The Reverend Canon Billie R. Boyd

We are saddened to announce that the Rev. Canon Billie R. Boyd died Thursday afternoon at Baylor All Saints hospital in Fort Worth, just three weeks short of his 88th birthday  His Requiem Mass will be celebrated by Bishop Iker on Saturday, March 5, at 2 p.m. at the Church of the Holy Apostles, 3900 Longvue Avenue, Fort Worth. Interment will follow in his native Sulphur Springs.  Canon Boyd became the first priest canonically resident in the Episcopal Diocese of Fort Worth in 1983 when he was named Canon to the Ordinary by the founding bishop, the Rt. Rev. A. Donald Davies. He continued to serve as Canon to the Ordinary under Bishop Davies' successor, the Rt. Rev. Clarence C. Pope, until 1989. He served Bishop Iker as Business Administrator from 1997 to 2001 and was appointed interim rector at both All Saints' in Weatherford and St. John's in Fort Worth. In recent years he was chaplain to the retired clergy and clergy widows. He is remembered fondly by all the diocesan staff. Canon Boyd was a graduate of The Episcopal Theological Seminary in Lexington, Kentucky. Born on Annunciation Day in 1923, he was ordained deacon on June 15, 1970, and priest on Dec. 20, 1970, in the Diocese of Dallas. Before his life as a priest, he served in the United States Army for 21 years, retiring with the rank of Major. During his parochial ministry, Fr. Boyd served for 11 years as rector of St. Luke's Church in Mineral Wells. His affection for that parish never waned.

Canon Boyd is preceeded in death by his wife, Doris, and his son, Bill. He is survived by a daughter, Mary Ann Woolsey, who lives in Virginia, and several grandchildren.

May he rest in peace and rise in glory.

Prayer - Man's Search for God

One fundamental truth about every human soul is that he's always searching for God.  Why is this true, especially if you happen to be someone who doesn't want to be found by God?  It's true because man is simply made that way.  Each soul is geniunely "defaulted" (or designed) to search for God.

1. In the act of creating every human soul, God calls each soul from nothingness into existence and crowns him or her with glory and honor.  This "crown" enables man to know, love and desire God.  (Psalm 8)
2. Even after the Fall when man is profoundly morally wounded by sin, he still has deep within him this genuniue desire for God, a true and lasting thirst for God.  Jesus explains this in the Beatitudes, "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness [ie, for God], for they shall be satisfied." (Matt 5:6).

Prayer

It is true that man can try to turn his back to God by trying to hide from "His Face." He does this when he runs after worldly idols and idolertrous dreams and desires and when he accuses God of abandoning him or not being at "some situation." Yet the Bible explains that our living God is tirelessly calling each soul to Him.  "Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest." (Matt 11:28). Jesus also said... "If you wish to be complete... come, follow Me."  (Matt 19:21). The adjective "complete" in Greek here is teleos.  Teleos means coming to full maturity.  This word is sometime translated as "perfect."

This "calling" to follow Jesus Christ is a call to pray.  We mature as Christians through prayer and worship.

We mature because God is actually praying in and through us.  It's His love within us that moves our desires and heart to pray and to seek Him and to seek peace.  Even though the words or ideas we use originate from our thoughts or situation prayer is always God's eternal love initiating the moment.  He is joining forces with us and brings light and understanding to our soul.

We see this happen through out salvation history.  God explains at the Exodus: "Then I will take you for My people, and I will be your God; and you shall know that I am the Lord your God, who brought you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians." (Ex 6:7).  We also have that lovely call from Him to "Be still and know that I am God."  (Ps 46:10).

So God reveals both Himself and He reveals each person to himself through prayer.  Prayer is the "family talking and listening to each other." It's our heavenly Father speaking and listening to His sons and daughters.  His "attention" and "affection" is not divided.  He listens to each soul as though we are the only person on earth.

Prayer is also when His children can listen and speak to Him.  Through love and the actions of our heart we grow open to God, maturing to complete perfection through the journey of our life.