[Our last Munger Sunday together, Pentecost 2022.]
Today is the last Munger Sunday on staff for Jake Porter and Rosemary Cole.
Jake (who is preaching today) was on the Munger staff for 9 1/2 years. Rosey was on staff for 6 years.
I am so grateful for them both and hate that I can’t be there today to thank them in person.
The challenge for me is not knowing what to say about them, the challenge is to keep it brief!
Jake Porter is a man of complete integrity. I’d like to apply to him what Jesus says about Nathaniel in John 1—”a man in whom there is no deceit.” I know no one more ready to be honest about himself. He loves the Lord, his family, his church, and his friends is a whole-hearted way. He will readily take a burden on himself in order to bless someone else.
Rosemary Cole is a woman whom I completely trust. She was my assistant and I can’t say anything better than this: when she was meeting or talking or corresponding with someone on my behalf, I knew that that person would feel valued, respected, and preferred. Working with her was a precious gift! She is a modest, humble, background player who only wants to make other people better.
Well done, friends. I am so grateful for you. Your constant kindness to me made my life sweeter.
“Because we loved you so much, we were delighted to share with you not only the gospel of God but our lives as well.”
Lots of fun pics and videos below from Easter 2022 at Munger. Christ is Risen Indeed!
It was yesterday, during rehearsal, that it really hit me: I’m going to miss this place so much.
(I was wearing sunglasses, so no one could see I was crying.)
You know what got me? Just how much fun our band was having.
For example:
and this:
And then just all the joy this morning made me feel so grateful—my 12th Easter at Munger! First some fun videos I took from the stage, then some pics from the morning.
Easter began in the dark at 6:30 AM, by candlelight.
And then we closed the service in the light, out on the front steps.
The balloon company dropped off our balloon arches at 4:00 AM!
Lots of empty seats to fill….
And the only thing better than a full parking lot…
Is filling it TWICE!
Staff pic—man I love these folks. (Poor Rich was sick at home and couldn’t join us.)
Love our stage under the live oaks.
Does YOUR church have a pedal steel on Easter?!
Does YOUR church have llamas on Easter?!
He is risen indeed!
Thank you, Lord, for allowing me to be a part of spreading the Good News in East Dallas these past 12 years. It’s been the great privilege of my life.
I’m really looking forward to this Lenten season at Munger, and thought you might be interested in some of what we’ve got going on. So grateful I get to be involved in this stuff. Keep reading until the end—there’s lots here!
The Gospel of Mark
As I say on Sundays, Munger is a Bible-reading church. Since 2017, we’ve lived into this aspiration by following church-wide Bible reading plans. Here’s what this looks like:
The entire congregation follows the same reading plan;
We read through entire books because we believe the entire Bible is a unified story that leads to Jesus; in other words, the Bible isn’t just a collection of individual, inspirational fortune-cookie sayings that can be embroidered on tea-towels;
I write a daily commentary that gets posted on my blog each weekday (and emailed out to everyone on my email list);
I preach through entire books and only very very rarely do topical sermon series;
We hold a few large Wednesday Bible studies for all ages to help folks get the most out of their readings.
Our Lenten Bible reading plan will be through The Gospel of Mark! The readings will be weekdays (with the exceptions of Sunday readings on Palm Sunday and Easter), and they begin on Ash Wednesday (3/2) and conclude on Easter (4/17).
[Be sure to pick up our new Mark booklets—the reading plan begins on Ash Wednesday.]
I’ve written daily commentary on each Mark reading, and we’ve printed Mark devotional books that have the readings and the commentary assigned to each day of the plan. If you haven’t grabbed yours, be sure to do so before the plan begins on 3/2. (If you live out of town, email info@mungerplace.org and we’ll send you one in the mail.)
I’m kicking off our Mark series this Sunday, 2/27. Can’t wait!
Daily Online Bible Study and Morning Prayer
Starting Ash Wednesday, March 2, we’ll have daily online Bible study every weekday morning, 7:00-7:10 AM. The format is very simple (and the order we’ll use is inside the front cover of the Mark books!). Here’s the plan:
We’ll begin with an opening prayer;
Then a brief thought on that day’s Mark reading;
And conclude with brief prayers prompted by the comments and requests of those who are tuned in.
You can join us via Facebook Live on the Munger Page (I don’t like Facebook or Meta—that name alone makes me queasy!—but I have to admit that Facebook Live is the best platform we’ve found for this kind of thing): www.facebook.com/mungerplace.
Don’t use Facebook?
I love you. Keep doing what you’re doing—it is NOT worth it.
Join us on our own live video site: www.mungerplace.LIVE. If you are using a desktop browser, you can comment in real time; unfortunately, on the mobile version commenting is not yet possible.
I’d love to have families participate before or on the way to school.
Make it a daily habit, or just join when you can—either way, we’d love to have you.
Holy Communion Every Wednesday, 7:00-7:20 AM
Speaking of families, we have a brand-new Holy Communion service every Wednesday morning in Lent that I promise will conclude no later than 7:20 AM. It is my hope that families might attend on the way to school—we’ll even have Chick-fil-A breakfast items available each week so you can grab and go on your way. (Uncle Munger is picking up the tab.)
(We’ll keep the daily online Bible study and morning prayer schedule rolling on Wednesdays for folks who are unable to come to church, but because I’ll be at church, I won’t be leading on Wednesday mornings.)
Coming together on Wednesday mornings and receiving Holy Communion is a great way to keep the fires of faith burning during the week.
Come every Wednesday in Lent, or just whenever you can fit it in—you’ll be welcome whenever.
My Final Daniel Projects at Munger
The Daniel Project is a weekend seminar that I created—it’s 100% my curriculum—no one else teaches it. The reason I say that is because I want you to understand the why behind it: I felt a burden and a responsibility to push back against the culture’s claims against the faith—I wanted to be able to look myself in the mirror and know I’m at least trying.
The schedule is:
Friday, 6:00 PM - 9:00 PM
Saturday, 8:30 AM - 1:30 PM.
What we do over the course of the weekend is look at some of the questions people are asking or hearing about the faith, questions like:
Why isn’t there more evidence for God?
Does science contradict faith?
Is it reasonable to believe in God?
Isn’t the Trinity an unnecessary and superfluous idea?
Aren’t all religions basically the same, in the end?
What is the Bible, and where did it come from?
Who decided what was in the Bible?
Isn’t Christian teaching on marriage and divorce and singleness cruel and hateful?
Etc.
