A Few Updates and a Sermon
A Big Week for Anglican News Deserves an Update or Two
Sunday Morning Update
I came back from a multi-week vacation and hit the ground running. What a week! Before a new one begins, I want to post a quick update for readers of The Anglican.
First Update:
My recent piece, “The Steve Wood Story and the Soul of the Church,” was widely read across Substack and beyond. It struck a chord—and for good reason. This is a major story, and it is far from over.
I sent the Archbishop a copy of the story on Friday morning, soon after it was published. He hadn’t seen it earlier but read it later that day and reached out. He thanked me—profusely—for writing it. He reaffirmed his commitment to the process our Church has in place: to hear the charges, investigate them carefully, and follow the facts wherever they lead.
But also this: The Archbishop wrote to his congregation at St. Andrew’s. Every rector has a unique and enduring bond with his people, and in that letter, Archbishop Wood offered what I can only describe as a clear, humble, and commendable message.
There is much that could be said about what was written in the article - and there will be a time and place for that - but today is not that time, nor is this letter that place.
What must be said, however, is this:
I unequivocally, categorically, and emphatically deny in their entirety the accusations made against me by Ms. Claire Buxton, who was employed at St. Andrew’s.
The ACNA has a canonical process in place for addressing complaints, such as those raised in the Washington Post report…
I am fully committed to this process, trusting that the truth will come to light in due course. Even in this challenging circumstance, I am confident that the Lord will use all things for His glory and for the strengthening of His Church.Until that day, I ask you to continue to hold this matter - and all involved - in your prayers. Let us walk together in grace and unity, keeping our eyes fixed on Jesus, “the author and perfecter of our faith” (Hebrews 12:2).
He is in my prayers. So is his accuser. And Bishop Sutton who will lead the investigation. And our entire Province.
Second Update
If you have the time, take a look at the other stories I published this week and read the comments. The audience (congregation??) of The Anglican is thoughtful. They are respectful. And, as I read it, they are prayerful. I know more than a few—former members of Christ Church. But day by day, our readership (membership??) grows. This week alone, we added over 120 new subscribers!
In case you missed them, here are the two other stories from The Anglican:
Sermon Notes for Today’s Message
Live Stream at 10 AM CST
Today’s lectionary brings us to 2 Timothy 4:6ff. I know this passage very well. I did an extensive amount of research for it a few years ago and wrote a book about it. The Last Will and Testament of the Apostle Paul is a deep dive study into the last written words of the Apostle Paul.
Here are my sermon notes. You should be able to make sense of them. And if you want to watch the sermon live, we stream the service at St. Stephen’s at 10 AM Central. Give it about 20 minutes after the hour, and then join us here for the live stream.
(This is NOT a reason to not go to church!)
“Come Before Winter”
Introduction: A Letter at the End of a Life - 2 Timothy 4:9-21
Paul’s final words to Timothy read like a farewell note from an old friend—intimate, vulnerable, full of names and memories. The great apostle who once trekked across the Roman world and corrected and commanded entire congregations now sits alone in a cold cell, reflecting on life, faith, and friendship.
What he writes in these closing verses still speaks to anyone who’s ever loved, lost, or waited too long to do the right thing.
1. “Do your best to come to me.”
Paul—the seasoned missionary and founder of churches—drops all authority and speaks like a father to his son. “Come,” he says. Not “Go.” Not “Do.” Just “Come.”
The man who faced mobs, courts, and storms confesses he needs someone. The request reminds us that even spiritual giants get lonely. Ministry, faith, and life itself are not meant to be lived in isolation. Paul’s vulnerability gives permission for us too. We need someone at our side.
C.S. Lewis once said, “To love is to be vulnerable.” Paul shows us that love, even in old age, still longs for company.
2. “Bring the parchments.”
From prison, Paul still wants his books. He is still reading and still thinking. Still hungry for more of God.
He could have said, “I’ve done enough.”
Instead, he asks for the tools of his calling. Charles Spurgeon preached that “even an apostle must read.” He’d seen the Lord, written Scripture, and preached for decades—and yet he still wanted his books.
Paul’s request reveals a mind that never closed and a heart that was ever open to God’s Word.
Discipleship doesn’t retire.
Growth doesn’t stop.
John Wesley told his preachers, “Read or get out of the ministry.”
More contemporary to our day, Ray Kroc, the founder of McDonald’s restaurant, said, “When you’re green, you grow; when you’re ripe, you rot.”
Paul lived that truth. He reminds us that the faithful never stop learning until the Lord Himself turns the final page.
3. “Bring the cloak.”
It’s a small request, but it says volumes. Paul owns nothing but one cloak—and he’s cold. The man who once held power and privilege—he gave up far more than we can ever imagine when he became a follower of Jesus Christ—now sits in chains with little more than faith to keep him warm.
His only comfort is Christ. His only possession is contentment. When he wrote, “I have learned to be content in every circumstance,” this is what he meant. The cloak becomes a symbol of surrender.
Jesus died with nothing but a garment; Paul ends his life asking for one. Both gave up everything—and found everything in God.
4. “Demas has deserted me.”
Paul names the people who hurt him. Demas walked away. Alexander opposed him. Others are gone. It’s raw honesty from a man of faith. Paul doesn’t sugarcoat his pain—but he doesn’t cling to it either.
There is no trace of bitterness about relationships that didn’t work out.
He leaves vengeance to God.
“The Lord will repay him,” he says.
That’s not spite or malice.
It’s a release.
Every church, every friendship, bears wounds. The test of maturity isn’t avoiding pain but refusing to let bitterness grow.
Paul shows us that forgiveness is not weakness; it’s freedom.
5. “Come before winter.”
His last plea feels urgent. The sea routes would soon close.
The cold was setting in.
Time was running out.
“Come before winter,” he says.
Bring the books.
Bring the cloak.
Bring yourself.
Come before winter.
Hurry.
And we never learn if Timothy made it. Scripture leaves the story unfinished—just like so many of ours.
Paul’s words echo through time: there are things we keep meaning to do—
Letters we never write
Apologies we delay
People we need to forgive. Things we need to say.
Money we need to give.
Heart-to-heart time we need to have.
Then the seasons change, and it’s too late.
Was it too late for Timothy? For Paul?
We will never know.
If God is calling you to act, do it now. The window closes faster than we think. “Come before winter” isn’t just Paul’s call to Timothy—it’s God’s call to you.
Closing: An Undying Faith in Christ
Someday—for some here, maybe too soon for our liking—we will leave this world. The Great Apostle Paul was never going to live forever. Nor will you. Nor me. But Paul has a secret—an open secret—on where if will find peace as he faces death. And he wants you to know where it comes from.
Twenty-five years earlier, Paul made a choice, a decision, a statement; he planted his hope in the Living Lord Jesus. He would never be the same. He lived differently for the rest of his life. And when it came to the end—he was perhaps 55 years old—he died differently. He died in the peace of Christ. He died with the hope of heaven in his heart.
How else can you explain the earlier statement of the Apostle Paul:
For I am already being poured out like a drink offering, and the time for my departure is near. 7 I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. 8 Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day—and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing. —2 Timothy 4:6-8
Grace and peace,
The Anglican is the Substack newsletter for LeaderWorks, where I share insights, encouragement, and practical tools for clergy and lay Christians. I’m also an author of over a dozen books available on Amazon.
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I miss hearing you preach. Will there be a replay of the live?
I just listened to your sermon. It reminds one that we should continue learning so we may continue growing in our faith and we should continue giving to others in any way we are able. Like Beth, I miss hearing you preach.