learn to say “I love you” by the surrender of our lives, our desires, and our selfishness. When people who know and love Jesus say “I love you”, what they’re really saying is “Come with me, don’t get stuck here, there’s glory waiting!” In fact, it’s through that kind of love – that self-giving and sacrificial love – that we begin to see a glimpse of glory here in the womb of life. We see it when we worship. We see it when we welcome someone who’s been ripped apart by the circumstances of life. We see it when we say “Jesus, I love you more than all of this.” Most of all, we see it in the eyes of a brother or sister who finally realizes that they’ve never experienced real love until they’ve looked into the eyes of Jesus and heard his promise of welcome. Brothers, there are three ways in which we can experience and share the love of Jesus. First, we can commit ourselves to the vocation (work) of prayer. We have time on our hands. To say it a another way: Unlike the world beyond these walls we are keenly aware of what it means to be in a womb, waiting to be born. Since God never wastes an opportunity, neither should we. WE CAN PRAY – and we can do it without ceasing. That's something the busy and misguided world beyond these walls often will not do. Second, we can experience and share the love of Jesus by committing ourselves to the vocation of worship. Worship is both work and mindset. It is work in the sense that it is the supreme sacrifice we can offer the Lord. It is our saying to him “You’re more important than TV, sleeping in, or anything else that enters my mind.” It is a mindset in the sense that whatever we worship becomes supremely important to us – it becomes, if you will, our god. Brothers, let God be our god and let us share him with the world! Finally, we can experience and share the love of Jesus – true Charity – by giving of ourselves for the needs of others. Our options are limited for doing so in this place. But may I suggest that until we learn the primacy of prayer and worship in the life of a believer, we will never be able to deny ourselves and share in other ways – not even when we move beyond these walls. Brothers, our care for the lost and those who are struggling to grow in Christ must begin on our knees – both in private times of prayer (the Daily Office) and in the Mass. I suspect that you have come to Mass today, or are reading this, because God is calling you and because a brother in Christ has cared enough to share his vision of life beyond the womb with you. I urge you, with all that’s in me, to “seek the Lord while he wills to be found.” God bless you, brothers, as you worship today, pray throughout this week, and share the Charity – love – of Jesus with hungry souls! Father Todd Boyce, Vicar The Fellowship of Saint Joseph Sunday, August 16, 2009

Archive: In the Footsteps of Saint Tikhon and Bishop Grafton

(I couldn't resist sharing news of the historic meeting to take place this week - October 8-10. Oh, to have been there!) Nashotah House Theological Seminary (founded in 1842 just outside of Milwaukee, Wisconsin) will host an Anglican-Orthodox Ecumenical Conference with St. Vladimir’s Orthodox Seminary. The partnership between two schools marks new step in ecumenical relations. The ecumenical conference, between scholars of the Anglican and Eastern Orthodox traditions, will be held at Nashotah House Theological Seminary from October 8-10, 2009. Entitled “In the Footsteps of Tikhon and Grafton - Anglican and Orthodox Identity, Ministry and Mission in the 21th Century,” the Anglican-Orthodox Conference will feature discussions and addresses by representatives of Nashotah House and St. Vladimir’s Orthodox Theological Seminary in Yonkers, New York, together with several worship services representing the spiritual richness of both traditions. The conference will conclude with the signing of a “Covenant Partnership,” pledging continued prayer, fellowship and ecumenical cooperation between the two schools. Speakers will include the His Beatitude, Metropolitan Jonah, Orthodox Metropolitan of All America and Canada, who is President of the St. Vladimir’s Board of Trustees, and the Very Rev’d. Fr. Chad Hatfield, an alumnus of Nashotah House who is now Chancellor of St. Vladimir’s Orthodox Theological Seminary. The Conference is free and open to the public, but advance registration is required. For more information, telephone the Rev’d. Fr. Steve Schlossberg, Nashotah House Director of Communications, at (262) 646-6506. “St. Vladimir's Seminary is committed to working out a new relationship with Nashotah House that honors our common legacy and heritage,” says Fr. Hatfield. “Together we can take the work and witness or our forefathers and reclaim the voice of Christian orthodoxy that this world is starving to hear once again. Not to do so would be to fail to build upon the foundations of both seminaries and the two traditions that they represent. Now is the time to act boldly, and together we will, in common witness to the truth of the Gospel of our Lord, God and Savior Jesus Christ. May it be blessed.” The Very Rev’d. Dr. Robert S. Munday, Dean and President of Nashotah House expressed his conviction that this new relationship between the two seminaries “is an important step in furthering a renewal of Anglican-Orthodox ecumenical dialogue, which is the oldest ecumenical dialogue between Christian traditions.” Dean Munday added, “It is particularly appropriate that Nashotah House should resume the ecumenical efforts begun over 100 years ago by Bishop Charles Grafton (2nd Episcopal Bishop of Fond du Lac and Chairman of the Nashotah House Board of Trustees) and Saint Tikhon of Moscow (who was archbishop of the Orthodox Church in America, and who was made an honorary Doctor of Divinity by Nashotah House in 1905, later becoming Patriarch of Moscow and head of the Russian Orthodox Church).” Bishop Frederick Fick, MSJ will be attending this conference on behalf of the Missionary Society of Saint John the Evangelist. Please pray for this conference, the attendees, and the good that may come of it! Father Todd Boyce, Vicar The Fellowship of Saint Joseph Tuesday, October 6, 2009