My goal is to help Christians feel more confident in the faith and be able to stand with courage in the midst of a hostile culture. Hence the name, The Daniel Project.
We have two Daniel Project weekends scheduled this spring, March 25th & 26th, 2022 May 6th & 7th, 2022.
PARENTS: I would love to have interested middle school and high school students attend. You are welcome at any time, but I know that the youth ministry is trying to get as many kids as possible to attend the 3/25 weekend together.
If you’ve been to a Daniel Project before, I’d love to have you again—I’ve made lots of improvements and changes!
[Our Wednesday evening Bible studies are some of my favorite times at church.]
Churchwide Bible Studies on the Gospel of Mark
March 9 and March 30, 6-7 PM. Dinner in the parking lot to follow. Love these nights!
Ash Wednesday
“Remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return; Repent, and believe the gospel.””
Ash Wednesday is one of my favorite days of the Christian year—it’s both very solemn and hopeful at the same time. Hope you can make it to one of our services that day. Come before school!
Our schedule:
7:00-7:20AM
12:00-12:20 PM
7:00-7:45 PM.
I’m looking forward to pushing hard these few months at Munger, and I hope you are too.
I’m still grieving like crazy at the thought of leaving, but that also helps me resolve not to waste a single moment—we’re going to have a great spring.
The picture above is from Ash Wednesday 2021 at Munger Place Church; not only did we have worship outside in ice and snow that day, but the Texas power outage meant that many of us weren’t even able to go home and warm up in our comfortable houses!
But you know what? That was one of my favorite worship services of these last 2 pandemic years. (And not because I preached in ski goggles.)
With ice and snow in our forecast, I’ve been thinking a lot about the importance of Christian worship, and thought that some of you might be interested in my conclusions and convictions.
Why I Never Again Want to Cancel Worship*
One of my convictions after living through these last 24 months of a worldwide pandemic:
I will never again cancel weekly worship* (due to bad weather or any other reason).
[Note the asterisk, however!]
These last 24 months have convinced me that nothing is more important than the gathering of God’s people to worship the Crucified Lord.
I really mean that, and though I might have said that in February 2020, in February 2022 I know it.
This means that, despite the bad weather in the forecast for Thursday, we will NOT cancel our weekly Thursday 6 PM worship service this week. (And, God forbid, if weather causes problems into Sunday, we won’t cancel services then, either.)
Now, About That Asterisk*
When I say that I never want to cancel “worship,” I need to clarify a bit.
What I mean is, no matter the situation, I firmly believe we should never completely cancel worship; we will have some kind of worship gathering. But, that does not necessarily mean that worship will look like normal. In fact, there are many circumstances that will cause us to change what worship normally looks like.
Here’s what I mean:
Say the roads are unsafe for drivers. Well, I live within walking distance to church; if the roads are bad, I’ll put on my boots and walk. I’ll be at church no matter what.
We’ve told our staff to stay home if they feel unsafe or uncertain for any reason. I trust them and trust them to make wise decisions for themselves. The same goes for our musicians and volunteers, and of course for our childcare workers. (In bad weather, we will certainly cancel childcare.)
But if none of our staff or volunteers is able to make it, guess what? I’ll grab a hymnal and lead the congregation present in singing “Amazing Grace”!
If the power goes out, then I’ll gather folks in the icy parking lot and we’ll have a worship service under the cold sky.
The point: I will personally ensure we will have worship somehow, no matter what.
Note That I Said I Never Want to Cancel “Worship”
I said we will never cancel “worship.” There are many scenarios (bad weather being only one example) when we would certainly cancel groups, classes, events, meetings, etc. And, although tonight I’m thinking primarily about weather, my experience during this pandemic has taught me that it is possible to make weekly worship happen even in difficult and dangerous circumstances. For example, because of the pandemic, at Munger we met outside all winter long last year. When you are committed and creative enough, weekly worship is possible. It wasn’t the easiest—and Lord knows that there are lots of folks who have strongly disagreed with my leadership during this pandemic!—but I’m so glad we worked hard to make it happen.
Why This Matters So Much to Me
I think about the saints, martyrs, and apostles who treasured the gospel and literally gave up their lives to ensure that I would hear it, and I think about that gospel and the amazing message it contains—hope beyond hope, life beyond death—and then I think about my short life and the beautiful responsibility that I have received from the ones who’ve gone before, namely to steward the gospel and ensure that a people yet unborn will hear the Good News, and I think about the underground church in China today, and the literal underground church of the Romans catacombs 2,000 years ago, and the relentless pressure we all face to lose hope and give in to despair, and about how worship is fundamental to our belief that God’s love is stronger than the forces of death, and so I conclude:
Nothing is more important than the gathering of God’s people in joyful, grateful worship around the Crucified Lord.
Nothing.
Make the Best Decisions for Your Household
Many of us can walk to church; many of us cannot. I personally can walk to church, and I’m gonna, come hell or ice water. But as I said above, we’ve encouraged our staff not to come to church if for any reason they feel it’s unsafe to do so. And, I’d say the same to you:
You should NOT come to church if it’s unsafe for you to do so—I trust you to make your own prudential decision about whether you should come or not.
There’s always another Sunday, and if I don’t see you, please know I will not even think twice about it—I’ll know that you’ve made the best decision for your household.
(And by the way, there are lots of churches that don’t have walkable streets around them, and I’m also trusting that those churches—should they make decisions to cancel worship—are also making the best decisions for them. This is about me and my circumstances, not others and their circumstances.)
No Storms Last Forever
I know that my kids—and me!—are hoping for a nice snowfall.
(As long as we don’t lose power! Please God, let us not lose power!)
I’m also hoping that all of you stay safe, and I look forward to seeing all of you at church when both this storm and the pandemic blow over.
Nothing lasts forever, and spring always arrives, right on time.
P.S. Pics From Ash Wednesday 2021
Note the orange ladder on which I am perched as I preach my Ash Wednesday message in the freezing cold.
Remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return;
This is going to be fun: we are going to do a campout in the Munger parking lot inspired by an Old Testament holiday. Seriously.
Sukkot
The Festival of Tabernacles (also called the Festival of Booths) was “one of ancient Israel’s three giant annual feasts, celebrated in autumn” (from The Anchor Yale Bible Dictionary). Every fall, the Israelites would build temporary shelters (or “booths” or “tabernacles”) and live in them for a week to remind them that when they came out of Egypt, they lived in tents on their way to the Promised Land. (See Leviticus 23:33-43.) In Hebrew, the word for a single shelter is a sukkah—plural sukkot—so the holiday was called Sukkot in Hebrew. (Pronounced “soo-COTE”.)
