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September 06, 2011
Emerging Christianity Conference
Cochran Chapel is proud to be joining with Life in the Trinity Ministry and Perkins School of Theology and several other Christian churches in the area to sponsor "The Four Cornerstones of Emerging Christianity." This Conference is featuring noted author, lecturer and public theologian Brian McLaren; Lutheran pastor, Rev. Nadia Bolz-Weber; and teacher and Conference speaker Suzanne Stabile. The Conference begins on Friday evening, September 30, with an exciting lineup of keynote speeches at Preston Hollow Presbyterian Church in Dallas.
On Saturday, participants are invited to one of four church sites to explore in depth the Four Cornerstones of Emerging Christianity. Dr. Douglas Slawson and I will be presenting the Historical Jesus; Reverends Fred Schmidt and Courtney Pinkerton will be hosting the discussion of Spiritual Disciplines; Reverends Bill McElvaney and Larry James will be speaking on the topic of Social Justice; and Suzanne Stabile and Rev. Robin Michalove will be exploring Active Community.
Added to this event will be presentations by Ted Swartz who offers a unique perspective to the issues of scripture and theology by way of drama. The Holy Spirit is doing something new and exciting in the Church and we are gathering to deepen our understanding of where the Church is moving in the years to come. Please join us for this exciting event. You can register by going to www.lifeinthetrinityministry.com and clicking on the Conference registration. Posted September 06, 2011
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May 31, 2011
Annual Conference
In the Methodist church we toss around the term "Annual Conference" but do we all understand just what it means. Probably the most simple description is that the Annual Conference is a territorial boundary of the United Methodist Church. So here we are in the North Texas Annual Conference that comprises over 50,000 square miles of north Texas; including Dallas north to the Red River and east to west from Sulpher Springs to Wichita Falls. Within that geographical area are all of the local Methodist churches, about 300 of them, that make up our Annual Conference. Each Annual Conference is presided over by a Bishop and is divided up in smaller territorial groupings called Districts. In our Conference there are now four Districts of which we belong to the Metro District made up of Dallas County.
The second understanding that we have of Annual Conference refers to the yearly gathering of the clergy and elected lay delegates from each local church for the purpose of doing the administrative decision making for the greater territorial area called the Annual Conference. United Methodist clergy do not have membership in the local church, their membership in the church is held in the Annual Conference. During meetings of the Annual Conference there must be one lay person elected as a delegate for each clergy person, so there is an equal number of clergy and lay members for the Conference. That means approximately 1000 people will gather for the two and one-half days of meeting. And it is here each year that the administration of the Conference is decided upon by these clergy and lay delegates.
Each Annual Conference is also part of a larger administrative structure called "Jurisdictional Conference". In the case of the North Texas Annual Conference, we are part of what is known as the South Central Jurisdictional Conference which is made up of the all of Conferences in the states of Texas, Louisiana, Arkansas, Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma and New Mexico. One of the main functions of Jurisdictional Conference is to appoint Bishops to preside over the Annual Conferences.
The ultimate decision making body of the United Methodist Church is "General Conference". This Conference happens every four years as Methodist clergy and lay delegates gather from all over the world. This is the body that makes polity and doctrinal decisions for the whole of the Methodist church. As in each Conference there must be an equal number of clergy and lay delegates and the Bishops, while presiding over General Conference, do not have a vote. This year at Annual Conference we will be electing the clergy and lay delegates who will represent the North Texas Annual Conference to both General and Jurisdictional Conferences which will be held in 2012.
Our Annual Conference session will be the first week of June. Please pray for the wisdom and guidance of the Holy Spirit to be with all of the delegates as we move forward toward next year's General Conference.
Posted May 31, 2011
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April 28, 2011
Where's the Energy?
