Be ready. This is a message I've heard since I was a child. Always be ready. Be ready for everything on your calendar. Be ready for opportunities that are just around the corner. Be ready for the unexpected. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respectI Peter 3:15b, NIV Be ready to speak up and tell anyone who asks why you're living the way you are, and Read More …
Discipleship
Be Yourself (#1970)
Passage for reflection: Hebrews 12:1-8 In the 1980s and 1990s the United States Army recruiting campaign was “Be All You Can Be.” Through television commercials, print advertisements, and a wide-ranging messaging tools the Army delivered ads designed to connect with a broad audience and to encourage them to consider the Army as the place where they could maximize their potential. Over the course of my lifetime, I’ve come to know another entity with an even more compelling message: “Be Read More …
Who is Jesus? (#1968)
A few days ago, I found myself traveling West through Arlington, Texas behind a truck bearing an unexpected theological assertion, "Jesus Christ is true God." So What? As we begin a new year, I encourage you to formulate your own statement(s) about Jesus. If you are someone who identifies as Christian or as a follower of the Way of Jesus or as a disciple of Jesus, then I'd welcome hearing a bit about who you know Jesus to be and why that matters in your life. Read More …
Giving Thanks – 10 Experiences in 2021 (#1961)
Thanksgiving week has arrived. Last year, I dedicated a post to reflecting on Giving Thanks for 10 Ministry Experiences. This year, I'm giving thanks for 10 meaningful experiences from 2021: Receiving the COVID-19 vaccine (see Getting the COVID-19 Vaccine)Starting a new ministry role as Executive Director of White Rock Center of Hope (see My Ministry Journey - Another Big Step)Enjoying my second annual weeklong fall vacation in Naples, FL with my partner - our first two getaways of Read More …
Looking South – Looking Again (#1960)
In January 2018, my wife and I purchased a four story townhome on the Northwest corner of downtown Fort Worth, Texas. Our new home came with unobstructed views of downtown that we assumed would be temporary. The block immediately to our south and the majority of the next block were listed for sale as a parcel ideal for redevelopment. Plan A: Luxury Residential Tower It didn't take long for a developer to propose building a luxury residential high rise on the block immediately adjacent Read More …
All Saints & All Souls in a Pandemic (#1959)
To say that All Saints' Day and All Souls' Day are more meaningful to me this year than in prior years is an understatement. Like so many people, the pandemic has caused me to spend more time thinking about, talking about, and even writing about mortality. Death and dying are topics nearly every person I know have struggled with during the pandemic. This is understandable considering that COVID-19 has claimed the lives of nearly 750,000 American and more than 5,000,000 people worldwide. Read More …
10 Most Liked Tweets in Last 10 Years (#1957)
My ten most liked tweets of the last ten years are So What? I've tweeted nearly 18,000 times in the 12 years and one month since joining Twitter. Given that volume, it is interesting to see that my top ten most liked tweets are comprised of quotes from a rather small group of seven people Barbara Brown Taylor - 2 tweets (2 of the top 3!)Brian McLaren - 2 tweetsGreg Smith - 2 tweetsRozella Haydee WhiteDiana Butler BassWilliam J. Barber IIILenny Duncan As you read Read More …
More Than An English Professor (#1956)
Last night I attended a Dallas Christian College homecoming event that included a moving presentation recognizing Dr. Cara Snyder's impact. For the last fifty years, she has served as English professor. Dr. Snyder taught nearly every student who has graduated from the school from the 1970s through the 2010s, and the vast majority of students in the institution's seventy-one year history. Based on the formal presentation, personal conversations with alums, and my own experience it is Read More …
Pandemic Worship: 10 Sacred Spaces (#1955)
A year before the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, I wrote "Visiting 50+ Churches in Dallas-Fort Worth," highlighting congregations I had worshipped with since relocating to Texas from Florida. When the pandemic started, I stopped attending worship in person. After experiencing a full year of life without attending corporate worship, I gradually reentered that world. March 7 - I attended my first outdoor worship serviceMarch 14 - I attended my first indoor worship service Now, seven Read More …
Count the Costs (Even the Hidden Ones) (#1953)
Recently, I was in the market for a new vehicle. As someone who has been through this experience eight times, I felt well prepared as my search for a ninth shifted from research to dealership visits for test drives and negotiations. At my first dealership, however, I encountered a mysterious charge I'd never seen before in all of my years of vehicle shopping: AMV. I asked the salesperson to explain the AMV charge on the sticker. He shared that adding a charge called "Adjusted Market Read More …