It’s such a cool holiday: every year you get to stay outdoors with your family in a shelter you build and be reminded that all of life is temporary, but that you are heading toward the Promised Land.
(Did you know that Jesus celebrated the Festival of Tabernacles? Read about it in John 7.)
Sukkot observance in modern-day Jerusalem.
Sukkot in Nehemiah
The Festival of Tabernacles is one of the holidays that Nehemiah and Ezra got the returned exiles to observe in 445 BC—you can read about it in Nehemiah 8:13-18.
The Munger Old Testament Campout
Since we’re really into Biblical literacy at Munger, and since 2021 has been such a downer, we though it would be fun to do a campout at Munger as a way to make the connection to what we read in the Bible. That’s the whole point: something fun.
When: 6 PM Friday, September 17 to 9 AM Saturday, September 18.
Where: The Munger main parking lot. Campsites are every other parking space around the perimeter of the lot. We’ll keep the center of the lot free so folks have lots of room to spread out and leave plenty of space for hanging out, fire pits, etc. Church bathrooms will be open, but the entire event will take place outside. Pray for good weather!
Cost: Free! And we’ll provide dinner Friday and breakfast Saturday.
What to Bring: Tent/sleeping bags/chairs, etc—basically whatever you want to bring to make yourself comfortable. Bring your own fire pit and wood, s’mores, games, etc. Because Sukkot was also about hospitality, bring stuff to share with another family. Who knows?
Who’s Invited: Anyone who wants to come! If you’re not a camper, so what? You’ll never have an easier camping experience. All ages.
What About Security? We’ll have a police officer on site all-night.
What’s the Program? I’ll teach a brief family-friendly Bible study lesson on Friday evening and lead a brief morning prayer time on Saturday morning. Otherwise, we hope folks just hangout and play games and have fun. Think of it as a giant tailgating experience. We’ll set up our Gaga pit, 9-Square-in-the-Air, and other outdoor games, but bring whatever you have that seems like fun.
This is going to be fun, and we all need some more fun these days.
Are you in?
P.S. Watch this movie beforehand
Jake Porter on our staff lent me the DVD of this movie several years ago. It’s an Israeli movie called Ushpizin (“the Guests”) that’s about what happens to one family celebrating Sukkot in modern Jerusalem.
[I took the above picture on Cape Cod a few weeks ago, and it’s a good reminder to me tonight that this pandemic won’t last forever.]
It’s Saturday evening, and I am feeling a nervous excitement and anticipation about church tomorrow.
I had a funeral earlier today for a woman in our church whom I used to see every Sunday—if you looked at her, it would seem as if she thought that getting to assemble with the people of God on the first day of the week to sing and pray and learn and listen was the greatest privilege of her life.
If there’s one thing I’ve learned from this time of pandemic is that Jan was right—the coming together of the Church on Sunday is the greatest gift and responsibility that the Lord has given us.
Now, I had assumed (and you know what they say about assumptions….) that the pandemic would be behind us when I returned from summer break, but even these past few days have shown me just how wrong that assumption was.
We met outside for worship, rain or shine, from October 2020 into June 2021, and so I’ve had a few folks ask me if we are going to move outside tomorrow.
As I mentioned, I only got back in the office a couple of days ago and had a funeral this morning on which I have been focused these past few days, so I personally have not been able to meet with our staff and leadership and consider if we need to change our Sunday plan going forward.
Consequently, for tomorrow (Sunday, 8/15) we will continue to follow the Sunday plan our staff and leadership had already developed; that is, this Sunday will be exactly the same as last Sunday—we will NOT be moving outside. (During the middle hour, our elementary Sunday school program will be held outside, however.)
In the week to come we will evaluate what happens tomorrow, and if I and our leaders think we need to adopt a different Sunday plan going forward, we will make that determination and I will let you know of any changes as soon as possible.
In the meantime, I understand there are some people in our congregation who may not feel comfortable gathering with other Mungarians inside our sanctuary on Sundays. It might be helpful to know that we post each Sunday’s worship service on our website by 7 PM on that Sunday. In addition, our Thursday evening service draws a much smaller number of people than do our Sunday services, and perhaps an almost-empty sanctuary might be a good option for folks who are desperate to come to church but who are uncomfortable being in our crowded sanctuary on Sunday mornings.
Finally—and I’ll have more to say about this tomorrow—it seems clear to me that this pandemic is being used by dark forces to divide us. We are of course aware that other people feel very strongly and quite differently than we do about this pandemic protocol or that pandemic protocol. You will certainly never hear me say that all beliefs or ideas or policies are equal—some beliefs or ideas or policies may be true and good and some may be false and bad. But, whether or not someone has adopted the correct views or not has absolutely nothing to do with how we are to think of that person; the command of Jesus to his Church is quite clear: we are to love even the people who are wrong.
Let it not be true at Munger that we let this pandemic cause us to hate other Mungarians. Let us make the decisions we need to make for our families, let us argue and listen and learn, let us show curiosity and empathy, but let us not give ourselves over to contempt and hatred for the people we believe are wrong.
So, here is what I’m asking you tonight:
That you would specifically pray for me, as I seek to faithfully lead our church through this pandemic;
That you would specifically pray by name for someone in our church whom you believe to be wrong about the pandemic, and ask that the Lord would give you love for that person;
And that you’d pray that the Lord would fill our church services with a fiery joy when we gather together.
Low tide at Breakwater Beach, Brewster Flats, Cape Cod.
I took the above photo last night on Cape Cod. I need and am so grateful for time away every summer from weekly preaching and teaching, but it won’t be long before we’re back home and kicking off a great fall, and I’m getting excited.
Some of you might be interested in my upcoming teaching and preaching schedule as a new ministry year begins for me—if so, I’ve listed below some of the fun stuff we have coming up.
What If You Could Start Over?
Sermon series, Sundays August 15 and 22
I’m interested in the following questions these days:
What if you could start over?
What if you could begin again?
What if, knowing what you know now, God gave you another shot?
I’m kicking off the fall by looking at these questions, and I have good news for you:
With God, all things are possible.
The Daniel Project
Friday-Saturday, August 27-28
The Daniel Project is a weekend seminar I teach in which we look at some of the most difficult and confusing questions people are asking about God and the Christian faith. My goal is for folks to leave feeling confident and to have clarity when they are confronted by these difficult questions. More info here.
