Dear Fellow Servants in His Vineyard,
Many Blessings in the Power of His Holy Spirit!
As you know, I strive to discipline myself to take the opportunity each Wednesday to teach in some way through Wednesdays with the Bishop. It is a traditional and ancient practice.
Today I use this time to teach the simple concept that "God does not call the equipped...He equips those called". This is a concept that I have found to be true throughout my ministry. And it is no less true when you are called to be Bishop in His Church. A real-time example of this over the last few years is God's call on my life (and the life I believe of every Bishop) to be a teaching bishop. Whether one feels fully equipped to do so, He does equip us as we step into His calling.
In my personal case, I am more than aware that the equipping our Lord does for me is very much done by Him. He also uses a variety of individuals and ministers He calls to have serve alongside me in my responsibilities and teaching. Which is why I have already commissioned The Rev'd Dr. Aaron Jeffrey to serve me as a Canon Theologian. And now, I have the great privilege of announcing two more calls I have made to The Rev'd Dr. Ray Ortlund and The Rev'd Sam Allberry to also serve me as Canon Theologians. As you read in the communication below, I can not tell you how humbled I am that each of these brothers, distinguished teachers in their own right, would join with Fr. Aaron in the efforts to equip me to be the apostle and teaching bishop He has called me to be. Besides the written information about them, there are also two short 3 minute videos of each of them to help you understand why I feel so humbled that they would join me and us in his Kingdom work done through the Diocese of the Western Gulf Coast.
Please join me in giving great thanks for God's Blessings on us all,
