This morning I had the opportunity to preach at Eastminster Presbyterian Church (PCUSA) in Dallas, Texas. This was a special joy as the congregation has been a long-time supporter of White Rock Center of Hope, which is the organization I serve as Executive Director. The Sermon My message, "Difficult Discipleship," was based on two of the lectionary passages: Romans 6:1-11 and Matthew 10:24-39. A Difficult Excerpt As the Executive Director of a non-profit that is powered primarily Read More …
Discipleship
Where’s Greg Worshipping? 8+ Congregations in 3 States (#2060)
We are now roughly half way through 2023 (a point that will officially be reached on July 2). This offers a good reason to reflect on the year thus far, including where I've worshipped. Cathedral of Hope My home church is Cathedral of Hope United Church of Christ. I've worshipped there most Sundays. And, even on weeks that I've not been able to be a part of the Sunday morning worship experience, I've stayed connected through the congregation's small group ministry. In fact, my wife and I Read More …
My Experiences with 14 UCC Congregations (#2059)
I've been a part of the United Church of Christ since 2010. During that time, I've visited 14 UCC congregations. Each has impacted me in a unique way. Currently, I'm a Member in Discernment in the United Church of Christ and hope to be ordained later this year (see Midlife & MiD Life: A 9th Update for more about this process). In this reflection on my journey in my denomination of choice, I explore the contributions of these 14 congregations. For the sake of simplicity, I've organized Read More …
Midlife & MiD Life: A 9th Update (#2058)
Yesterday was my birthday. It was the first birthday in many years that included multiple people guessing or asserting/assuming my age. I'll save you that effort: I'm now 46 years of age. Midlife The stage of life called midlife is generally understood to be from age 40 to 60. So, mathematically, it appears I'm now well into this phase. As I reflect on my midlife experience so far, it has been a time of clarity rather than crisis. Last night on several social media platforms I Read More …
Freeing Jesus – Small Group Opportunities & Resources (#2052)
For the last year and a half, I've had the privilege of being a part of the Small Group Ministry at Cathedral of Hope United Church of Christ. This summer, we are trying something new by encouraging our groups to choose a book rather than having all groups study the same book. As the Small Group Ministry grows and develops, future terms will bring a mix of all groups studying the same material and groups choosing their content. As someone wearing many hats in this ministry (small group Read More …
Celebrating 25 Years of Ministry! (#2050)
Since completing my undergraduate degree in Ministry and Leadership at Dallas Christian College 25 years ago this month, I've held wide-ranging ministry roles in Texas and Florida. Notably, these roles vary widely and extend beyond what I even knew to be possible when I walked across the stage in May 1998. Today, I reflect on my first 25 years in ministry. Local Church Ministry My undergraduate education prepared me for ministry in the setting of the local church. In fact, many who Read More …
Seeking Ordination – Update #8 (#2049)
Since a month has passed since my last update (see Seeking Ordination – Update #7), I figured it was time for another post. During the last month, I Preached at Central Lutheran Church (ELCA) in Dallas (see Preaching Abundant Life)Completed boundary trainingPublished a devotional through the Center of Congregational Ethics (see Holy Ground Ahead)Started a second year as Board Chair of the Texas Association of Charitable Clinics Participated in a clergy retreatAttended the 42nd Annual Read More …
End of Presbyterianism: Farewell PC(USA)? (#2048)
Ryan Burge's tweets on May 9, 2023, about the decline in membership in the Presbyterian Church (USA), including his suggestion the denomination is less than 20 years away from dissolving, has generated numerous conversations across social media and beyond. The Story of Presbyterian Decline As someone who has spent more years in the Presbyterian Church (USA) than any other denomination, I've been aware of the denomination's decline for many years. And, I've written extensively about it here Read More …
Holy Ground Ahead (#2047)
Passage for Reflection: Exodus 3:1-12 I’ve been a part of many mission trips, service-learning activities, and other enrichment offerings that involved travel. For each of these occasions, participants engaged in significant planning and preparation. We felt a need to prepare to enter new spaces. While there were never any “Holy Ground Ahead” road signs, there were ample warnings. And, from the moment we stepped off of the plane or bus, we knew we had arrived on holy Read More …
Preaching Abundant Life (#2045)
This morning I had the opportunity to preach at Central Lutheran Church (ELCA) in Dallas, Texas. This was a truly one of a kind opportunity since a member of Central Lutheran was the founder and first Executive Director of White Rock Center of Hope, which is the organization I now lead. The Sermon My message, "Abundant Life," was based on the lectionary passages (Psalm 23, Acts 2:42-47, 1 Peter 2:19-25, and John 10:1-10). A Radical Excerpt Let’s get the radical stuff out of Read More …