As readers look at those that Jesus called as apostles and consider themselves as part of that enlarging circle, they gain not only a deeper sense of their own reality, but also a deeper sense of how Christ wants to work with them.
John R. Claypool was a pastor, preacher, author, and theologian. He was initially ordained as a Southern Baptist and pastored for thirty years in that denomination. He became an Episcopal priest in 1986 and served as rector of St. Luke's Episcopal Church in Birmingham, Alabama, until his retirement in 2000. Though he died in 2005, his words continue to provide hope and comfort.