I like to take pictures of religious signs, including those on vehicles. I discovered this "Honk if You're Holy!" sign in a parking lot in Florida back in 2015. Of the three signs displayed on the vehicle it is the one that captured my attention (the other sign on the rear read "JW.ORG Psalms 83:18 and a sign on the side simply displayed the number 144,000). Would You Honk? When I originally shared this image on Facebook I asked the question, "Would you honk?" Some of the more Read More …
Discipleship
Our Search for a Church 2.0 is Over! (#1798)
I know quite a bit about churches. I was raised in the church, studied ministry as an undergraduate, attended seminary, and served 9 congregations. I know far less about searching for a church to participate in as an active member. My wife and I embarked on what I know think of as our original search for a church in March 2015 after I completed an interim ministry role and we moved from Southwest Florida to North Texas. That 70 week long search included attending worship 61 times in 36 different Read More …
Search for a Church 2.0 – Decision Coming Soon (#1796)
When I announced that we started this search for a church in April of 2018, I did not expect that we would still be searching a year later. In all from start to finish, I am now nearly certain the journey will take us about 13 months (57 weeks to be more precise). Timeline While the general plan has remained consistent throughout, the number of congregations involved expanded twice. Some high points of the timeline follow: March 2018 - selected 10 churches to visitMay 2018 - completed Read More …
Holy Week – Is This Normal? (#1794)
After serving in congregational ministry for most of my life, I'm still learning what its like to journey through Holy Week as a follower of the Way of Jesus who does not have any worship leadership responsibilities. Holy Week Schedule I have, however, managed to attend multiple services of worship and participate in an adult egg hunt. More specifically: Sunday: walked to a nearby church, and attended a service that included elements of both palm and passion Tuesday: Read More …
Walking to Worship (#1793)
The shortest distance between two points is a straight line. The fastest way to get to any local destination is by automobile. I learned these simple truths early in life, and rarely questioned them. Traveling to Church As a lifelong churchgoer I made my way from home to a house of worship exclusively by automobile for the first 40+ years of my life. Last year when my wife and I moved to downtown Fort Worth, we started rethinking our reliance on vehicles. And, we've adopted walking Read More …
Lenten Demolition (#1788)
Lent is a season of preparation. It is a time when many who follow the Way of Jesus choose to give extra attention to discipleship. For some this means giving something up and for others it involves taking on something new. Demo Day Yesterday I heard unfamiliar sounds in my neighborhood. When I looked out a window I saw a large work crew unloading machines from trailers. Within minutes it became clear that these individuals had been hired to demolish a house. Over the next Read More …
Christians Don’t Own Jesus (#1787)
Over the last 9 1/2 years, I've been rather active on Twitter. While the frequency of my tweeting has varied, I've never walked away from the platform for an extended period of time. After 14,200 tweets I was surprised to find that something I tweeted yesterday has been liked more than any of my other tweets. So What? The tweet is quote from page 157 of Barbara Brown Taylor's new book: Holy Envy: Finding God in the Faith of Others I'm pleased to know that more Read More …
Search for a Church 2.0 – Discernment (#1786)
10 days ago I shared that our 11 month long search for a church had reached its final stage. More specifically, after visiting 15 congregations we narrowed our options down to two finalists. Discernment We invested considerable time and energy in getting to know the two remaining congregations. This included attending at least six services of worship in each community of faith, and participating in classes, concerts, mission efforts, and social activities. During the last week, we Read More …
I’m Back: My Return to the Mansfield Mission Center (#1785)
Mansfield is a family friendly city primarily in Tarrant County Texas that is nearly equidistant from Dallas and Forth Worth. I first experienced life in Mansfield when I purchased a home there in the 1990s. Since that time the population has nearly tripled, growing from around 25,000 to 70,000. As Mansfield has grown so has the need to care for all who call the city home. Individuals, businesses, government, faith communities and nonprofits have worked independently and collaboratively to Read More …
Search for a Church 2.0 – The Finalists (#1783)
After growing our list of churches to visit to 15 and attending 37 services of worship with these congregations over the last 11 months, we have narrowed the list to two finalists. So What? With respect for the remaining congregations, I've decided against sharing any details that would make them easily identifiable to my readers. As a result I've used an image of a bridge that connects downtown Forth Worth with the cultural district. The two congregations remaining are Read More …