I remember the first Monday in February of 2010. I was on my way to Gaston Oaks Baptist Church in Dallas to serve as interim pastor to an aging congregation with a 62,000-square-foot facility. The church at that time had…
Memoirs: To write or not to write
I wonder why some people write memoirs and some do not. Recently I have been considering the possibility of writing a memoir. You are likely thinking, “Why would he even consider writing a memoir?” That is a fair question. As…
Of politicians and pastors who can’t quit
Politicians and pastors may share more things in common than you would imagine, but one common trait is ego. It takes a strong ego to subject yourself to a run for public office, and it takes a strong ego to…
Letter to the editor: The value of unlaundered history
Letter to the Editor February 7, 2022 Dear Editor: Like many who are attempting to observe and interpret the social upheaval that is so constantly oppressing all of us, it occurs to me that perhaps we need a new metaphor…
If these pews could preach
If stones can communicate, (Joshua 4:6) and rocks cry out, (Luke 19:40) then maybe someday walls will talk and church pews will preach. That’s what I’m thinking as I watch brand new friends load 32 church pews into trailers for…
My story and the Southern Baptist Convention
Some will question the veracity of the fact that I feel bad about what is happening to the Southern Baptist Convention in light of the story I am telling for the first time in such a public forum. If ever…
Reflecting on a Baylor commencement 60 years later
“Oh, what a beautiful morning.” Those words obviously were made famous in the song by that title in the Broadway Musical Oklahoma!, which is my home state. I gladly loaned them to Texas on the morning of May 6 and…
Reflections on a life in ministry: Knowing when to go and knowing when to leave
I was privileged to be a friend to a remarkable woman most people do not know. Josephine Scaggs went as a single missionary to Nigeria in the late 1930s. There she spent a big part of her life ministering and,…
What to preach the Sunday between Christmas and New Year
A few days ago, something amazing transpired at a fast-food drive-through window in Atlanta. A young woman named Feroza Syed was waiting in her car to reach the service window when she happened to notice something bizarre happen at the…