Amigos.

Sometimes it isn’t about classes or candidacy or even clinical pastoral education. Sometimes it’s about the people you meet along the way, the classmates who become colleagues and the friends who become like family.

This week my wife and I had a chance to visit two of our closest companions, Zach and Hannah Parris. We met them when we lived in LSTC housing together. Soon we were sharing meals every Tuesday, going on epic road trips, taking tours of each others’ hometowns. When Chris and I were stationed in rural Mexico for a year, they came to visit us. When I was in Seattle on internship, I hosted Zach for a J-term class, and we visited Hannah’s sister and her family, who lived nearby. Our paths kept crossing again and again, and still do. I’m so grateful for their friendship.

Zach is now serving his first call in Bakersfield, California, and he has done some pretty amazing things out there already. He started a pub(lic) theology group that meets regularly at a local coffee shop. He administered ashes on a busy street corner for Ash Wednesday. And he’s just begun a catechumenate process for new members called, appropriately enough, “El Camino.” You can check out the really cool ministry blog of this LSTC alum here and you can check out Hannah's photo blog here.

Anyway, we had a great time this week catching up, exploring the wonders of the Golden State, reminiscing about seminary, dreaming about the future, and just enjoying each others’ company, as we always have.

Thanks be to God for friends like these.