A Site Map...

I thought you might like to know where things are...

There are four sections in this blogsite:

1. “Saint Joseph-behind-the-Walls” – including everything from our gathering hymns to our Scripture lessons to my homily to the blessing. (By the way, the Fellowship of Saint Joseph-behind-the-Walls is the little fellowship of Anglican believers behind these walls, to which I am Vicar).

2. “Prayers-behind-the-Walls” – including the prayers updated and used each week by the Brothers (Inmates) of The Fellowship of Saint Joseph-behind-the-Walls.

3. “My Ministry-behind-the-Walls” – my personal reflections (as I attempt to be of use to Inmates, Staff, and Volunteers) on what it means to be a prison chaplain.

4. “My Memories-behind-the-Walls” – the Archive of all that I’ve written and posted on this blogsite.

Please feel free to e-mail me at fr.todd4you@yahoo.com with any comments or questions you may have. May God bless you as you read and as you pray with us!




A Word about Sunday’s Mass...

The Sixth Sunday of Easter – May 9, 2010

(Will be updated shortly...)

Father Todd Boyce, Vicar
The Fellowship of Saint Joseph
Sunday, May 9, 2010

Our Gathering Hymns...

“Christ Is Risen! Shout Hosanna!”
Christ is risen! Shout Hosanna! Celebrate this day of days!
Christ is risen! Hush in wonder: All creation is amazed.
In the desert all surrounding, see, a spreading tree has grown.
Healing leaves of grace abounding bring a taste of love unknown.

Christ is risen! Raise your spirits from the caverns of despair.
Walk with gladness in the morning. See what love can do and dare.
Drink the wine of resurrection; not a servant, but a friend. Jesus is our strong companion. Joy and peace shall never end.

Christ is risen! Earth and heaven nevermore shall be the same.
Break the bread of new creation where the world is still in pain.
Tell its grim, demonic chorus: “Christ is risen! Get you gone!”
God the First and Last is with us. Sing Hosanna, every one!


“Hosanna”
Hosanna! Hosanna! Hosanna in the highest!
Hosanna! Hosanna! Hosanna in the highest!
Lord, we lift up your Name, with hearts full of praise!
Be exalted, O Lord our God! Hosanna in the highest!

Glory! Glory! Glory to the risen King!
Glory! Glory! Glory to the risen King!
Lord, we lift up your Name, with hearts full of praise!
Be exalted, O Lord our God! Glory to the risen King!


“Gloria in excelsis Deo”
Glory to God! Glory to God in the highest!
Glory to God; peace on his earth; good will to men!
Praises and blessing, worship and glory, be unto you,
O Lord our God, our heavenly King, Father Almighty!
Glory to God! Glory to God! Glory to God on high!

Only-begotten Son of the Father, the Lamb of God,
You take away the sins of the world, have mercy on us!
You take away the sins of the world, receive our prayer!
You sit at God the Father’s right hand, have mercy on us!
Glory to God! Glory to God! Glory to God on high!

Glory to God! Glory to God in the highest!
Glory to God; peace on his earth; good will to men!
Holy are you! Alone you are Lord, with th’Holy Spirit!
+ You are most high in the Father’s glory! Amen! Amen!
Glory to God! Glory to God! Glory to God on high!

Lessons from Sacred Scripture...

A Lesson from the Hebrew Scriptures
‘21Fear not, O land; be glad and rejoice, for the Lord has done great things! 22Fear not, you beasts of the field, for the pastures of the wilderness are green; the tree bears its fruit, the fig tree and vine give their full yield. 23Be glad, O sons of Zion, and rejoice in the Lord, your God; for he has given the early rain for your vindication, he has poured down for you abundant rain, the early and the latter rain, as before. 24The threshing floors shall be full of grain, the vats shall overflow with wine and oil. 25I will restore to you the years which the swarming locust has eaten; the hopper, the destroyer, and the cutter; my great army, which I sent among you. 26You shall eat in plenty and be satisfied, and praise the Name of the Lord your God, who has dealt wondrously with you. And my people shall never again be put to shame. 27You shall know that I am in the midst of Israel, and that I, the Lord, am your God and there is none else. And my people shall never again be put to shame.’ Joel 2:21-27 RSV


Worshiping God with a Psalm: Psalm Sixty-seven
(musical refrain in italics: “There’s a Wideness in God’s Mercy”)
There’s a wideness in God’s mercy, like the wideness of the sea; there’s a kindness in his justice, which is more than liberty.

