Good morning. For those of you who do not know me, my name is Reid Devitt. Growing up, church was always the center of my world, and looking back on an illustriously 18 year career I can now finally say I have no regrets. Over this time at Redeemer, I have participated in Acolyte, EYC, Sunday School, Mission Trips, St. Michael’s Conference, Friday Morning Bible Study, Redeemer Players, King of Tie-Dye for VBS, but you can read about all of that in your bole ten. What you can’t read in that tiny blurb about what I have done here at Redeemer are the memories I have made through my elementary, middle and high school career. From the spoon hanging competition in Logos that I never could win, to the many games of “touch” football in junior EYC, from splashing around in Mrs. Brown and Mrs. Hills water center at VBS to last year running the Tye Dye center while my mom was recovering from surgery, from learning how to walk in a straight line and follow my sister as I held a candle that was twice my size, to now after 11 years, serving at the altar as a sub deacon. From learning how to truly help others on first mission trip in Alabama, to traveling to be Dominican Republic where I have made friends and connections with locals I will never forget; the Church of the Redeemer has truly blessed me in ways that no other community could.
Redeemer has not only blessed me with memories, but with some of my closest friends. Sam, David, Grey, Brady, Paige, and Jane, you are all people I know will be in my life forever and I know even though we will all be in different places next year, I can always count on a late night Kilwins’ run with the fam. Lastly and as strange as this might sound, I can confidently proclaim that I have a special connections with some of the coolest, most compassionate, loving clergy I have ever known. Father David, you are one of my closest friends and one that has thought me how to keep my cool even when things are going wrong. Chris, you were able to instill in me leadership at a young age and even when you were hundreds of miles away I knew I could always count on your guidance. And last but not least, Father Fred. I hate to think of what my life would have been like without your wisdom and compassion in my life and I can honestly say that you have impacted my life in a positive way that no one else could.
All of these people, experiences and memories have lead me to become the person standing in front of you today. I plan to continue my walk in Christ next year at Clemson University in South Carolina where I will be majoring in Industrial Engineering. I’d like to close by thanking my family for all of their love and blessings and I cannot wait to see where my journey in faith takes me in the near future. God bless all of you and God bless this beautiful place I know I can call home.
The Church of the Redeemer
Sarasota Florida
6th Sunday of Easter
1 May 2016