GAFCON Reflections

I couldn't attend GAFCON in Jerusalem this summer. My friend and colleague, +Richard Boyce did go and I am grateful he was able to represent us. Some of us had to man the home front but we watched and read of the event and the reports issued with keen interest. As the GAFCON meeting was finishing up and the Jerusalem Statement was being released to the world, I found myself in Texas and New Mexico, doing the work God has given me to do. In Texas, we studied the Bible together and found a renewed passion for the person of Jesus Christ and the power of the Gospel of the Kingdom in the Gospel according to St. Mark. (see story below)

A flight to New Mexico was to follow. Delayed by storms and during a two hour wait in a hot plane, stuck on the run way, I felt a bit like the disciples trying to cross the Lake and being met with storms. Mark's gospel came altogether too alive. The storms finally moved on and although late into the night, Fr. Shawn and Tammy Rainey and I were finally underway.

I was to be in New Mexico to meet up with a community of Anglican faithful in Los Lunas. Their pastor, Marc Wilson, is a man of God, husband, school counselor, father of four, friend of seemingly everyone in town. Preaching, celebrating, confirming, receiving new members, sharing the peace, singing the songs of worship, Los Lunas felt a long long way from Jerusalem. And yet....

As I moved to distribute the hosts, the faces just kept coming. Mostly brown, some black, some white, and all the faces of God's redeemed children. Some were older, but most were young and they just kept coming. Anglican Christians. The people of Jesus. The Holy Spirit was upon them.

At a time when I likely could not have been any farther away from Jerusalem and GAFCON geographically, it just didn't matter that I wasn't there in person.

I was in Los Lunas, New Mexico with the people of God and it was good.

+Frederick G. Fick