May God be merciful to us and bless us, show us the light of his countenance and come to us. Let your ways be known upon earth, your saving health among all nations.

There is welcome for the sinner, and more graces for the good; there is mercy with the Savior; there is healing in his Blood.

Let the peoples praise you, O God; let all the peoples praise you. Let the nations be glad and sing for joy, for you judge the peoples with equity and guide all the nations upon earth.

For the love of God is broader than the measure of man’s mind; and the heart of the Eternal is most wonderfully kind.

Let the peoples praise you, O God; let all the peoples praise you. The earth has brought forth her increase; may God, our own God, give us his blessing. May God give us his blessing, and may all the ends of the earth stand in awe of him.

If our love were but more simple, we should take him at his Word; and our lives would be all sunshine in the sweetness of our Lord.


A Lesson from the Epistles
‘10And in the Spirit he carried me away to a great, high mountain, and showed me the holy city Jerusalem coming down out of heaven from God, 11having the glory of God, its radiance like a most rare jewel, like jasper, clear as crystal. 12It had a great, high wall, with twelve gates, and at the gates twelve angels, and on the gates the names of the twelve tribes of the sons of Israel were inscribed. 14And the wall of the city had twelve foundations, and on them the twelve names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb. 22And I saw no Temple in the city, for its Temple is the Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb. 23And the city has no need of sun or moon to shine upon it, for the glory of God is its light, and its lamp is the Lamb. 24By its light shall the nations walk; and the kings of the earth shall bring their glory into it, 25and its gates shall never be shut by day – and there shall be no night there; 26they shall bring into it the glory and the honor of the nations. 27But nothing unclean shall enter it, nor any one who practices abomination or falsehood, but only those who are written in the Lamb’s book of life. 22:1Then he showed me the river of the water of life, bright as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb 2through the middle of the street of the city; also, on either side of the river, the tree of life with its twelve kinds of fruit, yielding its fruit each month; and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. 3There shall no more be anything accursed, but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it, and his servants shall worship him; 4they shall see his face, and his Name shall be on their foreheads. 5And night shall be no more; they need no light of lamp or sun, for the Lord God will be their light, and they shall reign for ever and ever.’ Revelation 21:10-12, 14, 22-22:5 RSV


A Lesson from the Gospels
‘18[Jesus said,] “I will not leave you desolate; I will come to you. 19Yet a little while, and the world will see me no more, but you will see me; because I live, you will live also. 20In that day you will know that I am in my Father, and you in me, and I in you. 21He who has my commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves me; and he who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and manifest myself to him.” 22Judas (not Iscariot) said to him, “Lord, how is it that you will manifest yourself to us, and not to the world?” 23Jesus answered him, “If a man loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him. 24He who does not love me does not keep my words; and the word which you hear is not mine but the Father’s who sent me. 25These things I have spoken to you, while I am still with you. 26But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my Name, he will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you. 27Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid. 28You heard me say to you, ‘I go away, and I will come to you.’ If you loved me, you would have rejoiced, because I go to the Father; for the Father is greater than I. 29And now I have told you before it takes place, so that when it does take place, you may believe.”’ St. John 14:18-29 RSV

The Vicar’s Homily...

“The Journey to a Place called Joy: Where Joy has Withered, Love can Sprout Surprises”

Given the Sixth Sunday of Easter – May 9, 2010

(Will be updated shortly...)

Father Todd Boyce, Vicar
The Fellowship of Saint Joseph
Sunday, May 9, 2010

Our Communion Hymns...

