On Sunday morning, October 26, following the AURAFORM presentation of the Sanctuary Concept for St. Thomas’, I lightly touched Barbara Hays, our Junior Warden, on the shoulder and said, “Thank you”. Barbara responded, “For what—I didn’t do anything, I just showed up”. Indeed, thank you again Barbara…for “showing up” is so essential to the fullness of our life together as a spiritual community.

Last Sunday, Tim Johnson reminded all of us here at St. Thomas' that we are fortunate enough to be drinking from a well we did not dig. And this Sunday, we are honoring those saints who came before us, such as the ones at St. Thomas' who helped dig and maintain this proverbial well, so that we could be here, drinking from it today, every Sunday, and every other time we gather as a community in the name of the God, who is calling us into a deeper relationship with himself and one another.

Tonight I was asked to speak to you about my spiritual journey, and you meet me at an interesting point on that road. Yesterday, along with three of my friends and supported by our clergy, family, friends, and fellow parishioners, I was Confirmed in the Episcopal Church. Tonight through our readings we celebrate All Saints Day. And in a little more than two days we as a nation will have elected ourselves new leadership, bestowing great power and responsibility to a few amongst us.

What does it mean to be on a spiritual journey? I'm not sure if I can answer that question for everybody, but I can share a little of what mine has been like. First of all, I know that it's typical here to talk about what St. Thomas' has meant to me, but I'm not sure if I can do that, at least not just yet. What I'd like to talk about, though, is what Christ has meant to mean. Hold on, don't worry, this isn't some evangelical come-to-Christ witnessing. There'll be no altar call. Trust me, I've been there.