“I need to steal you away. We are about to be serenaded.”
Those were Dale’s words to me when the program was about to begin at the farewell dinner held at the Maennerchor on August 3rd. I broke away from one of many cherished conversations that night, I took Dale’s arm, and we stood together as Kathryn Hart Teixeira sang Simple Gifts.
‘Tis the gift to be simple, ‘tis the gift to be free. ‘Tis the gift to come down where we ought to be; and when we find ourselves in the place just right, ‘Twill be in the valley of love and delight. When true simplicity is gained, to bow and to be bend we shan’t be ashamed; to turn, turn will be our delight, till by turning, turning we come out right.
The tears came immediately. This was the song I selected for my processional when I married Dale in St. John’s sanctuary. Then, I had felt as though the words poignantly captured the delight brought to my life by our relationship and the growth I had experienced. Listening to these lyrics immediately brought to mind the fondness of that special day we celebrated with you. However, more so, I found myself listening to the song through the lens of my experience at St. John’s.
‘Tis the gift to be gentle, ‘tis the gift to be fair,’tis the gift to wake and breathe the morning air; and everyday to walk in the path we choose, ‘tis the gift we pray we may ne’er come to lose.
‘Tis the gift to be loving, ‘tis the best gift of all, Like a quiet rain, it blesses where it falls; and if we have the gift, we will truly believe ‘tis better to give than it is to receive.
When true simplicity is gained, to bow and to be bend we shan’t be ashamed; to turn, turn will be our delight, till by turning, turning we come out right.
With every turn over the past nine years, I have grown. You have helped me become a better pastor and a better person. I could write books about all we have done and experienced together, but it is really quite simple: we have loved one another. To love you, and to have been loved by you has been one of the great blessings of my life.
Yesterday I finished packing up my office. I left my keys on Bonnie’s desk and took a last stroll through the building. It was difficult to see things that needed to be done and know that I wouldn’t be the one sending emails or making calls to attend to them, nor would I be coming back to attend to other inevitable lose ends.
As I climbed the stairs to the Jack Davies lobby where I punched in my security code for the last time, the tears began to flow. Dale and Courtney were waiting for me in the parking lot, and we stood there holding one another and crying together for quite some time. I know you have rarely seen me shed a tear, but it feels important for me to let you know that there were plenty of them as I departed this place as your pastor.
The tears are tears of grief, but they are also tears of gratitude for each of you and all we have shared. Even more, they are tears that form a prayer. My prayer is that with every turn, you, too, are able to discover God’s most simple gifts, and help others do the same.
God be with you.
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