After more than forty years of experience (including twenty years in parish ministry), I knew the Easter morning rhythm: sunrise service outside (usually with a modest crowd) followed by sanctuary services inside (usually with overflow crowds). These celebratory services of worship proclaimed the good news of emptiness (in the form of an empty tomb) and the joy of resurrection and new life. A New Emptiness This Easter most of the United States and much of the world is marked Read More …
Discipleship
A Moral Message for the United States (#1861)
Yesterday, 53 years to the day after the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. delivered the historic "Beyond Vietnam: A Time to Break the Silence" address at Riverside Church (NYC) and 52 years to the day after he was assassinated, the Rev. Dr. William J. Barber, II delivered a moral message for the nation titled "We Can't Be Silent Any More: Knowing the Symptoms of a Nation Approaching Spiritual Death." Dr. King named racism, poverty, and militarism as three evils placing the Read More …
Dear HSU Trustees (#1854)
Dear Hardin-Simmons University Trustees, The more I learn, the more disappointed I am in your decision to close Logsdon Seminary. Rather than writing a detailed critique of the process utilized to reach the decision, the timing and content of the initial communications to share the decision with key stakeholders and the general public, or the ongoing communications and conversations that have transpired since the decision was made public, I'll focus on why Logsdon mattered to me. I am Read More …
My Seminary is Closing – The Bigger Picture (#1852)
A week ago today I shared the news that my seminary was closing. When I wrote that blog post the news had been official for less than 24 hours. I was stunned. I relied heavily on the official statement provided by the University. In short, Hardin-Simmons University (est. 1891) determined that it was necessary to close Logsdon Seminary was based on its recent financial performance relative to other schools and programs in the University. Since writing that post, I've learned that the Read More …
May Love Overcome and Justice Roll Down (#1849)
I was introduced to the music of Daniel Deitrich a few days ago. In the two weeks since his song "Hymn for the 81%" first debuted on YouTube, it has been viewed more than 140,000 times. An Invitation Long-time faith columnist for Kansas City Star, Bill Tammeus issued what I've found to be the most compelling invitation for all to listen to the song and to do so with an understanding of the heart of the songwriter: I hope you'll give it a listen, remembering that he's not telling Read More …
Epiphany: Shining God’s Universal Love (#1846)
Today is January 6: the twelfth day of Christmas and Epiphany (or the first day of the season of Epiphany - depending on your tradition). I invite you to read the Epiphany story in Matthew 2:1-12, and to consider the following The insecurity of the King (if you keep reading in Matthew 2 you'll encounter the slaughter of the innocents)The geographical origin of the the Magi (likely modern Iran)The importance of light (in the form of a star) So What? Those reading this post today Read More …
A Sunday School First (#1837)
I attended Sunday school class as a child and teenager then after graduating from college transitioned to teaching Sunday school and/or overseeing Sunday school and other discipleship opportunities for people of all ages. Not only have I spent quite a bit of time in Sunday school classrooms, I also wrote my doctoral dissertation on the topic. For the last 12 weeks, I had the pleasure of teaching a Sunday school class as a volunteer for the first time in my life. My students were also trying Read More …
Reflecting on Ministry in the 2010s (#1835)
The 2010s will soon be over. During the last 24 hours I found myself in a couple of conversations that included the fun fact that the 2010s will be ending soon. This evening I read through some of the many remarks in a Twitter thread focusing on what individuals accomplished during this decade. With heightened awareness that the 2010s will soon be behind us, I started reflecting on my ministry experiences during this time period. I realized that during the last decade I Served (and Read More …
Welcome Isn’t Enough (#1830)
Yesterday I attended Connecting the Dots: Sexual Orientation & Gender Identity Training. The event was co-sponsored by More Light Presbyterians and Just Texas and hosted by Cathedral of Hope United Church of Christ in Dallas. The Rev. Alex Patchin McNeill, Executive Director of More Light Presbyterians, served as the primary trainer. My biggest takeaway from the day was a reminder that simply saying "all are welcome" on websites, worship bulletins, and other materials is not enough. Read More …
Expanding My Horizons (#1829)
During the fall semester, I'm teaching an adult Sunday School class at First Presbyterian Church (Fort Worth, TX) on Future Faith. Each week we are exploring one of the ten challenges Wesley Granberg-Michaelson identified in his new book: Future Faith: Ten Challenges Reshaping Christianity in the 21st Century. Last Sunday our topic was "Embracing the Color of the Future." This message was challenging for us to consider. The Read More …