Archive: Inaugural Mass for The Fellowship of Saint Joseph a Blessed Event!

What a day this was! God's favor was upon us, and I know that your prayers availed much! This afternoon at one o'clock the Fellowship of Saint Joseph (a prison outreach ministry of the Missionary Society of Saint John the Evangelist) celebrated its first Mass! I wasn't quite sure what to expect - in fact, I wasn't quite sure that the fliers posted in the dorms would stay up, be read, and acted upon. But, as I made my rounds, I found that they did stay up - and created a little bit of a buzz. Most of the Inmates, I guess, aren't quite used to seeing an Icon showing Saint Joseph holding our Lord (then again, maybe that's something new for most of us). As the hour neared for Mass to begin, there were about five Inmates in the smaller Chapel. I was thrilled with that - until I learned that not all the dorms had released to normal operations. When the rest of the dorms did so, the number swelled to 19. I vested and made my way into the Chapel, shared a little bit about the Liturgy, and that our primary, secondary, et cetera focus was on worshiping Jesus. With that we prayed silently until the music swelled and we filled the Academic Wing with God's praises!!! The Spirit of the Lord was working in and among us. The fear of making 'mistakes' subsided and we entered into the Holy of Holies. I was astounded at what was coming out of my mouth - the Holy Spirit was really working on us. As we came to the Altar for the Great Thanksgiving some Inmates were gathered outside the door for movement back to their dorms. I heard some snickering...until I elevated the Host. All of a sudden they were quiet. Isn't it amazing what the Presence of Jesus can do? I think God is up to something there. I faced numerous challenges in the last week, and especially today that made me want to give it all up. When God's people are on the move, the Enemy doesn't like it, does he? I had to fight hard to not feel like giving up; I had to meet it head-on with the love of Jesus and with fasting. Praise God! The break came, and by the time the Celebration was set to begin nothing was going to hold us back! Following Mass we prayed for and laid hands on a brother dealing with physical illness; we chatted for a while; I fielded some questions; and some of us retired to the Chapel Library for tea! How Anglican-ish is that?!? We didn't have the obligatory biscuits, but we did have some more wonderful fellowship in the afterglow of what God had done for us and with us! I'm hoping to have the text of my homily posted here in the next couple of days. Unlike most times, I just couldn't reduce it to written form prior to preaching it. This one had to literally work its way out of me in the assembly of the saints. Thank you! Thank you! Thank you for your faithful prayers!!! God bless each of you! Father Todd Boyce, Vicar The Fellowship of Saint Joseph Sunday, July 5, 2009

Archive: The Fellowship of Saint Joseph - Who We Are

Like Saint Joseph, we vow to serve Jesus the Christ. By the grace of God, we will strive to order our lives in humility; we will listen to the voice of the Church; we will serve our families, our friends, our enemies, and each other; and we will allow our brothers to pick us up when we fall. Like Saint Joseph, we may not understand the entirety of God’s will for our lives. Even so, we will seek God with all our heart; we will hold no part of our life beyond his reach; and we will give him permission to take us apart, piece by piece, that he might re-construct us in holiness and peace. Like Saint Joseph, we know that a man intent on serving Jesus is a man who’s not afraid to fade into the background. Therefore, we will not seek the spotlight; we will refuse to take credit for what God is doing in our midst; we will seek to be servants of the servants of God; we will freely offer our glory to him alone; and we will humbly honor our brothers and sisters as more worthy than ourselves. Saint Joseph, pray for us. Pray for us, that we might be ever more deeply filled with the love of Jesus. Pray for us, that we might become the men God has created us to be. Pray for us, that we might follow in your footsteps and, in so doing, become protectors for our families, messengers of the Good News of Jesus, and instruments of his peace. May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God the Father, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit accomplish all these things within and among us. Amen. Father Todd Boyce, Vicar The Fellowship of Saint Joseph Thursday, June 25, 2009

Archive: Some Food for Thought...and Much Prayer!

