And So It Begins

Today, I turn 48. I have been following Kelemvor for some time now, privately following His guidance and doing what I can to serve Him in my own corner of the world. For some time, though, I have been feeling His presence, urging me to do more, until I could no longer resist His call. And so, as my birthday present to the world, I have done as my Lord asked, and created His Church.

It's funny, in a way. I've always joked about hating Dreams and Calls, probably because I know that once that Call comes, you can fight it, you can resist it, but in the end, you'll either obey, or prove - to yourself and to your god - that you were False.

I remember the Nisut (Life, Health, and Strength be upon her) once saying that She had to be dragged into accepting Her Office, and thinking I understood what she was talking about. If only I had realized then what I know now, I wouldn't have made that mistake. The sheer weight of the responsibility is awful, in the classical sense of the word: so great as to inspire an overwhelming sense of awe.

Kelemvor Chose me. When I stop to think about it, I feel as if my world is both shrinking and expanding at the same time. He Chose me. A God that most people believe is nothing more than the creation of a fantasy writer's imagination, and he Chose me. The very idea He exists, and that, existing, He would Choose me, a man who is crippled both physically and emotionally, to establish a Church that is dedicated to easing the fears and pain of those at the threshold of Death, makes me stop in my tracks and wonder what He could possibly see in me.

Maybe that's it. Maybe it's that very wonder that He sees. He gives me the strength to go on, to do His work, while I wonder why He would pay attention to someone as insignificant as me. And when I wonder things like that, I can sometimes swear I hear Him laughing.

But here I am, rambling, when I should be talking about the Church, about Kelemvor, and about the Mission He has tasked me with. Since you have probably already skimmed the web site, you know what Kelemvor teaches, and what He requires of His servants. Even in its incomplete state, the basics of Kelemvor's teachings are there. Now, it's time to step out in faith, believing that He will guide as surely as He Called, and that He will lead His Church in the way it should go.

I have to believe that, because I am just a man, and all I can do is what my Lord asks of me.