It is now all official

Well this isn't news to some or perhaps most who read my blog since many of you also read Tripp's blog. Sunday it was announced that Tripp will be resigning as American Baptist Pastor of Reconciler Tripp also posted on this on his blog Tonight the church council received the official letter of resignation. So, it is all official.

My reaction as Tripp could tell you has been varied, and when he first told me he needed to leave even though he very much did not want to I went straight to the possibilities another transition offered Reconciler. There was a number of reasons for this: 1) I had prepared myself for this eventuality when Tripp began the candidating process at CCW. 2) When Tripp first told me I had come straight from a Spiritual Direction session, and so was simply in a space to see what God might be doing as Tripp left Reconciler 3) Many of Tripp's and my conversations about church had been about the growing vision he was receiving for CCW, much of it would require a great deal of effort and attention.

But now that it is all very real, the sadness is setting in. I did not know Tripp except before he approached me three and a half years ago, Lent 2004 I believe and told me of this crazy idea for a church plant. I had agreed to meet with him but I was profoundly skeptical. We met over lunch at Heartland Cafe and we hit it off immediately, my skepticism melted as he spoke about the vision he and David Gortner had developed at that point. We then continued talking after lunch at my place for at least another hour before we each had to insist that we had to got on to other things. Out of our being colleagues and planting reconciler we have become very close friends and I count him among my closest and best friends. I will deeply miss our working together as friends and colleagues. I will miss being able to share this common work. I wish we could have continued to work together for a few more years.