Everything has a beginning

First Day of Spring, 2019

On this day that the FSF becomes fully real–according to the law and regulations of the State of Florida, I mean–it’s a good thing to explain a bit more of the “back story” about the origins of our Fellowship.

To begin this new work has been my vision for the last ten years. But it never seemed like the right time, or that the right elements were in place for it to succeed.

Like Moses in the story found in the third chapter of Exodus, I could think of a hundred reasons why trying to launch a new ministry–especially one that is not in the mold of your typical Church or Fellowship–was a foolish idea. One most certainly doomed to failure.

By the way, I’m not at all trying to say I’m a Moses-like leader; I’m merely saying that the task seemed impossible to me and that my behavior for quite a few years was governed by that reluctance.

And then, around Valentine’s Day, something happened that–although extremely traumatic to me at the time–helped me to see clearly that it was time for me to re-prioritize, let fall away things that were clearly not essential, and really address that meaning-and-purpose stuff that many of us often go to great lengths to avoid.

Well, I certainly had gone to extreme lengths to avoid doing something about beginning a new ministry or Fellowship, even though I had known for years that it was a huge, unfinished task for me.

Not unfinished. Never-begun would be a better way to say that.

And so I ended the foot-dragging. Twelve days ago I completed the necessary docs on-line to make it official and real, coughed up the required fees and got this Fellowship started.

My two fellow-directors and I agreed that today–being the first day of spring–was a very suitable effective date for our enterprise.

Without making too big a deal out of my personal feelings and reactions to getting the FSF started, let me just say that I’ve slept more soundly in the last 12 days than I have in many, many years.

Dragging one’s feet on those meaning-and-purpose issues is never a good thing.

The Fellowship of St Francis is real. And that fills me with joy!

Brother Ben

© 2019 The Fellowship of St Francis, Inc.