“Open My Eyes, That I May See”
Open my eyes, that I may see glimpses of truth thou hast for me;
place in my hands the wonderful key that shall unclasp and set me free.
Silently now I wait for thee, ready, my God thy will to see;
open my eyes, illumine me, Spirit divine!

Open my ears, that I may hear voices of truth thou sendest clear;
and while the wave-notes fall on my ear, everything false will disappear.
Silently now I wait for thee, ready, my God thy will to see;
open my ears, illumine me, Spirit divine!

Open my mouth, and let me bear gladly the warm truth everywhere;
open my heart and let me prepare love with thy children thus to share.
Silently now I wait for thee, ready, my God thy will to see;
open my heart, illumine me, Spirit divine!

The Blessing and Dismissal...

The Blessing
May the God of peace, who brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus Christ, the great Shepherd of the sheep, through the Blood of the eternal covenant, make you perfect in every good work to do his will, working in you that which is well-pleasing in his sight; and the blessing of God Almighty, the + Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, be upon you and remain with you now and for ever. Amen.


The Dismissal
Let us bless the Lord. Alleluia.
Thanks be to God. Alleluia.


“Sometimes a Light Surprises”
Sometimes a light surprises the Christian while he sings;
it is the Lord who rises with healing in His wings.
When comforts are declining, he grants the soul again
a season of clear shining to cheer it after rain.

In holy contemplation we sweetly then pursue
the theme of God’s salvation and find it ever new.
Set free from present sorrow we cheerfully can say:
Let the unknown tomorrow bring with it what it may.

It can bring with it nothing but he will bear us through;
who gives the lilies clothing will clothe his people, too.
Beneath the spreading heavens no creature but is fed;
and he who feeds the ravens will give his children bread.

Though vine nor fig tree neither their wonted fruit should bear;
though all the field should wither, nor flocks nor herds be there;
yet God the same abiding, his praise shall tune my voice;
for while in him confiding I cannot but rejoice.




Unfairly Tainted?

I sat in an office today, having a conversation with co-workers. We were laughing, exchanging the kind of news more often shared among neighbors than co-workers, and I cracked a joke that turned the mood in the room to unease. I made reference to my clerical collar, and, with a grin on my face, asked if it were possible to get into trouble while wearing such an outfit (because people so often stiffen and stifle any sense of humor around a priest, I often use self-deprecating humor to set them at ease).

As I did this today, a man I very much respect (one of our Officers) looked at me and asked a simple question, “Have you seen the news lately?” The smiles turned to gaping mouths. The laughter ceased, and the mood changed instantly. Of course, he was making reference to the irreparable harm done to so many children by certain Roman Catholic priests.

I immediately disavowed any connection with the Roman Church and stated my long-held belief that, while Rome gets many things right, celibacy for all priests is a violation of clear Biblical doctrine – a violation that has been visited upon countless children. I explained that I’m an Anglican or Anglo-Catholic priest, and that I am a very happily married man.

I shared with those present that, from time to time, when I go into public while wearing my clerics I do get the occasional “dirty look” from a passerby. It makes me want to wear a sign stating: “I’m not Roman Catholic, don’t blame me.” We all laughed a nervous laugh, and I left the room to attend to my duties.

Yet, as I passed through three gates to find my way back to the Chapel Library, my mind settled on something I hadn’t thought about. Nearly one third of all Inmates in American prisons are serving time for sexual crimes – including the Inmate population in Kentucky. These are men to whom I minister. These are men who, like all human beings, are grasping for hope and some form of redemption. And these are men who, again, like all human beings, are capable of great wrongs and have given proof of that capability.

Is my collar – my outward identity as a priest in God’s Church – unfairly tainted by its sad association with such a great evil? Should I writhe in indignation when I catch sight of that mistrustful glance? Should I point the finger of blame at brothers who clearly need help, or at the bishops who failed to get them the help they needed? (Please understand that I in no way seek to absolve of responsibility these or any other men judged guilty of sexual abuse – I mean only to ask the less obvious question: “Am I without sin?”)