I have had the privilege of hearing Phyllis Tickle speak several times and shared some personal time with her. Among her vast knowledge of church history she mentions that in the early days of the church "the authority may have been in Jerusalem but the energy was in Antioch." We know that Peter and James and the Apostles were centered first in the city of Jerusalem as the movement of "the Way" first began after the death of Jesus. We are also aware that Paul was the first writer of the activity of the early church and the growth and development of the church was begun in the small communities of places like Ephesus and Philippi and Antioch. While the church was expanding, the rules and procedures were being established in Jerusalem but it was out in Antioch that the people were struggling to live the Jesus way.
In this day of mega churches, it seems like we see again the authority of denominations and the power of the various denominations expressed and formed in the "big" churches. But, at the same time there is still a great deal of energy and faithfulness to be found in the "small membership churches" who are struggling to meet apportionments and pay staff salaries and at the same time continue to reach out beyond themselves to do the work of the gospel. If I could paraphrase Phyllis, the authority might be in First Church but the energy is in Chapel.
I wonder if what is being offered in the mega church with cafeterias, fitness rooms, gift shops and personal credit cards is not just an extension of our culture; we who have been called to be counter-cultural have succumbed to the ways of the world rather than stand apart and challenge our world to a higher standard. Perhaps it is the smaller family-centered church communities, seeking the little ways of being faithful to the way of Jesus, standing in solidarity with the poor, oppressed, marginalized and cast off, who are truly carrying the energy of the Christian life. Perhaps it is these churches who are growing and developing around a spirituality that stands opposed to the culture and offers a way of life that more closely matches the Risen Christ.
After Jesus was raised from the dead, he instructed his disciples to go to Galilee when they were held up in the upper room in Jerusalem. Just maybe that was a hint that we all missed!
Posted April 28, 2011
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March 01, 2011
Faithful
Wow, it has been too long since I have blogged on this site. I am so sorry that I have been away for this and ask for your forgiveness and indulgence.
This the first Sunday of March is Transfiguration Sunday. We have all heard the story of Jesus taking three of his most trusted disciple up the mountain and then being changed in their very presence. He appears on the mountain top with Moses and Elijah, the two greatest figures of the old Testament. And then there is the "voice" once again telling them how pleased God the Father is Jesus and all that he is doing and saying. He is after all the perfect reflection of the Father himself.
It would seem that all of this would cause great excitement and joy among the disciples but in reality what we notice about them is that they are afraid. And, then Jesus assures them not to be afraid; just one of the 365 time that we are warned in the scriptures to not be fearful. What would be your response if you suddenly found yourself in the presence of the Holy? Would it be one of joy or one of fear? My experiences of sensing the presence of the Holy One so very near caused me to humble myself in awe and reverence. I remember falling to the floor and prostrating myself, bowing before what I sensed was my Creator and Lord. And in that moment I was both filled with immense joy and appropriate fear; only to experience an overwhelming feeling of the love and mercy and faithfulness of a loving Father.
Often I have been asked what is the source of my great faith and hope in life after death. My answer is now and will always be the same. In the midst of all of my many sins and faults and failings, and in the flow of all of my gifts and graces, I have found God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit to be always "faithful" to me; and I have no reason whatsoever to doubt that God will not continue to be faithful to me in the future. As the old spiritual sings: "I've come this far by faith, leaning on the Lord, trusting in His holy Word, He's never failed me yet. Oh, Oh, Oh can't go back, He''s never failed me yet!"
Posted March 01, 2011
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October 19, 2010
Creation Speaks Praise
As Suzanne and I travelled the roads of Texas, Colorado and New Mexico on our recent vacation we spent a good deal of time taking in the beauty of all creation. We were blessed to spend some time in a wonderful cabin along the Rio Grande river in Colorado and view the magnificence of the the Aspens in full color. I have seen the beauty of the fall in New England and in the Ozarks but the beauty of fall in the Rockies is quite something else. As a nine on the Enneagram I just love being out in nature; mountains, rivers, trees wildlife, all renew and refresh me.
