billy-billy-banjo-billy

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 Of the times I thought I might die during college because of varying degrees of feeling invincible or just pushing the limits of what I should be doing (many of which took place in a canoe along the San Marcos River), Billy and Kevin were there for most.

That is to say, you might not always have guessed that we three who were college roommates at SWT would now all be Episcopal Clergy. The Holy Spirit doesn't call who we might expect. The Holy Spirit just calls who the Holy Spirit calls.

I kinda' always thought I felt called to this, but it did take a long time to do the discernment and the testing of that call. Kevin often jokes that they always knew I would be a priest, but they weren't ever sure about he and Billy. But what great priests those two guys are. I continue to learn from them in their honest, open, and courageous approach to priesthood, and being church in general.

Laura and I didn't really have time or energy to make the trip up to Austin for Billy's Installation as Vicar of the Episcopal Church of the Resurrection, but we went anyway. I'm so glad we did. This is a very exciting time to be part of the Episcopal Church as we reexamine who we are, what it means to be the Body of Christ in the world today, and try to keep up with the work of the Holy Spirit.

We live in a time that could really use the life-giving message of the church; we need leaders (clergy and lay people) who are honest, open, and courageous. It is an exiting time and full of possibility. Maybe it needs people who have pushed the limits of what we should be doing, and though I don't believe I'm invincible anymore, I know that God is. So let's hop in this canoe and go fight with Mr. Cotton.

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