Dear People of Christ Church,
I’m passing on a letter to the diocese from Bishop Shaw, received this week. His date of retirement, as you may know, comes with the consecration of our new diocesan Bishop, Alan Gates, in just a few short weeks on September 13. This will be his last letter to us, as he says that Alan will take on such communication in the future. Bishop Tom was diagnosed with cancer not long after he announced his retirement in 2013, and has been a remarkable witness to the power of God’s love and healing in the midst of illness and the reality of death. His illness for him has been an occasion to trust in God, rather than fury against misfortune. Tom’s graceful sharing of his experience has been a profound gift, particularly for me, as I have been so shaped by his ministry. Please keep Tom and Alan in your prayers in these next weeks, as well as Tom’s family and his brothers at the Society of St John the Evangelist.
-Sara
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My Sisters and Brothers,
As my date of retirement nears, I want to be in touch with all of you and to thank you for your continued expressions of care and concern. We have known since the beginning, when I was diagnosed with brain cancer in May of last year, that we are dealing with a difficult kind of cancer. We have been hopeful in the therapies we’ve pursued over these months, but we now know that for me there is no cure. At the recommendation of my medical team, I’ve now decided to pursue a course of treatment that will provide a good quality of life, though for how long, we can’t be sure.

As hard as this is to hear and to tell, I didn’t want this time to go by without letting all of you know where things are. My medical team continues to provide me with excellent care, and I have a wonderful community of support around me. My prayer feels different from day to day. Some days there is an expansiveness to it, and on other days, it isn’t so easy, though there aren’t too many of those days. But throughout, good days and more difficult days, I feel supported by you, the people of this diocese and beyond, and by your prayers, and I’ve felt my faith life grow in significant ways. I am looking forward to what God will bring in this new time.

You know, time too often in our culture is perceived as a problem; all of us, at some point, feel we don’t have enough of it. Yet, because of Jesus the Messiah, all time is now God’s time. It is part of the unfolding of God’s glory. We are invited into it as an experience of the presence of God. I believe that is where our prayer, where our life together in gathered community, where our participation with God in making all things new is taking us: into the heart of God.

May each of us be opened to the possibility and the hope offered through God’s gift of time.

Our bishop-elect, Alan, will keep you informed of changes in my condition going forward. I continue to cherish your cards and letters, and I want to say again how much I appreciate the years I’ve served as your bishop and all that you have taught me. I plan to be part of the upcoming consecration, and I look forward to joining you in welcoming our new bishop.

Please pray for me as I pray for you.

Faithfully,
Tom