My Lord was unfairly accused – he who knew no sin. When he hung upon the cross did he point at me and say, “There’s the culprit, now leave me alone”? Of course not. Yet, he also said that any man who leads one of his little ones astray will suffer untold agonies. I wonder if those agonies might not come in the form of feeling the effects of what they have wrought, just as Jesus felt it upon the cross? I wonder whether the mercy shown them in their contrition and repentance – if there be any – will involve the healing of the sexual abuse that so many abusers themselves have suffered.

Unfortunately, in the course of my duties, I often have to access information I would rather not see. Thus far, the Lord has given me the graces I need to not let it affect my work of helping, counseling, and walking with the men in my care. This much I know: I have read about the torments of hell and I have been placed among the demons to help sift out and save the souls of men created in God’s Image.

So, am I tainted – am I, along with my collar and my identity as a priest, tainted by association? Yes. Can I let it bother me? No. I work and pray and worship in a place where demons and angels contend continually and openly for the souls of men. I don’t have time to let it bother me. After all, the collar I wear is an outward and visible sign that I am a prisoner for Christ.

Please pray for the healing, restoration, salvation, and sanctification of all victims of sexual abuse – many have left Jesus because of what has happened to them. Please pray for the healing, restoration, salvation, and sanctification of all sexual abusers – many are unrepentant and many are trying to cling to Jesus without allowing him to transform them.

Father Todd Boyce, Vicar
The Fellowship of Saint Joseph
Tuesday, April 20, 2010

The Father-heart of God...in Me?

I don’t know what it is that God is wanting from me. I’m being stretched in places that I never would have guessed at, and pushed in places that – until now – I would have left alone. While I know that God has a purpose for everything he puts us through, I’ve had a difficult time swallowing some of the things I’ve gone through recently.

Before the call to full-time prison chaplaincy came into my life – and let’s face it, it wasn’t my choice – I thought I was doing just fine as a pastor. In fact, after eleven years of building a congregation from three people to eighteen families with moderate to high involvement in the parish, I thought I knew something about parish ministry – so much so that I was ready to plant a new Anglican parish in Mt. Sterling.

Ha!!! “Pride goeth before the fall!” From the moment that Emily informed me of Chaplain Stilson’s impending retirement – and from the moment her flock lovingly encouraged me to look into the possibilities – I knew my dreams were dead. Grudgingly – even angrily – I submitted my resume and filled out the lengthy application. With a sickness in my heart, I went to the interview. And with a feeling that can only be described as grief, I heard the words, “You’ve got the job!” My plans had completely vanished.

After having gone through the first part of training and orientation, my first full week of being on duty in the prison came during Christmas of 2008 – I spent Christmas Eve and Day, as well as New Year’s Eve and Day at the prison. And while there is no earthly reason for it, I couldn’t wait to get out of bed and go to work! As I came to understand my remit from the Department of Corrections, I began to see challenges and opportunities that were previously invisible to me.

Having been a church member who was put to work – as a candidate for ordained ministry – in two large congregations – one with more than 900 members and another with more than 2,200 – I saw first-hand what a senior pastor does and what he has to juggle. I’ve said, over and over again, that I never want to be in that position. Surprise!!! I’m one of two Chaplains overseeing the spiritual care of 1,751 Inmates and 372 Officers and Staff. I’m one of two Chaplains overseeing a Volunteer Program that numbers 63 Certified Volunteers and 912 Non-Certified Volunteers. I’m one of two Chaplains overseeing 7 major religious events each year in our prison. I’m one of two Chaplains handling the day-to-day needs of the Inmates – death notices, emergency notices, and counseling. And, in a few months, I’ll be the only Chaplain doing this – due to the impending retirement of my lone colleague.

The challenges were nice – for a while. The rapid pace was nice – for a while. Rising to the challenge was nice – for a while. The amazing support from the administration for my celebrating the Mass and engaging in some of the Inmates in discipleship was wonderful – for a while. Even my supervisor’s amazingly generous assertion – he’ not a Chaplain, by the way – that it’s a God-thing for me to be a prison Chaplain was wonderful – for a while. But I still needed to see the whole picture.