Romans—The Greatest Letter Ever Written
Sermon series, Munger weekend services, kicking off Sunday, August 29
I’m going to be preaching and teaching through Paul’s great Letter to the Romans this fall, starting the last Sunday in August. Romans is not an easy letter, but it is worth it. We’ll be handing out Romans scripture journals as part of a churchwide reading plan; our reading plan begins September 1.
Who’s in?
Sex Idol! Churchwide Bible Study on Romans and Sexuality
Wednesday, September 1, 6-7 PM
The first chapter of Romans contains one of the longest discussions of sexuality in the Bible. What does the Bible say about human sexuality? Why does Paul connect sexual sin with idolatry? How does this passage make sense of the rest of the letter? How does the Bible’s teaching on sex apply to us today?
I’ll be teaching a Bible study on all of the above in the Munger sanctuary at 6 PM on Wednesday, 9/1. Leave work early just this once, and then join us for food trucks and fun outside afterwards. Separate study on Romans (but not on sex!) for elementary students at the same time, with childcare available for little ones.
You know you’re curious—mark your calendars now.
Seven - Friday Morning Men’s Series in September
Fridays in September, 7-8 AM, Munger sanctuary
For each of the Fridays in September, I and Rodney Adams will be teaching a men’s breakfast series starting at 7 AM sharp. We’ll provide Chick-fil-A biscuits and coffee.
Fellas, this is a great event to invite other guys to attend. Whom are you going to invite?
What have you had to let go of this year because of the pandemic?
I can’t put into words what the picture above means to me.
It is from Munger’s Christmas Commitment Sunday 2019.
On Christmas Commitment Sunday every year, we ask households to come forward, kneel, pray, and say:
“Lord, thank you for how you have provided for us in the year that’s past”
and
“Lord, please bless the work of our hands in the year to come.”
IF THERE IS A MORE MOVING SIGHT IN MINISTRY THAN SEEING WHOLE FAMILIES ON THEIR KNEES IN GRATITUDE BEFORE GOD, I DON’T KNOW WHAT IT IS.
Looking at that photo again—all those families crowded into our church—makes me want to cry:
Because it can’t happen like that this year.
Here are some more pics that make me realize how much we’re missing out on this year. Do you see the mariachis by the red tent? Mariachis make me happy. Also, can you see the one with me praying with my family? Man how I love being able to do that every year—it’s such a powerful moment for us: “Lord, thank you thank you thank you.”
None of the above will happen like that this year, which I think is a major spiritual setback for our community, gripped as it is so tightly by consumerism and entitlement.
But there’s nothing we can do, is there?
Making Peace with the Pandemic
It seems almost obscene to modern wealthy Americans to state the obvious:
Sooner or later in life, you come up against something you cannot ultimately change or control.
In every individual life this is true, but this pandemic is the first such experience in generations that is true for all of us at the same time.
So, things are different this year and there’s nothing I can do about it.
And so I’m going to make peace with the pandemic.
Things are different this Christmas than I want them to be, but that doesn’t mean that we should stop doing what we believe matters. It just has to look different.
And I’m okay with that. Really.
Munger Christmas Season 2020
So, here is how things will look at Munger this Christmas.
Church is outdoors every Sunday, 9 and 11, rain or shine. (In inclement weather, services will be 30 minutes.) Worried about the weather? As it says in 2 Hezekiah, “just suck it up.”
We will be offering indoor Christmas Travelers services at 6 PM on 12/21 and 12/22 so we can record a full service to put online. Reservations required—info to come.
Christmas Commitment Sunday 2020 (12/13)
The spiritual reality behind Christmas Commitment Sunday—namely that gratitude is the only appropriate response to all our blessings—is too important to forgo this year, though things have to look different.
So, as in years past, I want to challenge our church to thank God for his provision in 2020 and ask for his blessing in 2021—to Finish Strong and Start Well.
But this year, things will look different. There will not be regular services on Sunday, 12/13.
Instead, I will lead several brief communion services in the parking lot and the sanctuary will be open from 7:30 AM-12:30 PM for folks to pray inside and drop off their gifts.
Here’s our new plan for Sunday, December 13: • Sanctuary open 7:30 AM-12:30 PM.
• Only one household permitted in the building at a time.
• 15 minute communion services in parking lot at 8, 9, 10, 11, and 12 noon.
We want to give folks the opportunity to pray in the sanctuary as they make their Christmas Commitment. That time kneeling at the rail is important for many of us. If you choose to do so, you will enter through the main front doors and have the whole building to yourself for a few minutes, before leaving through the coffee bar doors. There will be no one else in the entire building while your household is inside.
Of course, if you want to drop off a gift outside, you can certainly do that as well.
(As always, you can make your Christmas gift and set up your giving at www.mungerplace.org/give.)
And, I’m pre-recording a full sermon that will be online that morning as well, so be sure to catch it with your family.
So, I’ve made my peace with the pandemic. I’m okay with things being different.
This year, a lot about the Christmas season will be different, but Christmas itself isn’t cancelled.
Starting Sunday, 10/4, we’re moving to a new Sunday schedule at Munger: outdoor services in our parking lot at 9:00 and 11:00 AM.
This schedule will continue through October and perhaps through November as well.
(The Sunday 7:30 AM outdoor communion service that we started in July is superseded by these later services and is discontinued. I will miss it, though—I really enjoyed being there in the early mornings with the faithful few.)
Service Details
We’ll be in the main Munger parking lot under the blue sky.
Bring your own camp chair or blanket.
Services will be 60 minutes long. I’ll be preaching every week.
Bathrooms will be open if you need them, but otherwise everything will take place outside.
The nice thing about being outside is that you can position yourself as far away from others as you need—take advantage of the space. 6ft apart is the minimum, right?
Please respect the space of others and don’t be that guy or gal who puts a chair down right next to another family!
What About Kids?
We are offering an Outdoor Children’s Area for ages 1-pre K at the 9 AM service only. You must register to reserve a spot; spots are limited.For more info and to REGISTER, click here.
Infants as well as elementary kids get to be in the service with the rest of us!
We’re starting small this week and will add more kids/childcare options in the weeks to come.
What About Online?
We will post an entire service online at 9:30 AM Sunday as usual; the sermon is also available from 6 AM Sunday on via the Munger website and via podcast.
Please do NOT feel pressure to attend an outdoor service if it not wise for your household to do so for whatever reason; take advantage of the online service instead.
When Will We Move Indoors?
We will continue outdoor services through October, and very likely through November. So, one possibility is to move indoors the first Sunday of Advent (11/29). But, as with everything else in 2020, who knows?
