I can't remember a time when I wasn't aware of the presence of God. My early years in the faith were formed in the Methodist Church as I grew up in the farm country of central Texas. But as they say, "How ya gonna keep 'em down on the farm after they've seen CT?" The Bishop of Dallas, having high regard for education at Berkeley/Yale, sent many postulants to New Haven, and here I fell in love with all things New England. It's been home ever since.

I could not have known then just how much St. Thomas would figure in my life, ministry and spiritual formation. The first St. Thomas' was my sponsoring parish in Texas - the parish where I met and fell in love with the Episcopal Church and where I heard the clear call to ordination. The second in Rhode Island was my first tour as Rector. The congregation's high expectations and demands were exceeded only by their great love, patience, forbearance and affection as they shaped my ministry. Then, after several years of ministry at St. George's in upstate New York, the third "St. Thomas's" called me in 1985 to return to New Haven. In many ways it has been like a return to my spiritual home.

In the intervening years there have been many events, great and small, marking our ministry together. Of them all, one of the most significant has been the parish's stand for justice and its witness for equal marriage rights and equal (liturgical) rites for the LGBT community. The last leadership of St. Thomas's risked much in taking this position, and the work of discernment was intentional, labor-intensive and sometimes painful. A turning and high point for me, for Robert and for two hundred parishioners, friends, family and colleagues was the celebration of our Civil Union, with all its attendant joy, openness, affirmation and blessing. It was a tangible expression of this parish's commitment to live the Gospel imperative.

As our parish history says, "only the passage of time will identify those things of enduring significance."

It was more than a little humbling (and frightening!) - like reading my own obituary - when a former parish published a history outlining its accomplishments during a long list of clerical leadership. During my tenure, it was said, the parish "learned to live deeply into its baptismal covenant." I can hope for nothing greater than this - that you and I continue ever more deeply to live into our baptismal covenant.