Just over seven months ago, I announced that I would soon begin serving as the Interim Senior Minister at First Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in downtown Fort Worth, Texas. While seven months is not a long time in the life of a congregation, a lot can happen when a church is willing to look honestly at where it has been, where it is, and where it might go next. This is exactly what FCC has been doing. As Fort Worth's oldest congregation, FCC has a remarkable history. It has Read More …
Discipleship
Stronger Together: When Churches Partner to Serve Their Communities (#2339)
I am a huge fan of the local church. After 30 years of serving congregations, I have seen firsthand the good that local churches can do. Over the last 30 years, I've served 11 congregations affiliated with 5 denominations: Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), National Association of Congregational Christian Churches, Presbyterian Church (USA), and United Church of Christ (UCC) in the Dallas – Arlington – Fort Worth metropolitan area of North Read More …
My Visit to Trinity Lutheran Church (#2337)
This past Sunday morning, I was a first time guest at Trinity Lutheran Church (ELCA) in Oklahoma City. About Trinity Lutheran According to the congregation's about page, Trinity is a community of faith, hope, and love in the heart of Oklahoma City. Just last month their current pastor, Rev. Miranda Searcy, was ordained in the ELCA and installed in this congregation. Trinity offers one worship service at 10:30am each Sunday. Welcome I arrived on the church campus about 12 Read More …
Who Am I? (#2335)
Passage for reflection: Psalm 8 I have the privilege of meeting a lot of people. I’ve noticed that in most social settings, people rarely introduce themselves using only their name. More often, they offer some clue about who they are, usually by offering insight into what they do. “Hi, I’m Mark, and I’m an aerospace engineer.” Or, “Hi, I’m Melissa, and I reimagine higher education.” We often understand our identity through our work, our relationships, our accomplishments, or the Read More …
Five Pictures, Five Months, One Ministry (#2334)
Five months into an interim pastorate, I’ve discovered that sometimes a photograph can capture what words cannot. Since beginning my service as Interim Senior Minister at Fort Worth’s oldest congregation, First Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), I’ve been paying attention to the moments that seem to tell something larger about this remarkable community of faith. Established in 1855 and located in the heart of downtown, First Christian’s “new” campus has been home to the congregation Read More …
A Robe Retrospective (#2333)
A few years ago, I shared some of my many clergy stoles in A Story of Stoles. A few recent conversations prompted me to continue that reflection with another part of clergy garb: robes. The Original I no longer have the robes I wore soon after graduating from seminary. And enough time has passed that I don't have high-quality photographs of myself wearing them. They were simple black robes, worn during my first two calls to congregations affiliated with the Christian Church (Disciples of Read More …
Three Churches in Three Days: Renewed Hope for the Future of the Church (#2326)
Over the last three days, I experienced church in three very different ways. Friday: I celebrated Pride Month at Broadway Baptist Church in Fort Worth, Texas, attending the final Pride as Big as Texas concert presented by the Turtle Creek Chorale. The evening transformed the historic sanctuary into a space of music, story-telling, and celebration. It also served as the unofficial kickoff to Trinity Pride weekend. Saturday: I joined a number of clergy colleagues and the congregation of Read More …
The Lord is Doing Wonderful Things (#2317)
Passage for reflection: Isaiah 25:1-5 I have been thinking about history more than usual lately. Perhaps it’s because I recently began serving as the Interim Minister of First Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in downtown Fort Worth. It turns out this congregation is the oldest in the city. “LORD, you are my God; I will exalt you and praise your name, for in perfect faithfulness you have done wonderful things, things planned long ago” (Isaiah 25:1, NIV). Isaiah’s song of praise Read More …
Called to Heal, Invited to Travel Light (#2316)
Today, I preached a message titled “Called to Heal, Invited to Travel Light” based on Mark 6:1-13 at First Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in downtown Fort Worth. Sermon You can watch the sermon below or read the manuscript. Excerpt This week I interrupted my normal social media routine of posting pictures to ask a question: What do you think Jesus is best known for?[1] I’ve received a wide range of replies. These included some religious responses: Read More …
Jesus Christ: Either He Is or He Ain’t (#2315)
I encountered Jesus, or more accurately marketing efforts designed to make me think about Jesus, in two unexpected places in recent weeks. The first came while traveling between Texas and Oklahoma. Two billboards stacked one above the other carried a bold message: Instead of title case, everything was rendered in ALL CAPS, as if certainty itself required volume. Later, driving through the Dallas - Fort Worth metroplex, I found myself behind a pickup truck with JESUS CHRIST stretched Read More …