What About Coffee?
At this point, it’s BYOC and BYOD (doughnuts).
Actually, it’s pretty much BYOeverything.
Should I Attend If I’m Sick or Think I Could Be Sick?
If you don’t know the answer to that one by now, I have some magic beans to sell you for a great price.
This is going to be fun: we are going to do a campout in the Munger parking lot inspired by an Old Testament holiday. Seriously.
Sukkot
The Festival of Tabernacles (also called the Festival of Booths) was “one of ancient Israel’s three giant annual feasts, celebrated in autumn” (from The Anchor Yale Bible Dictionary). Every fall, the Israelites would build temporary shelters (or “booths” or “tabernacles”) and live in them for a week to remind them that when they came out of Egypt, they lived in tents on their way to the Promised Land. (See Leviticus 23:33-43.) In Hebrew, the word for a single shelter is a sukkah—plural sukkot—so the holiday was called Sukkot in Hebrew. (Pronounced “sue-COTE”.)
It’s such a cool holiday: every year you get to stay outdoors with your family in a shelter you build and be reminded that all of life is temporary, but that you are heading toward the Promised Land.
(Did you know that Jesus celebrated the Festival of Tabernacles? Read about it in John 7.)
Sukkot observance in modern-day Jerusalem.
Sukkot in Nehemiah
The Festival of Tabernacles is one of the holidays that Nehemiah and Ezra got the returned exiles to observe in 445 BC—you can read about it in Nehemiah 8:13-18.
The Munger Old Testament Campout
Since we’re reading through Nehemiah, and since 2020 has been such a downer, we though it would be fun to do a campout at Munger as a way to make the connection to what we’re reading. That’s the whole point: something fun.
When: 6 PM Friday, October 2 to 9 AM Saturday, October 3.
Where: The Munger main parking lot. Campsites are every other parking space around the perimeter of the lot. We’ll keep the center of the lot free so folks have lots of room to spread out and leave plenty of space for hanging out, fire pits, etc. Church bathrooms will be open, but the entire event will take place outside. Pray for good weather!
Cost: Free! And we’ll provide dinner Friday and breakfast Saturday.
What to Bring: Tent/sleeping bags/chairs, etc—basically whatever you want to bring to make yourself comfortable. Bring your own fire pit and wood, s’mores, games, etc. Because Sukkot was also about hospitality, bring stuff to share with another family. Who knows?
Who’s Invited: Anyone who wants to come! If you’re not a camper, so what? You’ll never have an easier camping experience. All ages.
What About Security? We’ll have a police officer on site all-night.
What’s the Program? I’ll teach a brief family-friendly Bible study lesson on Friday evening and lead a brief morning prayer time on Saturday morning. Otherwise, we hope folks just hangout and play games and have fun. Think of it as a giant tailgating experience. We’ll set up our Gaga pit, 9-Square-in-the-Air, and other outdoor games, but bring whatever you have that seems like fun.
This is going to be fun, and we all need some more fun these days.
Are you in?
P.S. Watch this movie beforehand
Jake Porter on our staff lent me the DVD of this movie several years ago. It’s an Israeli movie called Ushpizin (“the Guests”) that’s about what happens to one family celebrating Sukkot in modern Jerusalem.
Ushpizin (roughly translated to "holy guests"), is a revelatory and humorous look at the daily lives of ultra-Orthcdox Jews in modern-day Israel. Disarmingly...
If ever there were a time for rebuilding, it is now:
It’s time to rebuild our lives;
It’s time to rebuild our families;
It’s time rebuild our communities;
It’s time to rebuild our country.
This pandemic has been apocalyptic in the sense that it has been revealing, and what what’s been revealed about us has been ugly. There is a lot of work to do.
And yet, I can tell you that I personally have more energy for the season ahead than I can remember having before.
Let me tell you how I got here.
(And share some pictures from our summer.)
43 Weeks Straight
Every spring, it’s the same: by the end of May I find myself getting weary and worn out from preaching.
The pattern I generally follow is to take summers off and then basically preach every Sunday during the school year. For example, I preached a sermon every week from August 18, 2019 through June 7, 2020—43 weeks straight!
The hardest thing about preaching—by far—is doing it every week. No matter how good last week’s sermon was, you start at zero at 6 PM every Sunday evening. After a while of preaching every week, you find that you have nothing to say worth hearing.
After 43 weeks straight, I needed a break.
This year, of course, we had the added stress of a worldwide pandemic this spring, so I really needed a break.
Summer Break 2020
One of the many great things about Munger is how kind our folks are to me and my family. When we leave town for the summer, no one complains (at least to my face!); folks understand that if I am going to be in the pastoral ministry for the long haul, I need to pace myself. The most important thing I have to offer as a leader is my energy, and if I don’t steward my energy well, I have nothing to offer.
And so we pulled out of town on July 2 and returned back into town on August 13, exactly 6 weeks later. 5,500 miles! Now that’s a road trip, Clark.
But Wherever You Go, There You Are
We were in beautiful places this summer—from the Outer Banks of North Carolina to Cape Cod, Massachusetts, and we spent time with family.
And yet, wherever you go, there you are.
Just because I was in beautiful places with people who love me didn’t mean that I was immediately renewed and on fire for the task ahead—I was still carrying my worries and frustrations with me. About halfway through our summer break, I was feeling pretty discouraged and not looking forward to coming back to Dallas. In prior years, we’ve been excited to get back to church, but this year, there was no church to get back to, at least not in the normal sense, and so I was dreading coming back—like so many other people, I was sick and tired of the changes the pandemic has placed in my life.
Lifeguard Stand Prayer
One of the places we went this summer was to Cape Cod, Massachusetts. It was clear that I needed God to give me a sense of hope and direction for the future, and so I got up early every morning and walked down to the beach and sat in the lifeguard stand, read my daily psalm, and prayed.
Let Us Rise Up and Build
After a couple of days of lifeguard stand prayer—”Lord, give me something!”—I felt really drawn toward the story of rebuilding in Ezra-Nehemiah. “That’s what we need to be about!” My wife had the idea of pulling a small group of folks together in the Munger sanctuary so I could have some friendly faces to preach to, to make things are normal as possible. It all seemed good.
I know it sounds like a Sunday school story, but it’s true: after a few weeks of committed prayer, I felt like I had a new fire for the future and a clear direction in which to walk.
“Let us rise up and build.”
(That’s from Nehemiah.)
I decided that in the immediate future, my task is to (re)build, and inspire others to do the same.
I couldn’t wait to get back home and get to work.