Thanks to your prayers and several wonderful interactions I’ve had with folks over the past few weeks – not to mention the grace of God at work in many ways – I think I’m ready to move forward with the Fellowship of Saint Joseph-behind-the-Walls. As I’ve prayed, reflected, and sought the advice of trusted people, the way has become much clearer for the start-up of ministry behind the walls. To put it bluntly, I needed to be reminded – as I have been repeatedly over the past few weeks – that the Church beyond the walls is different from the Church behind the walls only in the degree of sins and crimes committed. To put it another way, the only difference between the sins committed by people beyond the walls versus those that have landed men behind the walls is the nature of their temporal consequences. The temporal consequences of telling a lie are very different from the temporal consequences of murder. The people in the pews beyond the walls are, often times, no different than those behind the walls. Both groups often are found jockeying for political position within the Church; both are wanting to make the Christian life a little easier on themselves; and both are often wanting to sweep their past under the rug, rather than dealing with it and growing up. Yet, in terms of the gravity of sins committed and the consequences of actions taken, there is a special dimension added to prison ministry that does not exist in ministry to a “normal” parish. While Inmates are no worse in their sinfulness than those beyond the walls (a sinner is a sinner is a sinner – we are all equally deprave prior to our regeneration in the waters of Holy Baptism), they nevertheless have acted in ways (allowing a degree of freedom to their sinfulness, if you will) that you and I would never dream of doing. And so the process of catechizing or making a disciple of such a person is one that must take into account their past, their lack of tools for living a decent life, and the precarious position in which they find themselves – both within the prison walls and in the eyes of society. God’s grace can accomplish anything – ANYTHING! God’s grace can take away bitterness; it can reform same-sex attractions; it can turn the heart of a mother to her unborn child as she enters an abortion mill; it can cause the violent heart and mind of a husband or boyfriend to stop beating on the woman he says he loves; it can cause a drug addict to put the needle down; it can heal any emotional or physical or spiritual brokenness that we human beings experience!!! So why do we, as a society, lock men up who have done nasty things and hope they’ll just go away? Why do so many Christians (often allowing their preacher to speak for them from the pulpit with ill-conceived and ignorant words) speak condemnation rather than hope to the men behind the walls? Is it because we feel guilty for what we’re also doing in the dark, when we think no one’s watching? So, what are some of the problems these men behind the walls are facing? What are some the things you can be praying for in their lives? Here’s a short, and very insufficient, list: 1. No grounding in the faith (no rock on which to stand); 2. No firm family structure (for the vast majority of the men); 3. No sense of respect for human life – theirs or any other – because of items 1 and 2; 4. A deficiency in dealing with wives, girlfriends, and children (this is often expressed in serial monogamy and/or living together in sin); 5. A repeated desire for gaining things – emotional and physical – by illegitimate means (that is, feeling good by doing drugs; sexual gratification by looking at porn and/or forcing deviant intercourse); 6. Because of 1 through 5, there is an underlying desire among many who turn to Jesus while in prison to use him to regain respectability and freedom. Now, I know what I just wrote sounds harsh – especially number 6. But it’s the reality. Does that mean that Jesus is offended? Absolutely not! (Just take a moment and recall all of the “Santa Claus” prayers you’ve lifted to the Lord for want of this or that – did the Lord turn his back on you because you wanted to use him like a gift dispenser?) The Church is full of infantile believers who think they’re doing God a favor and/or getting brownie points by showing up for worship. At least the men behind the walls are asking for restoration of dignity and freedom rather than materialistic gain and selfish pleasure. The last time I checked, our Lord is in the business of restoring both dignity and freedom to the sin-sick soul. Now, it may not come in the way the petitioner hopes for; but, if they’re willing, the Lord will provide it in his way and in his own time. Lifting his children out of the gutter and freeing them from sin and guilt is EXACTLY what our Lord loves to do. Your assignment, my dear prayer partners, is to pray for the men behind the walls. Pray that they will begin to desire a lasting change in their lives. Pray that they will want to address the problems I listed. Pray that we will have enough resources (Bibles, books, and time) to meet their needs. Pray that they will be moved to come and talk with me about (and to make confession of) their issues. Pray that my words will be helpful. And pray that they will grow in the Imageo Deo (Image of God). God bless you! Father Todd Boyce, Vicar The Fellowship of Saint Joseph Tuesday, June 23, 2009

Archive: A New Day Has Dawned!

