For nearly a decade I've engaged in the spiritual practice of tweeting meaningful messages from the new books I'm reading (for example, Tweets Worth Thinking About) in the form of short quotations. I invite you to read through the seven tweets below, which I shared on X (formerly known as Twitter) over the last two months. (All but one of these quotes comes from a book published in 2023 or 2024. The Seth Godin quote was from a blog post he published in 2024.) So Read More …
Discipleship
So Many Churches! Getting Started in 2024 (#2104)
We are now three weeks in to 2024 with today serving as the third Sunday of the year. And, I've been blessed to have encounters with several other congregations including two that served at White Rock Center of Hope yesterday Additionally, I hosted and facilitated a small group (aka life group) in my home as part of the ministry of Cathedral of Hope (UCC) in Dallas, TX. How Many Churches? Just counting the churches mentioned above, I've had meaningful experiences with 6 Read More …
My Visit to Mayflower Congregational UCC (#2103)
I've been sharing some of my experiences as a first-time guest in worship in a variety of congregations since 2010, including Last week, I was the guest minister at Central Lutheran Church in Dallas. Today, my wife and I visited Mayflower Congregation United Church of Christ in Oklahoma City for the first time. While we had never attended before, we felt we knew this congregation a bit through their former Senior Minister (1985 - 2020), The Rev. Dr. Robin Meyers. He has been Read More …
Faith: My Star Word for 2024 (#2102)
The practice of choosing a star word was something I first heard of perhaps a decade ago and first participated in last year. For 2023, my star word was clarity. And, it turned out that 2023 became a year of new clarity. This year, I paused at the star filled table to consider some of the many words that might be waiting for me before selecting one. My star word to guide me in 2024 is faith. Faith Faith has always been central to my identity. A few thoughts immediately came to Read More …
Preaching God is Still Speaking (#2101)
This morning I served as guest pastor at Central Lutheran Church (ELCA) in Dallas, Texas. It was a joy to be with them for a second time (last year I joined them for worship as a guest preacher). Central Lutheran Church is among the founding member churches of White Rock Center of Hope. It was also WRCH's founder, Donagene Christian's church. I'm thankful for their continued strong support of WRCH and for Rev. Veronika Czutor's invitation to step in this morning while she is Read More …
Another New Year’s Resolution? (#2100)
Passage for Reflection: James 3:13-18 Happy New Year! How did you celebrate the conclusion of 2023 and the start of 2024? Did you stay home and go to bed well before midnight or opt to ring in the new year with a few people who are dear to you or were you among those who ventured out to be part of a large event? Did you think about the life you want to lead in the year ahead and make some new year’s resolutions or public commitments to live differently or did you choose to abstain Read More …
Wrapping Up The Year of Clarity (#2098)
My first post of 2023, Star Word for 2023, introduced the word I received on Epiphany to guide me through the year ahead: clarity. In that post I suggested that while 2022 had been marked by transition, 2023 would be a season of increasing clarity personally and professionally. Personally Reflecting on 2023, I see numerous ways in which the year has been marked by clarity in my personal life. Three important experiences that have informed my increased clarity Read More …
Happy New Year! Celebrating Visits to 12 Churches (#2093)
Happy New Year! Or, more precisely happy new church year. For those in liturgical traditions, Advent starts a new year in the life of the church. Advent is about preparing for what's to come. And, in many traditions, today started with an emphasis on hope. In the year that just ended, I found much to be hopeful for in my experiences with many local communities of faith, especially the 12 congregations located in the greater Dallas Fort Worth metropolitan area that are profiled below. Read More …
Top 10 Plates of Food (#2090)
Thanksgiving week has arrived. I'm looking forward to spending time with my family, but also to enjoying great food. Top Plates Last year I tried something new when I wrote Top 10 Plates. In that post I reflected on the most popular plates of food I'd ever shared online through a Google review (ranked by number of views). The process of creating the list was an exercise in remembering not simply the food on the plates but the people I was with and the experience of each meal. Top 10 Read More …
Giving Thanks – 10 Experiences in 2023 (#2089)
I am thankful for all of the life experiences I’ve had since last Thanksgiving. Today, I highlight 10 that are particularly memorable and provide links to additional writing related to those experiences: Being ordained to ministry in the United Church of Christ (My Ordination & Installation)Celebrating my 25th wedding anniversary with a trip to New Orleans, Louisiana and Navarre, FloridaStarting my 3rd year at White Rock Center of Hope (Starting Year 3 at White Rock Center of Hope) and Read More …