You see, if we look at each of those nice/wonderful things as a mountaintop experience, there must needs be a corresponding valley experience. Over the past year and a half, I’ve had plenty of both. In addition to that, I volunteered to take on more and more of the administrative and pastoral duties, knowing that my colleague will be retiring. I had no other choice. I needed to know what I’m made of while he’s still there to help me. And in the process I discovered something that every man deeply wants to know about himself, and something he deeply fears.

I discovered that I’m up to the challenge. I’ve run the course in a couple of practice laps, and discovered that I can to do it. I can juggle the meetings, the grievances, the requests, the need for patient teaching – applied to both Inmates and Volunteers, the oddball situations, the shocking occurrences – I’ve been both mooned and flashed, the heart-breaking situations – telling a man that his little son has died and he can’t go to the funeral, the implementation of massive new programs – the Kosher program gave me the title of Rabbi Todd, planning and publishing on a weekly basis my own worship/discipleship material for the Fellowship of Saint Joseph, and much more.

The frightening thing has been something small, by comparison. Nevertheless, it shook me to the core over the past couple of months. It was this simple, little question: “Do I want to do this for the next twenty years?” It was all coming to a head one morning on my way into work. As I crested the hill to turn into the prison driveway, I looked up at the prison. There’s a ten story tower that dominates the facility – it’s amazing what you can see from up there! In an instant I realized that I had to see everything I’m doing from God’s perspective – looking down, if you will, from above.

Up to that point, I thought I knew – quite well, actually – the theological underpinnings of my priestly ministry. In that moment, however, I came to realize that I knew nothing if I did not understand the Father-heart of God at work within my ministry. If a priest is called “father” because he’s the head of a local family in Christ – not because he’s trying to be God – then hadn’t I better take that title seriously?!?

Up to that point, I had been looking at all the jumble of duties as – at worst – distractions from my real purpose for being in prison and – at best – the price to pay for ministry there. The fact is, those are the duties of a father in Christ. A true father tends to the needs of his family – however odd-ball or sorely needed. My preaching and disciple-making must flow out of my family-tending. My celebration of the Sacred Mysteries in the holy Mass is meaningless if I have neglected the needs of the family to whom I am ministering. In fact, such celebrations actually mock God’s redeeming purpose if I find myself ignoring the daily needs of his children placed in my care.

As I drove up the long hill to Post One, to enter the parking lot, the breath was taken out of me. I knew what I had to do. I had to make the choice to see my work in that prison as an integrated whole. Only then could I serve, as “Father Todd”, the men and women in my care; only then could we receive the wholeness God has in mind for us. Please pray for us!

Father Todd Boyce, Vicar
The Fellowship of Saint Joseph
Saturday, April 17, 2010




Tuesday, October 6, 2009

Archived Article: 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

Archived Article: 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

Archived Article: 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

Archived Article: 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

Archived Article: 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

Archived Article: I Want You to Know Something

I want you to know something. It's something we, as believers, take for granted. It's something that new believers - like the men I serve in prison - feast upon. It's something that the world is longing and yearning to know - even if it's afraid to ask. It's this: Jesus loves you! You can take that to the bank. You can save it and treasure it. You can glow in the truth of it. But, when push comes to shove, God wants you to spend it, give it away, lavish it on those who seem "unworthy", waste it on those who throw it back in your face, and use it to ransom those who are in bondage. Will you do it? Will you allow the Holy Spirit to translate that warmth in your eyes, that softness in your voice, and that loving presence in your countenance into freedom for others? Will you willingly go into the world as a lamb among wolves? Go. Go now. Go quickly. Go in the power and love of the Lord. God bless you! Father Todd Boyce, Vicar The Fellowship of Saint Joseph Friday, June 12, 2009

