In 1978, I married a young Episcopal girl from Salem, Illinois at St. Thomas Episcopal Church and was introduced to the St. Thomas family. Slowly but surely, step by step, inch by inch, over the years, I started to become a little more comfortable with what was happening there.

I was what you might call a “social member”. Being a “social member” is kind of like auditing a college class, you get to hear and read all the information, but it doesn't count as a graduation credit. I was there for the special activities and meals, washing dishes, changing light bulbs, fixing a leaky faucet and the like. I was what we call a “three timer”. I went to church on Christmas, Easter and one other time a year that had neither rhyme or reason. My wife was there every time the door was open, and so were my sons. They didn't have a choice, but they didn't know that. It seemed like the social events I attended kept getting closer together and I was adding another Sunday service in here and there. Then one day we had a new Vicar, Father Michael Hardwick. He started a Wednesday evening Bible study that was only going to last a few weeks. I told him I would be there. One evening he said something that caught my attention. He was talking about the Pharisees and the Sadducees. He said they might be compared to modern day Democrats and Republicans, that peaked my interest. I came home and started to read. That was many years ago. Father Hardwick has been gone for a long time now and we have had several priests since then, but I continue to read.