But If Not

As the years increase, so does my gratitude and appreciation for the many congregations where I have been privileged to pitch my tent on my sojourn of faith and ministry. I only wish that the resources I have found through family systems, the Center for Congregational Health, and the Alban Institute had been mine to share with the earlier congregations. I am not the same person or minister I was when I first assumed pastoral responsibilities. However, this is always the way life - even the life of faith - works. We can only be who we are and where we are. I'm grateful I'm not still there. Colleagues and friends continue to enrich my life and contribute greatly to my ongoing development both personally and professionally. Their encouragement and support have led to this second publishing endeavor. This book is dedicated to my two sons, Mark and Michael. They have continued to exhibit the qualities of integrity and hard work, doing what they believe they are called to do regardless of how it turns out. Their high principles and ethical behavior continue to convince me that my wife and I must have done something right! We certainly don't take credit for their achievements but recognize they have come a long way in mastering the art of letting go as I have tried to describe it in this book.