Monday Ministerial Musings
By Rev. Mark William Ennis
2023 Blog #42
October 23, 2023
The Influence of Saints
During the past three weeks our family has been mourning the death of two saints who have entered God’s nearer presence. Both of these saints of Christ’s church had great influence on vocations in our family.
We first learned of the death of Mary Bissett who was a long-time pillar of the First Reformed Church of Wynantskill, NY. She and her late husband, Harry were social workers by profession and Sunday school teachers at the church. There younger daughter was the same age as my wife, and they were good friends as young children. Harry died two decades ago, and I had the honor of presiding at his funeral when I lived in Albany. These two were role models for generations of young people at the church and were spirit-filled church leaders.
I don’t think it is a coincidence that my wife, Pam, became a social worker and earned her MSW. Harry and Mary both had earned their MSW’s. Pam often talks about the influence that Harry and Mary had on her as she chose her future career.
I have no idea if Mary and Harry knew how much they had influenced Pam, but their influence was real and profound even if they never knew.
The other influential saint who died recently is Rev. Bruce Cornwell who served the Community Reformed Church in Colonie, NY which is close to Albany, for thirty years. Prior to entering ministry, he was active in theater. During my time in Albany he and his congregation produced the musical, “Weep Jeremiah.” This musical is the story of the prophet Jeremiah and was actually scouted as a possibility to be brought to Broadway. It never made Broadway, but it had a great influence on Reformed Christians all through the Albany, area.
My daughter, Leah, also an ordained Reformed Church minister, was one of those greatly influenced by the musical that Bruce produced. She was in high school at the time and our family attended a performance. At that time, I did not know that she was contemplating a ministerial vocation. Watching “Weep Jeremiah” was a major influence on her decision to pursue seminary and ordination. Without Bruce Cornwell, and his talents, I do not know if she would have made this decision.
To this day I do not know if Bruce ever knew what influence his musical had on Leah. Perhaps he knew and perhaps he did not. Whether he knew or not, he did have influence on Leah. She is a minister, at least in part, because of Bruce.
We all influence other people one way or another, whether we realize it or not. Who do you influence? Is that influence a positive thing or a negative thing? People see our actions. They view what we are doing and where we are putting our energy and efforts. When they watch us, what are they seeing? Do they see us doing productive activities or negative ones. Are we the people who will leave positive legacies or will those who see us follow our leads into less than exemplary behavior?
Someday we, like the saints before us, will die and leave this earth. Will those who mourn our passing remember our positive mentoring and influence or will they see us as negative examples of living? Let us be as good a mentor to others as others were to us?
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