The Last Chapter, and the Next One
It’s been two months since my last Sunday at Munger; tomorrow is my first Sunday at Asbury.
It’s been a strange summer, as I’ve not felt I really belonged anywhere, that I was neither fish nor fowl, so to speak.
So, it will feel good to get started tomorrow morning.
But before this next chapter begins, I want to put a pin in my memories of that last Munger Sunday.
That last Sunday (June 5, 2022) was golden; it was perfect, just perfect. And though there were tears, the entire morning was just filled with gratitude and joy—the Lord has been so good to us.
Right as the first song began, I came under the tent to the front row where my son Jack was sitting and I was shocked to see my son’s great friend Austin standing there. I immediately started crying. Austin lives in another part of Dallas and his family doesn’t go to Munger, but the friendship between Austin and Jack since Kindergarten has been really sweet. And something about seeing Austin’s blond head there as we were all singing felt like a foretaste of glory—surprised by joy.
So, let this post serve as an ebenezer: God is good(er).
My Last Munger Sermon - “The Last Chapter”
Though it was certainly not my best sermon, I’m proud of my last Munger sermon—I really believe in what I said, and I’ve heard from several folks over the summer how my bottom line has been helpful to them, facing the loss of a loved one or inexplicable difficulty or even life change:
“In the End, everything will be okay;
If it’s not okay, then it’s not the End;
And if it’s not the End, the Lord still has work for us to do.”
My family joined me on stage and I love how in the video you can see me and my son Jack crying against each other and the staff huddled around as Jake and Rodney pray over us.
That entire last weekend was just so special and I never want to forget it. So, below are some pics and videos from our last Munger weekend, including a bunch that I was able to take from the stage, both during rehearsal and during the service itself.
[Note: If you are reading this in your email inbox, it might be easier to view the videos if you click over and read this post on my blog, as the videos are all embedded there.]
That Last Week
Jackie and I getting ready to lead our very last online morning prayer session live from White Rock Lake in East Dallas. I loved those mornings so much—such a sweet gift to be able to have him join me.
Our neighborhood changed a lot over the years in which we lived there—most of the changes were for the good, though of course not all of them.
Empty office.
Empty house.
Saturday Rehearsal
Some of my favorite Munger memories were our outdoor Easter services, under the big tent in Garrett Park, but we hadn’t held any of those since before the pandemic, and when my colleague Melissa suggested we have one big service for my family’s last Sunday, I was all for it.
One of the things I loved most about Munger was walking around while our band was rehearsing. So I made a point to walk over to Garrett Park on Saturday just to hear and see—so glad I brought my phone with me.
Don’t skip the videos—they are short (all less than a minute) and so so great. So much joy!
[Again, if you are one of my newsletter subscribers, it will be easier to view the videos by reading this post on my blog itself.]
I took this pic as I walked over to Garrett Park on Saturday for rehearsal. Thank you, Lord, for Munger in my life.
I couldn’t help singing along: “Let your love flow….”
Love hearing the trombone and the guitars working together.
Wait for the song to drop: “Let the light from the lighthouse….”
That Last Sunday
I got up early that last Sunday and went for a walk in the dark up Swiss Avenue, as I’d done thousands of times before. I loved that time in the dark, totally alone, walking and thinking over my sermon for the day.
How many miles have I walked up those beautiful blocks? We were so fortunate to have lived there.
I love this song and whenever I hear it in the future I’ll think of our band warming up that last Munger Sunday.
Oh man. At 10 seconds Kelly Riley drops in with the chorus. He’s the best and this was so fun!
Speaking of fun, this was the last song the band played before the service began: “Oh When the Saints….” Love love love the trombone.
I love the simplicity of this song:
“For God so loved the world that he gave us
His one and only Son to save us….”
Amen. How great to hear the entire congregation gathered singing:
“Oh there’s nothing better than you….”
“Because He Lives” brings back so many memories of our Munger Easter services under the tent over the years. Grateful we got to sing it one last time together.
Last Munger Sunday - Recap Video
Some Munger folks made this re-cap video for me of that last Sunday. Such a special gift.
Goodbye House, Goodbye Church, Goodbye Neighborhood
We left Texas the afternoon of our last Sunday and made the drive to Tulsa. It just seemed right to finish our final service, say goodbye, and hit the road.
We loved our old hundred-year-old house so much. Our children never knew anyplace different. It was good to us.
No one could have been kinder to us than our sweet neighbors whom we love so much—they were our grandparents-across-the-street. One last swing on the rope swing in their front yard.
We came over and prayed in the church one last time, all by ourselves. I’ll never stop being grateful for our time at Munger.
No keys on my keyring!
The Next Chapter Begins
So, after the last chapter, the next one begins: tomorrow is our first Sunday at our new church.
And the folks here cannot have been kinder. Asbury has a billboard contract around the city and, just as they had a campaign to honor the Rev. Tom Harrison, my predecessor who retired after 29 years at Asbury, they started a new one to welcome me! My wife can’t stop making fun of me for it.
But remember, what goes around comes around. Elaine made fun of me for my billboard, and then this happened:
She and the kids were uniform-shopping for school this week when a photographer came up and took their picture. Guess who was on the front page of the Tulsa World this past Friday morning?!
“The Tulsa World.” Friday, August 5, 2022.
The poor people of Tulsa can’t get away from us.
“Live From Tulsa It’s Sunday Morning!”
Tomorrow morning we’re having only one service at Asbury, 10:00 AM CDT. I know there are a bunch of Texans in town to support our family on our first Sunday and it will be so nice to see some familiar faces in the congregation—be sure to get to church early.
I also know there are lots of folks praying for us who won’t be there. Now, some of you know my glib little phrase about online church:
“online church isn’t.”
I say that because I think it’s really important that we gather in person as the people of God. However I also know that lots of folks who wish they could be there live far away. Our parents, e.g., will be tuning into the livestream tomorrow.
So here is the livestream info for Asbury:
There are three different options.
www.asburytulsa.org. Click on “Watch Live” on the main page.
Facebook: the “Asbury Tulsa” page.
YouTube: the “Asbury Tulsa” channel.
The feed will go live a good amount of time before the hour, so tune in early.
Alright, Fast Eddie
Tomorrow starts a new chapter in my family’s life. A year ago none of this would have seemed remotely likely to me, which leads me to conclude that the Lord has brought us here for a reason.
So tomorrow morning, right before I walk into the Asbury Sanctuary for the first time I’m going to look at myself in the mirror and say: Alright Fast Eddie, let’s play some pool.