“This Was Filmed In Front of a Live Studio Audience”
So, for the past 4 Thursdays, I’ve filmed my sermon in front of a small “studio audience” in our church sanctuary, and it has been so life-giving to me!
The story of Ezra-Nehemiah is fascinating and filled with wisdom, and I think we can learn a lot from the stories of those great men about what it will take to rebuild in our own time.
#1 “When You Can’t Figure Out What God is Up To” [August 23]
#2 “Even the Swiss Family Robinson Got This Right” [August 30]
#3 “What If You Don’t Want What You Think You Want?” [September 6]
“When God Needs To Change You Before He Changes Your Circumstances” [Coming 9/13]
Will You Join Me?
Starting this Monday, September 14, at Munger we’ll be reading through the book of Nehemiah (more info to come—this past Wednesday we finished up reading through all 150 psalms! ); I’m continuing to preach through the book (last night’s sermon really got me fired up).
My phone was blowing up today with folks asking me if I had seen the news of a proposed split for the United Methodist Church, and what my thoughts were. Here is my initial reaction, along with some clarifying information as to what today’s news actually means.
Facts Are Our Friends
The facts are that the United Methodist Church is an extremely divided denomination, and not only as to the definition of marriage: there are wide divisions in the denomination over nearly every other theological category one could think of.
It is good to recognize this fact. We may wish it were different, but it isn’t, and we’ll never make progress unless we acknowledge the stubborn uncomfortable facts of the present. The fact that we are divided is sad, but sadder still would be our refusal to acknowledge that these divisions are deep and irreconcilable.
Life Requires Trade-offs
Because the UMC is so divided, no interest group or caucus or theological camp will ever be able to get 100% of what it wants. It is good to acknowledge this, even if it’s painful. So, a mediated plan for amicable separation is, at this point, a good thing.
Leaders Make Hard Decisions
I’m impressed that the proposed plan has signatories from many of the relevant camps and caucuses. There is no other way forward. No doubt there were parts of the proposed plan that were hard for any individual signatory to stomach. Good for the folks who hammered out this plan for knowing that ANY successful solution will have distasteful parts to their respective constituencies. I have a lot of respect for those sorts of leaders, leaders who make hard decisions.
It Is Better to Part Than to Remain in a Wrestling Match to the Death
When Abraham and his nephew Lot can no longer live together (see Genesis 13), they decide on an amicable separation. Lot chooses his direction, and Abraham goes in the other.
Although it would have been better if we could live together in unity and love, since we can’t, then it’s good for us to part peaceably.
IMPORTANT: The Proposed Plan is Just That: a *Proposal*
The plan of separation will need to be passed at the 2020 General Conference for it to actually mean anything. The General Conference could pass it or reject it or modify it. Until then, the plan is an idea only. Let me say again: literally anything or nothing could come out of General Conference 2020. That said, it is significant that the 16 signatories represent such a wide array of caucuses and camps, and presumably these signatories will be working hard between now and the May General Conference to get buy in from the elected delegates with regard to the plan of separation.
Local Churches And Pastors Have No way of Affecting the General Conference Outcome At This Point, Apart from Prayer
The only people who will have a say at General Conference 2020 are the 862 elected delegates, who were elected last year from around the world. (General Conference 2020 will be held in Minneapolis in May.) The United Methodist Church is organized into regional bodies called Annual Conferences; I am a member of the North Texas Annual Conference. [Bishop Michael McKee—our bishop, put out a helpful and informative statement on the proposed plan.] The North Texas Conference was allotted 8 delegates to General Conference 2020–4 clergy delegates, and 4 lay delegates. At the North Texas Annual Conference meeting last June, I was able to vote for 4 clergy delegates, and the lay members of the Annual Conference were able to vote for 4 lay delegates. After the voting, neither I nor any other pastor who is not an elected delegate has any say whatsoever on the outcome of the 2020 General Conference.
What Does This Mean For Munger?
Munger is officially a part of Highland Park United Methodist Church. There is no way to know at this point what these proposed plans mean for Munger—it all depends on what happens at General Conference, and what the North Texas Conference and then Highland Park UMC do in response. What I do know is this: for over 10 years now, the leadership of Highland Park has always worked hard to do whatever it takes to set up and then help Munger to flourish as a congregation in East Dallas, and I am confident that that won’t change going forward.
Fear of the future has no place in the people of God. Instead, we should all be grateful that our denominational leaders have put in the required hard work toward a necessary way forward, and grateful that God has permitted us to be in ministry at this place and time—there is lots of ministry in the name of Jesus to do.
The future is inherently unknowable, which is why Jesus tells us to only focus on today. As I write this, e.g., it seems that the United States will be at war with Iran; I have no idea what that means for the future, nor did I have any idea 48 hours ago what the geopolitical news would be today. My point is that there is no point in worrying over the future, which is out of our hands. What I do know is that God tells us to be faithful, to love our neighbors and our enemies, to trust him with the future, and to carry on.
[We are so blessed to be right across the street from Garrett Park—it’s like having a huge front porch.]
Like a narcissistic Hollywood celebrity, at Munger we throw ourselves our own birthday party the last Sunday in October every year, and we modestly name it after ourselves: MungerFest.
This past Sunday was our 9th birthday, and the whole day was PERFECT:
Sunny, clear, and cool. Thank you, Lord!
We had our biggest MungerFest turnout yet: 1,978 people! (Couldn’t our counters have found 22 more from somewhere?!)
We baptized 11 people and joined 69 new members.
After the service, our congregation stepped up & donated a total of $3,284 so that every single one of our homeless neighbors could eat for free from one of the food trucks!
At MungerFest we have one service in the park under the big tent at 10 AM and close the service with cardboard testimonies, which are always so moving. Then food trucks and trunk-or-treat afterwards. What’s not to love?
It’s been 9 years since members of Highland Park UMC donated $4.5 million to launch Munger and 9 years since the Rev. Paul Rasmussen invited me to be the Munger pastor. I will never stop being grateful. I can’t believe I get to be here!
[Be sure to scroll all the way to the bottom of the post to see some great pics.]
Munger Stats and Charts
I shared the following statistics at MungerFest, and when you see on paper what’s been happening, it is obvious to me that God is blessing Munger.
The question is, how can we be good stewards of all that God is giving us?
Our adult worship attendance is up 12% over last year. (We count noses in worship every week so we feel good about the accuracy of those numbers. The above stats are YTD through the 3rd quarter of each year.)