Archived Article: A Pastoral Concern

I am profoundly concerned for the spiritual health of Inmates who have given their lives to the Lord. I am concerned that many, maybe even the vast majority of them, have laid hold of God’s promise of forgiveness without also undertaking the examination of their past – an examination without which no new life in Christ can truly be formed, at least not properly formed. There is indeed good reason for a new believer to make a full and good confession of sins before he/she is Baptized or Confirmed and admitted to the Lord’s Supper (that is, to the full fellowship of the Church). God’s Word calls for such a confession and Sacred Tradition affirms it. What’s more, the pastor charged with the care of such souls must know how to care for them; and the new believers, in their turn, must have a realistic grasp of what needs to be dealt with in their new life in Christ. So many of the imprisoned believers I’m privileged to know and serve have seemingly received the gift of salvation as a sort of religious “get out of jail free” card. I expected, when I began my tenure as a Prison Chaplain, to hear the refrain: “I didn’t do it.” To a large extent I haven’t heard that. What I have heard – and seen – is an almost desperate desire for immediate rehabilitation, even though the long process of healing and restoration has been barely, if at all, entered into. “Hallelujah! I’m covered in the Blood of the Lamb, and nothing else matters!” is the refrain I’ve heard, in one form or another. In fact, it’s often accompanied by “It’s between me and Jesus now.” The gross misstatement of Biblical and orthodox theology in those statements turns to something blood-curdling when one realizes that the sins spoken of are murder, child molestation, et cetera. A basic Biblical understanding of salvation and forgiveness of sins demands that we fully examine ourselves and our failings – an examination, the depth and duration of which must be in direct proportion to the sins committed. The mind and heart so radically malformed as to commit murder, child molestation, et cetera will take that much longer, in most cases, to be renewed and made right. In addition to all of this there is the Biblical injunction, spoken by our Lord himself, to make reparation for what we have done amiss in our relationships with others. (Remember the words of the confession: “Most merciful God, we confess that we have sinned against you in thought, word, and deed; by what we have done, and by what we have left undone. We have not loved you with our whole heart, and we have not loved our neighbors as ourselves. We are truly sorry, and we humbly repent. Have mercy upon us…”) How can any phase of restoration in Christ possibly take place if we sweep our guilt and need for healing under the rug and proclaim the matter closed? Is this the kind of honesty the Gospel demands of those who seek to know God? No, there must be a frank and open coming to terms with one’s past at the same time that he/she basks in new-found love and forgiveness. The whole reason, I would argue, that the new believer experiences the gracious love and forgiveness of God at the time of conversion is precisely because of the heavy lifting to be done. The all-encompassing feeling of love and forgiveness is the grace our Lord gives us in order that we may take up the reality of who we have been in our prior life. The greater our guilt, the greater the need to be steadied by the Lord as he helps us deal with the consequences of our sins. Pray for me, that I may navigate the mine fields associated with this in the prison and among the Inmates. Pray for the Inmates, that they may accept with humility the need to make amends by first coming to terms with their past. God bless each of you! Father Todd Boyce, Vicar The Fellowship of Saint Joseph Tuesday, June 9, 2009

