With my departure from First UMC Lewisville and reappointment next month to First UMC Denton, I have decided to put my blog to bed indefinitely. I deeply appreciate the time you have taken to read my posts and hope that at some level they've got you thinking and believing. Grace and peace to you as you continue your journey of faith. Don

Such much has been transpiring in my life that I've fallen a bit behind on my posts. I just returned from a week long mission trip to Joplin, MO. As you probably know, an EF5 tornado tore through that community 11 months ago destroying approximately 1/3 of the city. We arrived to find most of the destroyed buildings and homes cleared but nominal construction being done to replacing the 8000 structures demolished by the tornado. We found both the members of First UMC Joplin (who provided us a place to sleep, eat, and shower) and residents of the community gracious, appreciative, and eager to tell their stories. Everyone had a story to tell about what they were doing when the tornado hit and how it affected them and their loved ones. We spent the bulk of our time in Joplin working on a house to make it livable for the owner who lost her original home in the disaster. One day was spent clearing a lot of felled trees (lots of chain sawing and moving timber and brush from one place to another). I was moved both by the incredible loss this community has suffered and by the profound response of faith I witnessed from its residents. I continue to meet off and on with the staff of First UMC Denton for staff and worship planning as I continue this transitional phase to my new appointment as of July. My wife and I plan to travel to Utah for a week, so I can study and renew before I move to Denton. My last Sunday at First Lewisville is June 17th and I look forward to celebrating communion together with my church family as a way to say goodbye. For me the most difficult part of being an appointed pastor is the goodbyes which seem to come much too often. Blessings, Don

Lawnmower Man

I’ve been mowing my lawn ever since my lawn guy, one of our former youth headed off to A & M. I could hire someone to mow it for me but I’m kind of cheap and I originally hired Josh to mow as much to support him as to save myself the work. Well, I was mowing the other day and noticed that I seemed to be hitting a few more rocks and tree roots then normal. That should have been the first indication that something was off but I kept mowing until I sheered off one of my sprinkler heads. Apparently some time between the last mowing and my mower’s odd behavior the height adjustment on my mower had reset itself. I was able to raise the height back up but the damage had been done. The blade is chewed up and I’ve had to replace the sprinkler head I decapitated. Perhaps it’s not the best analogy but I got to thinking about the Easter event and how it changes everything for us. Jesus’ death on the cross and his resurrection redefines our relationship with God and our relationship with the world. It has not only reconciled us with God, it should radically transform the way we relate to the world.  It creates a new normal where we can no longer keep the status quo. Suddenly everything is filtered through God’s priorities and Kingdom agenda. To live as if the mower that is my life has not changed, is a denial of my Christian identity. Further, to operate my life as if nothing has changed can only undermine and even damage to my relationship with God as well as my sense of peace. And perhaps here’s where the analogy totally breaks down. Unlike a lawn mower that can simply be readjusted back to its original settings, I can never go back to who I was before. 

Like a Little Child

   If you were in worship Sunday, you may have caught sight of one of our children after children’s time in a sprint, carrying a bottle of water given to her by one of our staff, and announcing excitedly, “Look mama, she gave me a bottle of water!” Now granted it was just a bottle of water but in my mind this child embodied pure joy. Joy sees life and all of its “trappings” as a gift from God and rejoices in the thoughtfulness of the giver.

   We live in a society where people feel entitled. Entitlement says, “It’s just a bottle of water, no big deal.” We could do well to learn from this child. Joy says, “Thank you God for all the gifts of this day…including the little ones that come as a surprise for they remind us that we are loved.” Perhaps this is part of what Jesus meant when he said, “Whoever does not receive the Kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.” Mark 10:15 If you find yourself being critical of others or focusing on the disappointments of your situation, perhaps its time you rediscovered the little child within that cries out in joy in the face of unexpected gifts. The writer of James puts it this way, “My brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of any kind, consider it nothing by joy.” 1:2 

Stay Thirsty My Friends

I am thirsty...it's such a simple little statement. Whether its my son asking to stop at Sonic on the way home from school or one of our hospitalized members asking me to hand them their water mug on the tray table, I hear and think these words often. We're made to thirst, our bodies dependent on fluid to keep them hydrated. We can last weeks without food but mere days without some kind of fluid. So it makes sense that Jesus describes himself as "living water" and God's will as "the cup he must drink from." There is something about a relationship with Jesus Christ that satiates the deepest needs of the soul, something that can never be adequately addressed by anything this world has to offer. Its takes something "out-of-this-world" to satiate our needs as spiritual beings. Jesus poured himself out on the cross, until there was nothing left. No wonder he was thirsty. "Sour wine" could not fix that. It never can. There was nothing left for him to say but "It is finished...into your hands I commend my Spirit." This world continues to offer us "sour wine" and sometimes we settle, thinking to ourselves, "This will be good!" But in the end, nothing in this world can quench our deepest thirst. Only something "out-of-this-world," can do that. As we continue to wander through the wildness of Lent and this life, there awaits for us an oasis along the way. There, Jesus waits for us offering us the water that satisfies. He offers us himself, poured out for us and many for the forgiveness of sins. And then the invitation, "Come, all you who are thirsty, come to the waters; and you who have no money, come..." Isaiah 55:1

Don, You Push Too Hard!

Finding time for what’s important is usually not that hard. We prioritize all the time, whether it’s to make time to watch our child play soccer, catching the game on TV, getting our teeth worked on, or going out with a friend. Sometimes it means adjusting our schedule, carpooling, TiVo-ing “Dancing with the Stars,” or even taking time off from work but somehow we manage. What drives our decisions ultimately comes down to the importance we place on something. You’d be surprised at how quickly I could clear my schedule if someone offered me an all expense paid trip to Maui (if this happens, remember I’m your guy!). So whether it’s participating in a week-long mission trip to tornado ravaged Joplin, Missouri or attending a 30 minute vespers service, we determine whether it’s worth adjusting our schedule to make this happen for us. The truth is, the world will not end if I do not participate in these kinds of activities. The bigger issue is what it says about me and what I value when I can find time for my favorite TV show or a free Hawaiian getaway, but cannot adjust for the radical inconvenience of worship and mission. In most cases no one is going to know or care about how or why I prioritize my life a certain way, but I care. 

Does it Seem Strange to You?

Does it seem strange to you that three men being crucified side by side, suffering inconceivable pain would engage in conversation on the cross? One speaks in desperation, another in humility and hope, the third in words of promise and a future. Does it seem strange to you that a dying criminal would use the little energy he has, mocking Jesus? Or that the other criminal would go to Jesus' defense as the life drains from his own body? Does it seem strange to you that a promise of salvation would be extended to a criminal without the prerequisite confession of sin, profession of faith, or baptism? I'm not sure what all this means except to say that even on the cross Jesus refused to allow others to define his mission. Jesus died as he lived, bringing good news to the poor, release to the captive and recovery of sight to the blind. The irony is even those who mocked Jesus while he died on the cross had this grace available to them, if only they would receive it.