My dad retired from decades of doing church ministry this week. He's a pastor forever. He's really good at it.

He's kind of my hero. And he and my mom who are absolutely wonderful, great

parents, great role models and teachers and shepherds for so many people

they finally had their last Sunday of church was this week.

Mom's the consummate pastor's wife, is dedicated, committed, humble, helpful at every

turn, encouraging, and dad is a great pastor.

Excellent scholar, wonderful at honestly approaching the text.

He's great at knowing how to talk to the people in the room.

He's excellent at the in-person thing. He's got very broad shoulders and can absorb all of the

stuff from people's lives year in and year out and there's a lot of stuff being born dying sickness health it sounds like wedding

vows but all the stuff in between the great stuff the tragedies he's just done a

wonderful job and as I was talking with him on the phone as he's driving away

from church because he's done his stuff's packed up he's headed to his new place is a

pretty weepy conversation and not because he has regrets and he's not like he's

doing the Oscar Schindler thing. He's like, ah, this ring, I could have done one more Christian

thing if I'd sold that. He pretty much has already done that.

Dude has not made any effort to accumulate,

he just gives and gives and gives.

I think partially that emotion I was hearing

is the identity thing.

You do anything for a really long time and it becomes a little bit of

who you are and how you know where you fit in society and what gives you meaning and purpose and

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