Welcome to my blog. I'm Greg Hutchinson, Head of School at St. Thomas Episcopal School in San Antonio, Texas. Since 2005 I've been proud to serve the school, its students, their families, and the larger community of which St. Thomas Episcopal School is but a part.

The fourth grade students and I have begun a study on the patriarchs of the Old Testament. What we have discovered so far is that Abram, later known as Abraham, must have been an incredible man. At the time of his calling, he likely worshiped gods other than the one known throughout the Bible (Joshua 24:3) at a point in history when God’s chosen people have not even come into existence as a nation. Rather than staying within his comfort zone, Abram listened to God’s call that required him to pack up his wife and his considerable possessions and move on foot a distance of 400 miles to a land he had never seen. As if this example of faith were not enough, Abram believed in God’s covenant that would produce the single child who would make this aging nomad a great nation.
The challenge for us then is to demonstrate a similar faith to that of the patriarch of three major world religions did at a time when he apparently had the comforts of his day. Such a task does not seem so difficult considering many of us have a head start on Abram. After all we have grown up listening to the stories of all the great Bible figures. We can spout off what it means to follow God almost as quickly as we open presents at Christmas. Many of us tithe faithfully and make sacrifices for other worthy charities. In spite of these advantages, the question remains whether we are willing to hear and then obey the call that could take us away from all we know. What if God’s plan involves a change in career? How will we handle a move to a new city? What are we going to do when the call to make financial sacrifices comes? Perhaps the more fundamental question is what do we want the history books to say about our answers to God’s call? Abram embarked on a journey that not only changed his life but also the course of history. Along the way, he met with blessings he might never have known: wealth, a son, a covenant that God still honors. One of the great patriarchs of our faith did not let complacency or fear prevent him from fulfilling God’s plan for his life. My prayer for the members of the St. Thomas community is that each of us will show the faith and the boldness of Abram when God calls our names.