The small but friendly community of First United Church of Christ occupies one of the oldest buildings in West, Texas. Young Clergy Woman Kyndall Renfro served as interim pastor there, but now the church relies on supply preachers from nearby seminaries including Truett, Brite, and Southwestern. I preached there on Easter Sunday of this year. [...]

I stood on the side of the interstate, blowing into a Breathalyzer, hoping that whatever number popped up was below the legal limit. The thought raced through my head, “If I get arrested, who will I call to bail me out?” I should have been worried about what would happen when the congregation I pastored [...]

I came home around lunchtime.  I drove myself home, opened the fridge and wondered what I would gather for a meal.  I sat down and turned on my computer, put some music on, and looked out the window at the crisp, dreary January day. I don’t normally take such time to reflect on what a [...]

Sometimes your voice is not your own. I remember a trip to a fine cathedral in England where the woman presiding spoke in a baritone- the sonorous tones of the quintessential Anglican clergyman. It was rather surprising to hear the voice of a Nigel or a John from the mouth of a petite woman, but [...]

I have spent the last three years serving the same congregation (my first since graduating from seminary), and it has been a wonderful place, among wonderful people, to grow into my pastoral authority and role as clergy. When I started my ministry in this congregation, I was hired as a full-time vicar. Everything I did [...]

In the parish hall, a table lay spread with a white cloth, fragrant evergreens and twinkling lights.  Sounds of peeling, chopping and the banter of cooks spilled out of the kitchen.  A few people bustled around, arranging chairs, setting out napkins, and filling pitchers of water. At my parish, in the dark days of December, [...]

“I will lift up mine eyes to the hills from whence cometh my help.” I think I first heard those words in an episode of Little House on the Prairie. As a child, I knew God loved me.  I knew I loved God. I knew the Bible was important, but most scripture was completely meaningless [...]

In a parish where it is common to have conversations with lobbyists, state political staff, or city council representatives, discussing politics can be a dangerous act. As a new staff member, it can be a bit intimidating to learn there are public powers filling the pews on any given Sunday morning. Combine that daunting ministry [...]