Often as we drove along, Suzanne would put on some Christian music and we would sing and praise God with voice and heart. One particular song spoke of all creation speaking forth its praise and I became aware that each and every creature, the rocks, trees, birds, deer, elk and bear, the blades of grass and the shimmering yellow of the Aspen were crying out their praise of God by just being what they were intended to be. They were happy and content to be who and what they were created to be and in the cycle of their life they offered glory and praise to the One who created them.
In those moments there was nothing for me to do but to join them in praise and glory. And so with the love of my life beside me I to raised my voice to give glory to the Creator for all that He has done in my life and let my voice mingle with all other creation that surrounded us to say Praise, Praise, Praise.
In Scripture there is a passage where Jesus is encouraged to silence the crowd shouting his praise. He replies that if he were
to silence them even the rocks would cry out. This fall I heard the Rockies cry out and couldn't help but join them. May God be forever praised!
Posted October 19, 2010
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August 10, 2010
Priority? God's House
Recently one of our parishioners passed on to me a wonderful article written by a Methodist Minister colleague Rev. Melvin Amerson in Austin. It is entitled "Closing the Holes in Your Pockets and Maintaining the House of God". He bases his words on the Hebrew scripture found in Haggai 1:2-6. The focus of this passage is the rebuilding of the Lord's house at a time when the people were seeing to it that their own houses were well cared for.
We live in a "consumerist driven culture and society" says Amerson. And just like the people in the time of Haggai it is most important to set priorities and establish personal budgets to assist us in managing our finances and focusing on the things that are really important. He suggests that we look at our checkbooks and credit card statements, for there is a record of what we deem important and valuable.
The church in Haggai was decaying because its members failed to make the church and its maintenance a priority. We here at Cochran Chapel have made a concerted effort through the past years to see to it that our campus and our facility were a priority and maintained in very good fashion. To that end we have done extensive work in the Sanctuary and Meaders Hall; we have updated the Education building and Youth Cottage; and we have worked diligently to be good stewards of the grounds on which we are located. Preservation of our church facilities should be a priority. Thank God the Trustees are very diligent about looking ahead and trying to plan for the upkeep of our historic church.
So often churches, particularly small membership churches, either delay or defer improvements or they suffer from a lack of resources to keep up with the necessary projects. As Rev. Amerson states, "Visitors want to see a welcoming, well kept campus. Your church and its appearance is a reflection of its members."
We have a beautiful campus. Our facilities have either been recently updated or are scheduled for improvement in the near future. As you continue faithful stewardship we will continue to provide a home that is welcoming and inviting to all persons. Let us seek the house of God first and our God who is always faithful will see to it that we too are cared for.
Posted August 10, 2010
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June 17, 2010
Grow or Die
Last Sunday at our services of worship Mike George, our Lay Member to Annual Conference, spoke sharing the events and happenings of the Conference. One of the things he shared was the address by the Lay Leader of the Conference which was titled " Grow or Die". In his talk at Conference Richard Hearne asked the question would the United Methodist Church really be missed if we ceased to exist as a denomination. And then he answered his own question with what would be missed:
- UMC's long history of emphasis on grace God's unconditional love for us.
- A denomination where laity has equal voice in what happens in the church.
- A church that's very inclusive, where women and youth have an equal voice in what happens.
- A denomination that recognizes the call of women in ministry.
- The special connection we have, which we sometimes complain about.....apportionments.
- Our open communion table where everyone is welcome to share in the body and blood of Christ.
- And the almost 300 years of Wesleyan tradition.
Hearne said that now is the time to change and the time to take risks and the time to step into the unknown. With that he called for Methodists to get back to "loving our neighbors by being in relationship with them. He said that we need to stop fighting among ourselves over non-Kingdom issues. "We can not be mean-spirited and not care about people with whom we are in a relationship."
He concluded by saying that if the new Strategic Plan of the Conference succeeds it will be because of the laity and if it fails it will be because of the laity. He told the Conference that the Pastors were willing to lead and asked the laity if they were willing to follow? And finally he asked them to insert themselves into a Sunday morning pre-worship prayer time to pray for their pastors prior to them delivering the Word.
