I arrived home…
last night about 48 hours after I left for a whirlwind road trip of sharing precious connections from the past 40 years of ministry.
On Thursday morning, I officiated the funeral service for a dear friend I met in the summer of 1984 when I became the Minister of Music and Youth at Eagle Mountain Baptist church in Ft. Worth, TX.
He was a couple of years older than my parents, so I pretty much considered him to be “getting older” at that time. (When you’re 22, the over-50 crowd seems to be on the verge of “elderly”).
Now that I’m more than 10 years older than he was when I met him, I realized that he was NOT old then!
But at age 92 and having celebrated his 73rd wedding anniversary last December, I think the life he lived qualifies as a full one.
Celebrating his life and legacy of following Jesus for so many years was truly a special honor. As was getting to see so many people whose lives have intersected with mine over these 41 years.
From that service I made my way to the First Baptist Church of Dennis to sing with the Singing Men of Texas-North Central with whom I’ve sung, worshiped, and traveled on mission since March, 2009. We’ll be traveling on a mission trip to 6 countries around the Baltic Sea in September of this year.
Friday morning found me with another almost 40 year friend.
Keith Warren was in high school during my youth ministry days. When I returned to EMBC as senior pastor in 1991, he was a college student and told me he wanted to help me with the ministry.
We were a small church with no budget for additional staff, so we put him on staff as our volunteer minister of young adults.
I’ve observed him grow through a successful and effective time in youth ministry and then to decades as the executive pastor of one of the leading churches in Parker county.
And since that doesn’t have his plate full enough, he’s completing a PhD in ministry leadership. I’m so glad I caught him on a day that he could break away for a cup of coffee. And I’m so proud of him.
Before I left town to head home, I met for lunch with a group of guys who have been my closest friends, mentors, prayer partners, and confidants for the past several years. We don’t often get to be in the same room, but there are very few days that we don’t text each other. We have prayed and encouraged each other through ministry transitions, health crises, and significant decisions. We’ve shared hurts, frustrations, joys, and jokes.
We’ve helped each other focus on following Jesus.
This morning I read the 8th chapter of John’s gospel. The passage that struck me most was verses 31-32:
“Jesus said, ‘If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.’”
The common element of every interaction over these two days is that I spent time with people with whom I’ve shared a common goal and journey of following Jesus—people who recognize that discipleship can’t happen in isolation and that the journey is not complete until we meet Jesus face to face.
With whom do you share your journey? Do they know how much they mean to you?
Be amazing today, my friend.
