God is always coming...always!

So, I just returned from four days in Dallas, Texas. (They really do make things bigger in Texas…check out the 30 foot statue of Jesus in the church parking lot at First UMC Richardson below). Anyway, I was there for a conference on church leadership. Sounds exciting, right? Well, as with all conferences, there were things worth keeping and things you just let go. There were three things that stuck with me that I want to share with you as we continue to explore the missional church. I think these statements can speak to us personally and corporately as the “sent” body of Christ. So, here they are:

1.Our gathering time (worship) ultimately becomes storyboards of God sightings. We gather in worship to celebrate God and what God is doing in our lives and in the world.
2.One of the things we ought to work towards is figuring out how to “bless the world.” Through acts of mercy, kindness, justice, peace, and joy, we announce God is at work.
3.One of the most important things to remember…God is always coming….always.

These thoughts have energized me and are working in my heart as we shape our communal life at Crossroads. This week (January 29), I will be preaching, and the sermon is titled, “City on a Hill.” We will explore, dream, pray, dream, pray and dream so more about how we can become storytellers of God’s work, how we can bless the world., and proclaim that God is always coming…always.

One final thought as you reflect. During one powerful sermon by Olu Brown, pastor of Impact Church in Atlanta (a United Methodist Congregation), he reminded us to “not let our past defeat our future.”

As people of faith who believe that God is always coming…I pray that our past, although may inform, does not defeat our future.

I hope you will join us at 5 PM on Sunday. I can’t wait to see what happens….

Joy and Peace,

Jimmy

Texas-sized Jesus

This is what greeted us as we made our way into First United Methodist Church in Richardson, Texas for the Large Church Initiative...a 30ft statue of Jesus...

They really do make things bigger in Texas...