ac·knowl·edg·ment
/əkˈnäləjmənt/
noun
-the action of expressing or displaying gratitude or appreciation for something.
I typically skip-over the ‘Acknowledgements’ section of a book. I don’t mean to sound flip. But when I crack open a book, I move quickly to the heart of the matter. It’s funny, isn’t it? “Expressing or displaying gratitude or appreciation for something” often takes a back seat to other more important matters.
There’s probably something more to that, but I’ll set that aside for another day’s pondering.
My doctoral project report is titled, Sharing the Path: The Celtic Practice of Soul Friendship in the Modern Church. I’d like to share with you a brief passage from the beginning of this work under the heading: ‘Acknowledgements.’
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The Anam Cara Project could not have become a reality without the support, encouragement, and participation of professors, colleagues, church members, friends, and family. I would first like to thank the faculty and staff of Campbell University Divinity School, who provided the opportunity for me to explore the Celtic Christian tradition and to see if the practices of the early church in Ireland could be a blessing to the church today. As such, I am grateful for the direction and help of Michael Cogdill, Derek Hogan, Barry Jones, Lydia Hoyle, Cameron Jorgenson, and Jeffrey Harris.
My colleagues in ministry also helped to shape the direction of this project by providing me with thoughtful questions and well-timed humor. Thank you, Earl Carroll, Allison Collier, Winford Galmon, Nathan Morton, and Matt Riggsbee.
The First Baptist Church of Sylva took a risk in 2012 to call an untested and unproven minister to serve as their pastor. First Baptist Church welcomed me, trusted me, and supported me in my sense of call to lead the church to “Do justice, love kindness, and walk humbly with God (Micah 6:8).” The church celebrated my desire to continue my education and gamely followed me on the path as I shared with them about the history of the Celtic Christian tradition through studies, pictures from my travels, and countless stories of climbing Croagh Patrick near Westport in Ireland. Certainly, though, the participation of over three-dozen church members to deepen a friendship in the Anam Cara Project enabled me to see the power of friendship better and to recognize how critical it is to our understanding of God’s love in the local church. Thank you, First Baptist Church of Sylva, for accepting my invitation to grow in your relationship with one another and with God.
The study of soul friendship would have fallen flat without the presence of friends with me on the path. Had I not been able to experience soul friendship myself, I would never have been able to accept the ancient Celtic premise that Anam Cara is a valuable component of one’s relationship with God. My friends have given me strength for the journey and have helped me to feel less alone on the path.
My family has accompanied me on this path, also. In fact, they are part of the reason that I began this journey in the first place. I did not have an appetite to explore this road on my own. I wanted to learn with my family by my side. Campbell University Divinity School and the First Baptist Church of Sylva provided the blessing to do just that. I was thrilled to show our son, Zebulon, the ancient ruins of a Celtic monastic community at Glendalough in the snow one morning in March. I loved that I was able to give our daughter a white stone from a beach on Iona that I visited when I stepped off the ferry in Oban, Scotland. And I am beyond grateful to my wife, who helped plan our adventures together months before we stepped on Celtic soil. My wife, Rebecca Mathis, is my partner in ministry. We share a common call and have practiced Anam Cara long before I ever knew about soul friendship. We are travelers on a wild and extraordinary journey. We are pilgrims together. And this project could not have happened without her support.
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Thank you, First Baptist Church. I am forever grateful for your support and encouragement to me during this season of continuing education. You are a blessing to me and my family, and I pray that I am able to return the favor.