I commit to honest, humble and loving leadership of the members of our church family. I thank you for those of you who are willing to walk beside me in the building up of our church community in love and fellowship. Posted June 17, 2010
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May 24, 2010
Small is Big
Across the denomination of the United Methodist Church the average size congregation is 250 members. That may be hard to believe when we live here in the Dallas area where we boast some of the largest congregations in the denomination. So Cochran Chapel United Methodist Church is an average size Methodist congregation. One of the frequently asked questions when I tell people that I am a Pastor is "how large is your congregation?"; as if the size of the congregation somehow is a measure of success or accomplishment.
The other important statistic to note is that across the denomination approximately one third of your membership is actually active in the local church on any given Sunday morning. That means if you have a congregation of 1000, about 350 people will be in attendance in worship on Sunday morning. While Cochran Chapel is an average size congregation, I am proud to say that our active membership is running at 85% of our membership. We may be a "small membership congregation" but we are a "large congregation" in many other ways.
We are a community of faith that is firmly founded on the teaching and preaching of the Gospel of Jesus. We seek to make our way in the world by living a life disciplined by prayer and selflessness in the service of God and our neighbor. This congregation is committed to social justice and working for the betterment of others through our missional projects. And, we believe in hospitality that welcomes everyone into our midst. Yes, I believe that we are a "large" congregation and one of the best kepts secrets in Dallas.
But now the secret is out! You are invited to find your church home with us; we are waiting for you.
Posted May 24, 2010
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April 02, 2010
Never Again
I remember as a young seminarian hearing Pope Paul VI speaking before the General Assembly of the United Nations and declaring in French "Jamais, la guerre!" "War, never again!" I was impressed by the challenge of the words of this holy man to the men and women of the United Nations. Was it possible for them to find a way for our world to cease warring against one another.
Today is Good Friday and similar words echo through my mind and my heart as I meditate upon Jesus who we have nailed to a tree. "Scapegoat, never again!" He was willing to become what we do to so many others in order to show us how very wrong we are. We love to be over and against "the other"; we think that the only way we can cohere is to have a common enemy and so we are quite willing to scapegoat someone else so that we might appear to be right or better.
Today from the height of the cross, I hear Jesus shouting to our world, "Scapegoat, never again!" We may be black or white or brown or yellow; we may be conservatives or liberals; we may be rich or poor; we may be gay or straight and we may be Christian or Jewish or Muslim; but we are all, yes all, beloved sons and daughters of our loving God and Father. On this Good Friday as we gaze up at the crucified One, the One we scapegoated for our sins, can we agree........never again! Posted April 02, 2010
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March 09, 2010
Silence in the Desert
Suzanne and I just recently returned from leading two "silent directed retreats" at Casa de la Rosa Retreat Center in Marfa, Texas. This extraordinary place is also called "The Threshold" and that is very apt for it is a sacred place of liminal space; a threshold when you are not in the old place and not yet in the new. It is a place to leave behind the anxieties and demands of our everyday world and "be" in the presence of the Holy One, who holds us in love, extends to us mercy and grants us peace everlasting.
Like the prophet Elijah of old I went there expecting to hear God speak in new ways to my heart. Just like Elijah I looked for him in the powerful dust storm that obscurred our view, but he wasn't there. Then I looked again for him to move in the mighty (70 mph) wind that blew across the desert, still he was quiet. When the rain blew through and the mountains were left covered in snow, I thought surely God was there, but still he hid.
And then the bell rang that called us to the Chapel for prayer four times each day and like Elijah, I recognized His Presence in the sound of the bell. And, I remembered all of those years in my past, when the "vox Dei", voice of God, called me to prayer and silence through the sound of the bell and I knew that I was at home. Home once again in the loving arms of a most merciful and faithful Father; home again sitting at the table with my selfless and obedient Brother Jesus; home again wrapped in the embrace of the Spirit.
In the silence, there was peace!
Posted March 09, 2010
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