This Week from Mitch

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

Greetings from Chicago! Caitlyn and I were invited to participate in the Rev. Mark Lee’s installation as Dean of Bexley Seabury Episcopal Seminary. It is a service I have never been part of. After all, there are not that many seminaries, and they do not change deans very often. I am looking forward to being a part of the ceremony. I believe Mark will be a great teacher and mentor to future church leaders, and I am glad that he can do some of his work remotely, which means he will be popping into St. Martin's from time to time.

This morning I had some free time, so I took a walk around the city. As I passed by the Nike store on Michigan Ave., I was met with a picture of Columbia, South Carolina's own A'ja Wilson. The Nike store had an entire display and movie set up called the A'ja Wilson experience. A line of girls was waiting to go inside. It was cool to see. I hope the girls waiting in line to see her movie and try on her shoes are inspired to greatness. As I thought about this hope, I began to think about heroes and their impact on our lives. From sports heroes who drive us to practice because we want to be like them, to everyday heroes like a favorite teacher who makes an impact on our lives, to faith heroes who inspire us to pray, worship, and serve. This thought made me wonder, who are your faith heroes? Who has led you to the faith or has inspired you to be better? If you'd like, please send me a note. I would really love to know more about them.

My faith heroes range from the Apostles to Bonhoeffer to Mother Teresa to Michael Curry and other famous figures, to my grandpa, who was known for carrying peppermints in his suit pockets. Any kid who asked would always get a mint. My faith heroes include faithful Christians whose quiet examples of service and faithfulness may not make the history books, but they have inspired me to do more with the time and abilities I have. Again, I wonder who it is for you? Heroes have their place from Michigan Ave. to Clemson Ave., inspiring us to be better. For them, I give thanks, for they used their gifts from God to make the world better, and I pray that we can do the same. 

Peace,

Mitch