Thomas S. Kepler was a New Testament professor at Oberlein College in Ohio. He was a gifted writer, scholar, and teacher. It was through his book, Journey With The Saints, that I was introduced to the richness of spiritual biography and the resources for spiritual formation in the cloud of witnesses sense of New Testament days -- a cloud of witnesses who have marched the Christian way for us.

Through most of his teaching career he was also Pastor of a little rural church in Northern Medina County in Ohio. His brothers and sisters of the seminary faculty noticed a change in his life, coming midway through his teaching career. The "Christian graces" of life -- "the fruit of the Spirit" -- settled comfortably upon him.

The change was understood at the time of his death. His wife found a lit…