Our kids attendance (birth-5th grade) is up 20% over last year! (Again, these are YTD numbers through the 3rd quarter of each year. We had some IT issues with check-in in 2017, so we don’t have good numbers from that year.)
Our annual giving is up almost 14% over last year (13.7, to be exact). This is AMAZING, because it means that Munger is growing in generosity faster than we are growing in people. Thank you, Jesus! (Again, these are actual YTD 3rd quarter numbers, not projections.)
This is my favorite stat of all. 54% of our members (we don’t have data on our attenders who are not members) didn’t have a previous church affiliation before they become Mungarians. That means that 54% of our members either joined through baptism or through profession of faith. AMAZING. (These membership stats do not include the folks who joined at MungerFest 2019.)
Let me say it again: It is obvious to me that God is blessing Munger.
The question is, how can we be good stewards of all that God is giving us?
To All Mungarians
I feel like Munger is at an important inflection point. Are we going to push on for more, or are we going to accept the status quo? Remember what happened in the week before Pentecost:
“All the disciples with one passionate heart were devoting themselves to prayer, together with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and his brothers”
And then, one week later: BOOM. The Holy Spirit fell at Pentecost, and the world was never the same again.
I believe God is calling us to be united with one heart and to be praying with passionate intensity for MORE in the years to come.
Will you join me? Here’s our shorthand prayer:
“Today, Lord!”
My MungerFest 2019 sermon
MungerFest in Pictures!
There are too many great pics for me to post all of them, but here are some fun ones. What a great day!
If I hadn't seen this happen with my own eyes, I wouldn't believe it....
The Problem
Munger is a landlocked urban congregation in a neighborhood that is becoming more and more popular with young professionals and families, and it's obvious to everyone that if we are going to reach and serve our neighborhood, we're going to need more land. So, several years ago, we started praying about possibilities. But, the land around us was owned by many different parties--none of whom wanted to sell or even talk about selling--and valued at millions of dollars--which we didn't have.
And so, of January 1, 2017, this is the extent of the real estate Munger owned in Old East Dallas:
Munger real estate as of 1/1/17
The Process
The first domino that needed to fall was the purchase of two boarding houses that abutted our property. But, the owner didn't live in Dallas, and she was completely unresponsive. One of our members ended up driving out into the country and taping a letter to her fence. She subsequently called him and told him she would never sell to us.
And then, months later, she called him again and said that she felt that God was telling her she ought to sell to the church.
Her price was $2 million, which we didn't have. Why so expensive? Well, the boarding houses brought in an annual income of $200,000, so the owner was selling a valuable income stream, even though we only wanted the dirt, not the buildings.
I stood before our congregation in October 2016 and told them we needed to raise $2 million in cash by Christmas. I had no idea if it were possible, but I knew it was the faithful thing to do.
Well, people stepped up and the Lord provided the $2 million! (I still can't believe it.) And so, in January 2017, we purchased the boarding houses in cash.
Repeat
Owning those boarding houses was the first step, but we still had a long way to go. It turned out, however, that the way things happened with the boarding houses was the way they took place with the other real estate parcels:
We contacted owners who told us they would never sell;
Subsequently, they changed their minds;
But we didn't have the funds to buy;
God provided the funds somehow;
We gained the property.
Parcel after parcel, that's how it happened.
Munger Real Estate Miracle
And so here's what we own today, just 2.5 years later:
Munger real estate today, June 2019
[A quick note on the image above: in the bottom left, there is a building partially colored with a yellow checkerboard pattern. That building contains 8 townhomes, 2 of which we own outright. Of the remaining 6 townhomes, the owner has given us a right of first refusal for the next 30 years.]
Side-by-Side Comparison
January 2017
June 2019
The Stats
In summary, we:
Doubled our acreage;
Gained $7 million of real estate, which we either purchased in cash (!) or were given outright by generous Mungarians, meaning we have no debt whatsoever;
Prepared a master plan to set us up for the next 50 years.
And all of this happened in just 2.5 years!
When I say this is a miracle, I mean it literally: you can't explain it in human terms only.
What's Next?
I don't know why the Lord has been blessing us so richly, but I do know that we have a responsibility to be good stewards of what we've received. We have a really exciting master plan, and God willing, the potential is huge.
Expect great things!
P.S.
There is a small group of people without whose hard work and extravagant generosity this wouldn't have happened. You know who you are, and so does God. Thank you.
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This is our 5th year (!) of hosting Easter services in Garrett Park, across the street from Munger. Easter is the best day of the year, and I feel so blessed to have been there this morning. I snuck onstage during our 9 AM service and took the following video while we were singing "Because He Lives." I know you can hear me singing, but I don't care: it's EASTER, and I'm going to sing at the top of my lungs.
I could watch this a thousand times and it would never NOT make me happy. (I particularly love the part 36 seconds in where the band drops out and you can hear the congregation singing.)
"Because He lives, I can face tomorrow...."
Thank you, Jesus.
Happy Easter, everyone!
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As I told you last summer, I felt like I needed to step into the leadership gap of the Munger youth ministry for the fall semester to keep the fires burning until we could hire a permanent leader. So, how did it go? As with most important things in life, it was not easy, but it was good. I made this commitment in the midst of the biggest fall we've ever had at Munger, but the extra responsibilities and time away from my family wasn't the hardest part. The hardest part was that I knew that if I were evaluating my job performance as Munger youth minister, I'd give myself a D-. I knew that I wasn't really able to actually be the youth minister our community needs. I knew I didn't have enough hours or energy to lead this vital ministry well. I knew that some parents were frustrated. But, I also knew that there was no alternative, and we were doing our best, considering the obvious limitations. And, despite all of that, the whole experience was a blessing for me personally. We had a selfless and faithful group of volunteers step up, I was able to get to know some of our students and their families, and I learned a lot about what the future could look like for youth ministry in our community.
But, while all that was going on, we were working hard to find a permanent youth minister. Though I'm sure some of our parents were thinking, "Why is this taking so long?" the truth is it is not easy to find great people.
And we needed someone great. The more time I spent in the Munger youth ministry, the more I became convinced that whoever we hired needed to be a game-changer for us. In sports terms, we needed to hire a franchise player whom we could build around for years. And so:
we hired a specialty search firm that we really liked;
I talked to people I know all over the country, asking for names;
I called in every favor ever owed me;
But--of course--our new guy didn't come through any of those efforts!
Instead, a woman in our congregation had been telling a friend of hers for years that she thought he'd be a good fit at our church. Years before, the timing wasn't right and her friend wasn't looking for a job, but this December he said that he was interested. After lots of conversations and evaluations, I'm excited for you to:
Meet Rich Roush, the New Munger Youth Minister!
