It's been quite a Weekend

Friday night Kate and I went with a friend to see One of the Girls Play at the Town Hall Pub. ( Tripp also has his own account of the show here and of this weekend here) The guy checking ID's and taking money at the door was quite chatty and Kate was flirting with him (as she does with waiters, or bouncers or other service industry types. She comes by it naturally her grandmother did it and her mother does it.) Eventually he asked if this was the first time seeing the band commenting that they were good guys. I answered saying not only was this not our first time seeing the band but one of the members of the band was my co-pastor. Which was a little bit of a mistake, because then I had to try to explain what an ecumenical congregation was to someone who knew enough to ask what denomination, but not enough for "ecumenical" to have any meaning, and simply gave me a blank stare as I attempted over loud music and echoing conversation that three denominations were represented. He then said so kind of congregational. Kate answered yes kind of like that and not. It then hit me that after this weekend I could no longer say my co-pastor was in the band. Friend yes, fellow pastor and colleague, yes, but not co-pastor of a congregation we started.

The show was good fun, as always. One has not truly heard "I wanna be Sedated", by the Ramones, until you have heard One of the Girls cover it. There is nothing so in the spirit of Punk and yet so not Punk as to see a man on an upright base just go nuts jumping, well more like bouncing, around his base, and and see someone wail on a mandolin, and with the accordion in the mix, and it is just amazing! It occurred to me as I and most those in the pub were singing along with "I wanna be Sedated" as well as a number of other tunes One of the Girls played, that I should have answered Charlie Peacock's question about the last time one had sung along to music, was at a One of the Girls show.

There were several people from Reconciler at the the show, and I had a beer. About the time I was thinking of having a second, friends of ours invited me to help them finish off a pitcher saying they couldn't finish the pitcher on their own "...so why don't you get a glass and help us finish the pitcher." So I did. Helping them finish the pitcher I think meant that I had two more glasses of beer. And then they ask if I would have another beer, and I said I probably would and so another pitcher came. I think I had at least two more glasses of beer. I haven't drank that much alcohol in awhile so I got a bit drunk. On the bus home it dawned on me that I didn't really know how much I drank. I do not like hangovers, and so I try to avoid them. But sometimes you are just enjoying yourself and the company and a good band and friends ply you with beer. So, needless to say I did not get up very early Saturday morning.

Then Tripp picked me up Saturday afternoon to move a piece of furniture, a very large and heavy armoire from a friends house to his. The trick was that we had to maneuver it through some very narrow steep twisty stairs. We got it down mostly with out injury, Tripp smashed his thumb a little. Then when we got it to the SUV we found that it did not fit through the back gate of the car. It would have fit in the cab if it wasn't for all the ergonomic rounding off of corners. So we ended up leaving it in Tripp's friends storage unit in the building.

Then yesterday was Tripp's last Sunday at Reconciler. Tripp preached in good Baptist fashion a kickass farewell sermon. And we had a party for him after worship at the 'Nidge. Good fun. the party ended with those of us remaining most of whom were some kind of Southern (Virginia, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Texas) and swapped southern family stories. As the party ended It occurred to me that I had seen alot of Tripp this weekend, Which I think bodes well for our continuing friendship. Though it will be a little odd not working together as pastors. Tripp and I met and have become friends around the work of Reconciler, but we are truly friends beyond our work with the church. Working with Tripp the past three and a half years has been amazing and of God. Like Tripp I know his leaving now is God's timing and of God, and what Tripp needed to do, but I will miss the camaraderie of the past three years.

I don't have the One of the girls version of, but here's the Ramones video of "I wanna be Sedated." Enjoy!