As a member of the Antiochian
Archdiocese, I know Fr. Peter Gillquist for his instrumental role in leading
the former “Evangelical Orthodox” into the Antiochian branch of the Orthodox
Church. My parish, St. Anthony the Great in San Diego, was founded and led for
many years by Fr. Jon Braun, who worked closely with Fr. Peter in searching for
and joining the Orthodox Church.
Written near the end of Fr. Peter’s
life, Memories of His Mercy was
published after his falling asleep in the Lord in July 2012. As the subtitle
states, the book is filled with “Recollections of the Grace and Providence of
God” that appeared throughout his life.
It was delightful to get to know
more of Fr. Peter’s life story in this remarkable, encouraging book. It felt
like Fr. Peter was sitting beside me and regaling me with stories of his life.
The conversational tone makes the book a quick and easy read.
Fr. Peter’s legacy is one of a
great evangelist. As such, it is no surprise that when he speaks about the Christian
faith, he makes profound truths sound straightforward. In one chapter, he
discusses the need for evangelical Protestants and Orthodox Christians to
dialogue with each other clearly about their beliefs. In writing about the
famous debate over whether we as Christians are saved “by faith” or “by works,”
Fr. Peter explains, “The fact is, none of us, either through our works or
through our faith, are ever going to come up spotless or in any way able to
merit our salvation. In the end, it’s got to be the mercy of God that qualifies
us” (113). I feel like he boiled this concept down in a way that just makes
sense, without sounding complicated or confusing.
I love to hear the stories of how
God provided for the Gillquist family’s needs, often at just the right time.
That’s the kind of story that strengthens my faith, helping me to keep trusting
that God will provide for my family. Fr. Peter writes about finding a $10 bill
in the mail when he and his wife were early in their marriage, had no money, and
needed to go grocery shopping: “Throughout our lives this kind of thing
happened. That day, we hadn’t even known we needed the money, and yet there it
was, a total surprise! Over the years, these loving gestures of provision from
our Lord have caused us to give thanks to Him; He has known our needs before we
even asked Him” (48).
Another quote from the book that I
love is, “God would always give us the strength we needed to accomplish any task
He asked us to undertake” (62). These are words I want to live by.
Toward the end of the book, Fr.
Peter discusses his battle with cancer. He describes deciding to “rely more
heavily on the prayers of other saints, both on earth and in heaven” (155). I
found this to be an interesting idea, because I tend to think that maybe I’m
being lazy or neglectful if I ask others to pray for my needs but don’t
remember to pray for those needs myself. I thought he made a really meaningful
point by saying that “an illness can easily degenerate into a pity party” if we
turn inward instead of casting our cares upon the Lord (156). I like the idea
that maybe God doesn’t want me to focus on my needs and difficulties as much as
on “the greater reality of Christ, His Church, and His Kingdom” (156).
According to the back cover, Fr.
Peter’s stated goal for this book was “to share with other people the
faithfulness of God in a way that I hope will motivate them to trust in Him more
than they do now.” That purpose motivated me to read this book, and I’m so glad
I did. It is a strong source of encouragement and enrichment for those pursuing the long race
of the Christian life.
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