Rich Roush is the new Munger youth minister! God has answered our prayers with someone great. Not pretty good, not well-we-really-need-to-hire-a-warm-body-at-this-point-so-I-guess-he-will-do, but someone who we genuinely think is the best possible person we could have found.
Rich and Megan Roush and their kids.
Rich is married to Megan, and they have 3 kids aged 3 and under. (I know!) Rich himself came to faith in Christ as a senior in high school through a church youth ministry, and feels a particular responsibility toward and affection for middle school and high school students.
Rich's Record of Longevity
I have kids that will one day be in our youth ministry, and the more I talked with Rich, the more excited I got for my children to benefit from Rich's leadership. Rich has been at both of his previous churches for 7 years each, so he has a record of building a ministry over time. And over time what the Lord has been able to do through Rich's leadership at his previous churches is impressive.
I have kids that will one day be in our youth ministry, and the more I talked with Rich, the more excited I got for my children to benefit from Rich's leadership. Rich has been at both of his previous churches for 7 years each, so he has a record of building a ministry over time. And over time what the Lord has been able to do through Rich's leadership at his previous churches is impressive.
Rich, in His Own Words
Where were you raised? I was raised in Waco, Texas, which was already pretty cool before it became the shiplap capital of the world. Just saying. Where did you go to school? I did my undergraduate studies at Baylor University (BA in Business Administration) and my graduate studies at George W. Truett Theological Seminary (Masters of Divinity in Theology). Who’s in your family? My wife Megan and our three kids: Olivia, Griffin, and Shepherd. What brought you to Munger? A good friend of mine, Ashley Dalton, recruited me. It started a few years before I joined the staff. Every time we crossed paths she would rave about Munger and would say she could see Megan and me there someday. So yeah, now you know who to blame. What’s your favorite thing about our church? Its commitment to raising up the next generation of Jesus followers. The best is yet to come.
What Happens Next?
Rich's first Sunday with us will be February 10. This spring, we're going to keep our regular Wednesday evening schedule (7:00-8:30 PM) for middle and high school students, and 11 AM Sunday schedule for 6th Grade Confirmation; this will allow Rich to join in and get to know the students, families, and volunteers. Other stuff will be added as we go. Stay tuned and sign up here for the Munger youth ministry newsletter.
Do You Already Receive the Munger Youth Newsletter?
We have over 100 spots reserved for Big Stuf at Panama City Beach, July 11-15. Registration will go live on our website at noon on Thursday, March 21. It will be first come, first served, and it will sell out. (More info to come.)
Rich and Megan want to move up to Dallas ASAP, but they own a house in Waco that they need to sell. (Rich has been working at Baylor University for the past year.) Please pray that their move and housing situation goes as easily and quickly as possible.
But Wait, There's More New Hires to Come!
The Munger Youth Ministry has HUGE potential, so we have set aside the funding necessary to allow Rich to hire at least one more full-time youth ministry staff member. Good people are hard to find, but I certainly hope we'll be able to make at least one more great hire this year. Pray for that!
Can You Imagine?
The opportunity we have at Munger to reach middle school and high school students is HUGE.
Can you imagine what it could mean for the students in our community when we have the ministry built to reach them, teach them, and unleash them in the name of Christ?
I received the following in the mail on Monday, the day of the College Football National Championship game between Alabama and Clemson:
Now, am I claiming that part of the Clemson coaching staff's visit to Munger on Christmas Eve resulted in their National Championship win over Alabama on Monday evening? No, I would never be that arrogant.
On the other hand, the facts don't lie....
If That's What They Do, No Wonder They Win
But seriously, if that's how the coaching staff at Clemson normally behaves, no wonder they are killing it on the football field. Coach Richardson:
Made a point to search out and attend church while away from home on Christmas Eve;
Looked up my work address;
Wrote a hand-written note (my colleague Kate also received one);
And mailed it all while preparing for the most important game of the season.
Wow!
This has reminded me again of how important it is to do things like this to encourage and bless others.
P.S. Nick Saban and the Media
Remember a few weeks ago how I mentioned how frustrated I was of our media's obsession with focusing on failure? Well, we have another example this week with Nick Saban, head football coach for the University of Alabama. Coach Saban is far and away the most successful coach in college football, and it's not even close. He's won 6 National Championships (5 since 2009), and played in the national title game every year for the past four straight years. Rather than saying "the Clemson team was better, and the Alabama team had some struggles on their way to their first loss of the season," I've seen lots of stories like this one:
Crazy.
Also a good reminder: I don't want to be someone who focuses on others' failures--I want to be someone who sends handwritten notes of encouragement in the mail instead.
One more year. We've been spared to see another year. Last Sunday, my wife and I knelt at the communion rail at our church and prayed and thanked the Lord for his provision over the previous twelve months. Another year wasn't promised to any of us, and yet we made it. We thanked God for all the cool stuff that had happened since Christmas Commitment Sunday last year, and all the blessings we received, and all the joys we experienced, and we were grateful. Thank you Jesus! We then prayed for God's blessing on our family and our work for the year to come. We asked for his favor on our lives and for him to give us strength for today and a bright hope for tomorrow.One more year.Amen.
It's now a tradition: our staff films a parody video in anticipation for Christmas Commitment Sunday each year. There are many gems in this year's version, but I'd be remiss if I didn't draw your attention to the amazing choreography. (My colleague Amanda Pedigo wrote, directed, wardrobed, choreographed, filmed, and edited this. She'd probably say "starred" as well, but I don't know 'bout that.) 123[embed]https://vimeo.com/302859550[/embed]This coming Sunday is Christmas Commitment Sunday at our church. It‘s like our 21st century urban version of what used to be called Harvest Sunday in rural, agricultural churches: we thank God for his provision toward us in the 12 months past, and ask for his protection and provision in the year to come. Folks come forward and kneel and make a gift to finish strong in their current year giving toward the church, and make a commitment to give back a portion of God‘s blessings in the year to come. It‘s a powerful moment to see hundreds of households come forward and kneel and pray.Someone took this picture of my family kneeling at last year's Christmas Commitment Sunday. (I wrote about why last year was particularly meaningful for us.)Can't wait.
![[We are so blessed to be right across the street from Garrett Park—it’s like having a huge front porch.]](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5d70f59aefca59000162e4e6/1572451454897-MODJ6YXNTWYUFF7U5EFZ/mungerfest2019-6.jpg)
