So were the words of the Rev. Steven A. Peay, Ph.D. preaching at the Ordination to the Priesthood of our own Rob Kunes at the Church of the Holy Communion on Monday night, December 6.  It was great seeing so many St. Michaelites make their vows for Rob, Julie and their children!  But what about that statement by the Rev. Dr. Peay in his ordination sermon to Rob?  The preacher was making the point that our Lord Jesus Christ is anything but safe.  Rob’s own life is a perfect example of that.  When he and Julie came for their marriage preparation sessions while they were engaged, Rob was a wine salesman.  Through that time including the Alpha course and healing prayer courses Jesus Christ got a hold of Rob’s life in a stunning way and here we are, just several years later and Rob is now ordained and serving a church in Virginia after attending a Wisconsin seminary for three years!  It seems to me what the preacher was essentially saying is that when we give our lives to Christ totally, we lose our safety as we know it and gain His security.  Nowhere in Scripture do we find Jesus taking the safe way, instead he took the way that brought him to the Cross.  As followers of this “unsafe” Christ we realize that following him puts our very lives and relationships as we know it upside down.  Yet, it is equally clear that Jesus is good.  He understands our life more than we understand our own! The question is, will we give him the room and allow Him to take us down what we would perceive as unsafe so that we might live out his will?  God bless you Rob and Julie as you begin this new chapter of life!  Rob is now the Assistant to the Rector at the Galilee Episcopal Church in Virginia Beach, Virginia.

The Rector