Archived Article: Hardly a Day Goes By

Hardly a day goes by in which I am not confronted by the competing challenges I face in prison. On the one hand, I am called of God to be a priest, a shepherd. On the other hand, I have been called to serve there as a chaplain. While these are not mutually exclusive callings in most settings, they are there. The reason for this is not found in what I’m called to do in either role. Rather, it’s found in the double needs of those whom I’m called to serve: Namely, prison inmates. The men I have encountered there, along with the insights I’ve received from the staff members with whom I work, show me that I’m dealing with a unique ministry situation. While I may want to treat the men I encounter like I would any other parishioner – ie. build a relationship with them, share with them from my own testimony, and allow a certain degree of vulnerability with them – I find that both the necessities of security and the learned habits of many of the men confine me to keeping a measured distance from them. So, I’m left with the question: How do I, as a priest and pastor, step into their lives in such a way as to call forth from them the kind of commitment to God that should exist while at the same time keeping my distance, in order that they might avoid glossing over what they’ve done? The biggest problem in the prison, for me as a chaplain and priest, is helping the men understand the kind of humility that accepts responsibility – both for the crimes done and for the future – without becoming bogged down in the past. Every human being, without exception, has the innate desire to preserve their dignity. This is normally a very good thing. This is why we know that anything which denigrates the human person – such as abortion, euthanasia, or the misuse of human sexuality – is wrong. In the prison setting, however, this normal and worthy desire to preserve dignity very often crosses the line and undertakes to do something God did not intend: The men very often use this desire to avoid examining the nakedness of their lives in the light of truth. Who would, after all, relish the opportunity of being faced with his failings on a daily basis? Every moment of every day spent in a prison is a constant reminder of what has been done amiss. Every holiday that passes without being able to be home with family and friends is a cruel, but necessary, reminder of the work yet to be done. The daily reminder, the incessant recollection of wrongs committed, of character flaws uncorrected, and of behavior patterns unchanged must certainly wear upon the soul. And so enters the Christian faith, with its offer of forgiveness and freedom from the past. Here is a place where the uncorrected man can be told he’s loved, cherished, and forgiven – all of which he most certainly is. However, the preaching of many well-intentioned evangelists only serves to further mask and deepen the dilemma for the men behind the walls. The evangelists come and preach, and they tell the men about the cross and instant forgiveness. They pray a little prayer and suddenly “everything’s right with the world” and nothing has to be dealt with...so it seems. Unfortunately, the evangelists cannot be there to disciple these new believers – as much as they would relish that opportunity. So the Inmates are left to nourish their faith on the only kind of message available to them: Namely, the same evangelistic messages given by other evangelists. And, excellent though these messages and preachers are, they do very little to nurture and grow lasting transformation in these men. Some of the Inmates have spoken to me about this unfortunate reality and have asked why no one shares the tools of growth with them – why repentance doesn’t play a role in most of these messages (I’m going to touch, in a later blog, on the fear of offending that leads many evangelists to avoid preaching on repentance). Those Inmates are right! They’re hungering for something more than the usual message of “Jesus loves you and died for you”. They’re longing for someone to come alongside them and help them apply the Gospel to their lives and challenge them. On the other hand, there are also Inmates who want nothing more than to stop up their ears after they’ve heard the words, “You’re forgiven”. They just want to shout “Amen!” and “Hallelujah!” because doing so makes them appear – to themselves, if nobody else – restored, respectable, and filled with dignity. But acting the part of a Christian, no matter how sincerely it's done, can never bring about lasting change. Our salvation has to be worked out with fear and trembling. It’s my job, as a chaplain, to gently remind them why they’re in prison. But it’s also my job, as a priest to those who seek me out, to tell them they don’t have to remain that way. As a chaplain – and as one of the only remaining vestiges of friendliness to them in prison – it’s my job to gently steer them to the realization of the wrongs they’ve committed. Indeed, all the anger management classes, life skills classes, sex offender treatment programs, substance abuse classes, and even the evangelistic messages offered in the prison chapel are designed with one purpose in mind: Breaking reality in upon the self-imposed illusions. However, as a priest, I am there for the Inmates who finally see their brokenness and want help putting their lives back together again. As a priest, I can offer them the Way, the Truth, and the Life. I can walk with them and work with them to apply God’s healing in their lives. I can speak the words to them that others are too afraid to speak: Namely, “you have to allow Jesus to change your life; you have to start cooperating with God’s grace!” All of this hinges, in the final analysis, on the willingness of the Inmate to surrender completely to the work of the Holy Spirit in his life. And this is where you come in, my dear friends. We need you to pray for our willingness to be taken apart so that the Lord can put us back together again. We need you to pray for men who have done nasty things; men still loved by God, even if they’re not loved by our society. Maybe, just maybe, there’s a lesson in this for you, too. Maybe praying for the men in our prisons will release some pride in your life and allow the Lord to speak to you about your own failings. Maybe it’s time we all realized our deep need for restoration, and, in so doing, our true dignity will be restored. God bless each of you! Father Todd Boyce, Vicar The Fellowship of Saint Joseph Thursday, May 28, 2009