Greetings.
As some of you who have been reading my blog for a while know, I haven’t written much ‘personal’ material for a while....actually I haven’t written much at all.
The main reason for this has been that my mind has been occupied, since the fall, with the decision to pursue a career as a Chaplain in the Canadian Forces. I’ve kept this part of my life private primarily out of consideration of my current parish. If this process had ended in my rejection from service, my pursuit alone would have suggested a desire to leave St. Mary’s. How could I have continued effective ministry then? But now all that is past. I have been offered a commission as a Padre in the Navy and will be soon stationed at CFB Halifax with basic training to start in the fall.
We are all excited about the move and what our futures will hold.
The most common question I am asked is “Why?” There are many reasons: a sense of call (starting in high school), a desire to serve my country, for the good of my family, for the opportunities for professional development, for the adventure and challenge....
In all this, one reason remains paramount. I cannot bear to watch another Canadian military family bear the loss of a loved one in Afghanistan (or elsewhere) without answering the call on my heart to reach out to them. I feel a deep desire to stand with the women and men who put themselves in harms way on behalf of all Canadians to try to make our world a better place, one challenge at a time. I am not political. I am NOT glorifying war or violence. I am not judging the current missions of our forces. I am proud to be given the opportunity to serve those who serve us.
The motto of the Canadian Forces Chaplain Branch is “Vocation Ad Servitium” - Called to Serve.
Every Blessing.
As some of you who have been reading my blog for a while know, I haven’t written much ‘personal’ material for a while....actually I haven’t written much at all.
The main reason for this has been that my mind has been occupied, since the fall, with the decision to pursue a career as a Chaplain in the Canadian Forces. I’ve kept this part of my life private primarily out of consideration of my current parish. If this process had ended in my rejection from service, my pursuit alone would have suggested a desire to leave St. Mary’s. How could I have continued effective ministry then? But now all that is past. I have been offered a commission as a Padre in the Navy and will be soon stationed at CFB Halifax with basic training to start in the fall.
We are all excited about the move and what our futures will hold.The most common question I am asked is “Why?” There are many reasons: a sense of call (starting in high school), a desire to serve my country, for the good of my family, for the opportunities for professional development, for the adventure and challenge....
In all this, one reason remains paramount. I cannot bear to watch another Canadian military family bear the loss of a loved one in Afghanistan (or elsewhere) without answering the call on my heart to reach out to them. I feel a deep desire to stand with the women and men who put themselves in harms way on behalf of all Canadians to try to make our world a better place, one challenge at a time. I am not political. I am NOT glorifying war or violence. I am not judging the current missions of our forces. I am proud to be given the opportunity to serve those who serve us.
The motto of the Canadian Forces Chaplain Branch is “Vocation Ad Servitium” - Called to Serve.
Every Blessing.
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