Happy Wednesday!

Last day of classes for the semester and he even let us out early! Down to two papers to write and began writing on the first one today. I have heard results throughout the day of friends from school who were approved for ordination. These are extraordinary women and men with passion for the church and hearts for ministry. The Church is blessed to have these fine folks standing in places of ministry as set apart for God’s service.

Prayer: Holy, Loving LORD, in a day filled with excitement of the people who have been affirmed for ordination I give you thanks. These are fine people who have worked hard and You have affirmed them for ministry in the name of Jesus through by the authority of the Church. Bless their ministries. Give them strength that only You can provide and the humble conviction to serve You by the gifts and graces You have given. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.

“Now faith is the assurance (the confirmation, the title deed) of the things [we] hope for, being the proof of things [we] do not see and the conviction of their reality [faith perceiving as real fact what is not revealed to the senses].

Hebrews 11: 1 (from the Amplified Bible)

Each of us who are studying for our Master’s of Divinity and believe ourselves to be called to the ordained ministry of the Church have hopes and dreams of how the calling we have received will be enacted.  Some of my friends have been working in congregations and know how their ministries will look and how they will act within those ministries. Then there are those of us who have been in supervised ministry, participated in a number of ministries during the last year and are still dreaming of what our future ministries will be.

God tells us to practice hoping for those things we cannot see. I am asking God to lead and guide me into the hopes and dreams that are in line with His will. While I have sampled many ministries and been blessed by each, I am praying for only God’s will to be done fully as I get closer to the end of the Brite journey preparing me for the ordained work of the Church . I am praying to keep my focus on God and hope for the longed for outcome of working in the hospital and helping folks get through tough times as a pastoral presence and agent of hope.

As of about 11:00 today I have only 11 hours of class work remaining until graduation.  As Geni says, “I am excited and mildly terrified.”  It has been a long road, but one filled with joy and more learning than I could have imagined. Thank you for remaining with me and patiently persevering with me as I have journeyed these last six years. Keep praying and I will keep working and praying too.

Take joy in the journey remembering that hope does not disappoint. Wear comfortable shoes, pray with a heart filled with gratitude and get some sleep. Love you all, Bruce and Gaylene.

Gcapplenotes@aol.com

I am not moved by what I see. I am not moved by what I feel. I am only moved by what I believe and I believe God.