When I first learned about COVID-19, I had no idea what to expect. In March 2020 when in person gatherings of all kind were discontinued, I never imagined it would be more than a year before I would next set foot in a sanctuary to worship alongside other followers of the Way of Jesus (I even blogged about the extended wait in posts like 6 Months Without In Person Worship and 10 Months Without In Person Worship). The First 8 Weeks My journey back to indoor worship and to intentionally Read More …
New Beginnings at First Presbyterian (Fort Worth) (#1928)
First Presbyterian Church (PCUSA) has been a part of the Fort Worth community for 148 years. Originally established in 1873, this urban congregation moved to its current location in 1956. Like many congregations, it ceased all indoor gatherings early in the COVID-19 pandemic. Unlike most congregations, it also completed a search for a new pastor and head of staff during the pandemic. On February 7, 2021, the congregation elected the Rev. Dr. Brian Coulter to serve as its next pastor Read More …
Central Christian Church: Concluding 158 Years (#1927)
On Easter Sunday 2021, Central Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), the oldest continually meeting congregation in Dallas, Texas, (est. 1863) held its final service of worship. A week later, the congregation held its final public gathering: an outdoor legacy lunch - an opportunity for current and past members, community partners, ministers, and others to celebrate the ministry and mission of the congregation, and to bless it's transition into a new stage of life. Getting Started My Read More …
Reopening for In Person Worship: 5 Congregations (#1926)
Over the last four weeks I've visited five mainline Protestant congregations in the Dallas - Fort Worth metro area that have recently reopened for worship. All five experiences required that I pre-register to attend, and that I commit to a covenant or list of expectations regarding my participation (i.e., not attend if I had a fever or was experiencing COVID-like symptoms, while attending wear a mask and remain socially distanced from others while indoors, etc.). Additionally, all five Read More …
Great New Books – April 2021 (#1925)
Over the last month I’ve read ten recently published books. My April list of recommended reads features four books published in 2020 and six published in 2021. (5+) Freeing Jesus: Rediscovering Jesus as Friend, Teacher, Savior, Lord, Way and Presence by Diana Butler Bass (HarperOne, 2021) (4.5) Dusk, Night, Dawn: On Revival and Courage by Anne Lamott (Riverhead Books, 2021) (4.5) Connect: Building Exceptional Relationships with Family, Friends, and Colleagues by David Read More …
Giving Up the Old and White Church (#1924)
I've spent my entire life in congregations affiliated with Mainline Protestant denominations. For Lent, I’m giving up something big: the church I always knew. And, unlike past Lenten disciplines that ended on Easter, this change is one I expect to be permanent. Here in the final post in this series, I'm giving up the old and white church. Old According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the median age of all Americans is 38.4 years (2019). By comparison, the Pew Research Center Read More …
Giving Up the Tech Averse Church (#1923)
For Lent, I’m giving up something big: the church I always knew. And, unlike past Lenten disciplines that ended on Easter, this change is one I expect to be permanent. Slow to Change I remember learning in seminary that the church in all of its forms tends to change more slowly than the dominant culture. And, I remember hearing cases for why this was positive as well as ways in which it could be negative. Additionally, I recall a phase known to many as the seven last Read More …
Giving Up the Output Oriented Church (#1922)
I've spent my entire life in church. More specifically, I've been a part of a dozen congregations affiliated with a group of denominations most continue to label Mainline Protestant (for more on my departure, check out Giving Up Mainline Protestantism). Defining Success Individual congregations rarely provide stakeholders with a clear definition of success. As a result, most members and many active participants are left to assume their congregation is doing just fine provided it Read More …
First Indoor Worship Service in a Year (#1921)
Last Sunday I attended my first in person worship service in over a year. For that outdoor service at First Presbyterian Church (Fort Worth, TX) I sat masked in a socially distanced chair with fewer than 20 other outdoor attendees - a group which was supplemented by folks worshipping in a nearby parking lot in their vehicles. (For more on this check out my post titled First in Person Worship Experience in a Year.) Today was another milestone day: I attended my first indoor worship service in Read More …
Giving Up Worship in Indoor Sacred Spaces (#1920)
For Lent, I’m giving up something big: the church I always knew. And, unlike past Lenten disciplines that ended on Easter, this change is one I expect to be permanent. Indoor Sacred Spaces as Primary From birth through childhood, adolescence, young adulthood and into middle age I have participated in weekly Sunday morning worship almost every week of every year of my life. At least 98% of those worship services occurred indoors within the walls of congregations I Read More …