Wild Mustang: Lover of Soul and Inviter to the Dance

            Thank you for all the encouragement and support for my keynote at the Collin College Martin Luther King, Jr. Power Leadership Breakfast. I really appreciate all the comments you made on last week’s blog. It is so wonderful to know that I am not alone in whatever I do, even if I am standing on a stage by myself.   You are with me.             I reached a point before the talk where it was what it was.   I had put into all I could.   I was ready to let it rest.   I had a good energy around what I was going to say and began the process of working on how to deliver the talk. The last fifteen years when I preach, I write an outline then memorize the outline so I can preach without notes. This is dangerous because I’ve been known to forget what I was going to say and because I can go off script, which I often do. This is good because preaching without notes helps me to conn...

The Talk: Struggle of Dance and Love             This Saturday I am the keynote speaker for the Collin College Power Leadership Breakfast.   When my friend Ada asked if she could submit my name, I was honored and said yes.   I was pretty sure I would not be chosen because I am a 59-year-old white guy.   I always imagined the speakers for these events as dynamic black speakers.   I was selected.   Perhaps my friend Ada made a good case. Or the committee heard of the work I have been doing in racism.   God certainly has a mischievous sense of humor.             My talk is to be 20-25 minutes.   I have struggled with what to say.   It is not that I don’t have enough to say.   I read books.   I listened to podcasts.   I had deep conversation with people around racism.   I have pages and pages of notes.   But pe...

The Call of the Ants A few months ago I was kidnapped by ants. (It was the first blog) They took me down into the depths They asked me to speak to my people Of the Earth’s deep pain My people are causing. I said yes, Not sure what I was agreeing to. I was told Ants would be my reminder. Whenever I see an ant, I am to remember my task. Lately I’ve seen no ants. I have forgotten my task. My people continue to cause great harm to the Earth. My people continue to cause great harm to each other And to the ants and other living beings. But I have been busy. There was Christmas and the New Year There was Thanksgiving and trips to parents. There were meetings and readings and many things to do. Surely the ants would understand. The invitation still stands. Busyness does not rescind Nor does avoidance. I must confess to the ants and all that lives in and on the Earth. It is not that I do not know what to say. It is that I am ...

The First Calling I first heard a whispering of a call into ministry before my junior year of high school. I grew up at St. Andrew Presbyterian Church in Lake Charles.   We attended every Sunday, both Sunday School and Worship and I participated in the youth groups in Junior High and High School.    The call whispered while I was attending a summer work camp at Camp Lacombe, outside of New Orleans. The purpose of this work camp was to get ready for summer camp. I remember walking through the woods with the other high school campers and our leader, the Rev. Ted Roelings. I thought “this is good. I like being here in the woods.   I liked Ted. He’s a nice guy, for a minister. I enjoyed the work we were doing. It was good to serve together.” Then the thought came to me.   “I could be a pastor like Ted.” At that time, I did not know what I wanted to be “when I grew up.”   Perhaps I could be a minister.         ...

Following the Fool             Today I want to share the story today of what launched me on this journey into the Wild. In the Fall of 2014, I had served as the pastor of First Presbyterian Church of Whitesboro, Texas for over four and half years. It had been a wonderful time, yet I felt myself getting disconnected. Bored. Not looking forward to going to the church building and participating in the ministry of the church.             This church of 65 members, located a few miles west of Sherman, Texas had done many wonderful things while I was there. Started a Saturday morning community breakfast in their fellowship hall that served between 100-150 people each week. Participated in a mission trip to Guatemala. Renovated the 1878 sanctuary, last updated in the 1950’s.   Offered tutoring to 3rd graders from a local elementary school. Loved one another and the communi...

Jesus and Mary             A few years ago, I was at the old St. Paul’s Hospital in Dallas to see a member of the church I was serving.   I stepped out into the courtyard of the hospital and found a bench to sit on.   I decided to have a prayer time. I looked to my left and saw a statue of Jesus. I looked to my right and saw a statue of Mother Mary.   I held my left hand out and said, “Come Jesus come.” I held my right hand out and said, “Come Mary come.”   In that moment, in a way I cannot explain, I felt the presence of Jesus on my left and Mary on my right.   My thought was Jesus should be on my right and Mary on my left but that was not what I experienced. It could all be in my imagination, but it felt so real. This soon became a method of praying – holding out my left hand and saying, “come Jesus” and holding out my right hand and saying, “come Mary.”        ...

Mother Earth and Racism This blog began in August telling of my encounter with ants at Ghost Ranch. I told a story of encountering ants who spoke of the grieving, hurting Mother Earth. and asked if I would work for the healing of the Earth. They wanted me to speak to my people, the humans, about the great pain we are causing.   I said that I would, not knowing what I would do.   This blog is one attempt to speak and I appreciate those of have read it and commented on it.               The issue that has come up for me again and again since my encounter with the ants has been racism, not global warming or the size of my carbon footprint or human destruction of the rainforests. Racism?   What does racism have to do with the grieving, hurting Mother Earth? How will addressing racism heal what is happening to our planet?                I defin...