The smell of incense, the sounds of a pipe organ played in the English style, the chanting of the Psalter, voices raised in song proclaiming the “Faith of Our Fathers”, the people devoutly kneeling in their pews as the Body and Blood of Jesus are raised before them at the Altar – the sights, sounds, and smells of Solemn High Mass. I’ll never forget it as long as I live: Hands raised in worship, people bowing before the cross of Christ as the procession enters the nave of the church, the lines of people coming forward to receive the Sacrament of Holy Unction (healing prayer with the anointing of oil), and the deep reverence for the king of Sacraments: The Holy Eucharist. Of course, it would hardly be an Anglican gathering without the praying of the Daily Office (Morning and Evening Prayer), lots of good food, music, and a sip or two of one’s favorite libation. Such was my first experience in the wonderfully warm water of the Anglican Communion, via the Annual Assembly of Forward in Faith, North America. FiFNA is one of the Diocesan jurisdictions comprising the new Anglican Church in North America. In fact, this week, in Fort Worth, our first Archbishop will be enthroned and the new Province will officially be born (check out http://acnaassembly.org/index2.php for live coverage and updates). For those of you who don’t know what this means or why it’s happening, let me explain. There are thirty-eight Provinces of the Anglican Communion throughout the world. In essence, wherever the British Empire went, the Church of England followed through settlers and missionaries. Hence, the first Province of the Anglican Communion was/is the Church of England. The Anglican Communion is found in every continent, with the greatest number of Anglicans found in Africa. In fact, the African Provinces (ie. – Nigeria, Kenya, Rwanda, Ghana, et cetera) are bursting at the seams! I wish as much could be said for the Provinces in places such as Australia, New Zealand, Canada, Scotland, England and the United States. The new Province being created in North America (the Anglican Church in North America) has been established by the missionary efforts of Provinces and Primates (a Primate is the Archbishop or head of a Province) in Africa and South America, along with faithful Anglicans in North America. The pre-existing Provinces of Canada (the Anglican Church of Canada) and the United States (the Episcopal Church, USA) have, for many decades, faltered in their practice and teaching of the Apostolic faith handed down to them from Jesus himself. Indeed, they have given in to the prevailing liberalism of the cultures in which they were called to be salt and light. As the Anglican Church of Canada and the Episcopal Church, USA labor under falsehood and continue to shrink, faithful North American Anglicans, acting through the authority of South American and African Primates, are once again lifting the banner of Apostolic faith in our midst! Forward in Faith, North America (of which my religious order, the Missionaries of Saint John, is a part) is not only the voice of Anglo-Catholicism within the new Anglican Church in North America, it is also one of that Church’s founding dioceses. The ACNA has already been recognized as the replacement for the Anglican Church of Canada and the Episcopal Church, USA by 22 of the 38 global Anglican Provinces (that’s more than 70% of the Anglican Communion). Of course, the Anglican Church of Canada and the Episcopal Church, USA (along with the more liberal and ever-shrinking Provinces of New Zealand, Australia, Scotland, and England) have not recognized us as the new North American Province, though pressure is growing on the various Primates outside of Canada and the USA to do so (especially on the Archbishop of Canterbury). It probably doesn’t help their position to know that the power base long ago shifted from “white” Anglicanism to “brown” and “black” Anglicanism in the southern hemisphere! More to follow later. Until then, God bless each of you! Father Todd Boyce, Vicar The Fellowship of Saint Joseph Monday, June 22, 2009

Archive: Pray for Me, Please!!!

I had the pleasure of spending some time talking with my colleague in the Prison Chapel yesterday. I unburdened my heart to him about the things I’ve shared with you in this blog. In the midst of our conversation it became clear to me (thanks to the prodding of the Holy Spirit and the faithful witness of my colleague) that my heart needs to break for the Inmates I serve before I can preach the truth in love to them. I love what God is doing in me – in my heart and mind – as he prepares me to be an open vessel for his men behind-the-walls. In the span of six months I’ve been through four stages of introduction to the Inmates I serve, and I’m in the midst of the fifth stage right now. If I’m going to “get it” and move on to stage six, I’m going to need to pray all the more fervently. I’ve taken to praying with the Blessed Mother on my way home from the prison each night. I love sitting with her in the Presence of Jesus! I want her heart-cry to be mine as well: “May it be unto me as you have said.” As I contemplate the mysteries of our Lord’s holy Gospel, I feel myself being more and more liberated to do his will. Indeed, as I sit with the Blessed Mother in praying to the Lord and contemplating the mysteries of the Gospel, I find him directing my thoughts and prayers ever closer to the men in prison. As I ask the Blessed Mother to pray for me, so I ask you to pray for me as well. Please pray that I will understand ever more deeply that I cannot get the men behind-the-walls to open themselves to the transforming love of Jesus; openness to Jesus comes by the grace of the Holy Spirit and the willingness of the individual. Please pray that my heart will be break for these precious men. Please pray for an increase of holiness in my attitude and living. And please pray for an intermingling of boldness and love in my ministry behind-the-walls. The Lord bless and keep you! Father Todd Boyce, Vicar The Fellowship of Saint Joseph Saturday, June 13, 2009