“After nourishment, shelter, and companionship, stories are the thing we need most in the world.” –Philip Pullman

A few days ago one of my friends told me, “Don’t you dare put up another segment from your new book!”

“Why ever not?” I said.

“Because it’s not fair,” she responded. “It’s not right to tease us with a chapter when we can’t have the whole thing!”

Intentional or not, it was one of the best compliments. I love the fact that people are interested.

I plan to continue writing the memoir, because I believe it is an important project; but it makes me feel so much better to know that people like the stories!

Today’s excerpt:

The story in the following video is from the beginning of 1982. Let me set the scene:

Rebekah and I are both twenty-five; we’re in our last few months at Columbia Seminary and the students are beginning to interview with churches, looking for their first call as ordained “ministers of word and sacrament”.

Also, we’re expecting our first child. Graduating preachers becoming dads is nothing new; but this student preacher is becoming a mother, and the optics don’t sit well with “the powers that be.” Essentially, they want Rebekah to sit out looking for a church until after the baby is born… maybe until after the baby goes to college!

This video clip is around 10-minutes. It’s a little longer than the last one I shared (Finding a Place to Begin); but I hope you can’t stop listening!

Look for more in another couple of weeks – DEREK