First United Methodist Church Richardson, Texas

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More Than Sunday

February 16, 2018

As we have been sharing our dreams for the Access community over the last few months, we've been looking for a way to stay connected with each of you during the week. In that spirit, we want to share with you a dream that is becoming a reality, born out of the idea of having a ‘More Than Sunday’ kind of faith.

There's something on your face

February 09, 2018

This coming Wednesday, I will go to a service where ashes will be marked into the symbol of the cross on my forehead. After this service, I will go to restaurants, the grocery store, the coffee shop, the drive-thru line and various other places and watch as people stare at me awkwardly, wondering what is smudged on my face. I must admit, I get a little self-conscious and uncomfortable on this day. There is dirt on my forehead, and it’s clear to others around me. More so than most other days of the year, a sign of my Christian beliefs are on the outside – exposed, imperfect and obvious.

The Church that Richardson Needs

February 02, 2018

This last week as part of a yearly retreat that our team does to plan worship for the year, we took some time to walk and drive the streets of Richardson. We learned about the new developments, all the construction, our schools and the community as a whole. As I listened to these reports and walked the neighborhoods around our church, a few questions came across my mind.

Disney: Facts and Fairytales

January 26, 2018

I grew up with Cinderella telling me a “dream that you wish will come true.” Is that really true? Do I really just have to wish for something in order for it to come into existence? I love Disney more than I care to admit, but I wonder if there is more to dreaming than wishful thinking… Sorry, Cinderella.

Commitment to the dream

January 19, 2018

Aristotle once said, “Hope is a waking dream.” There is this rich connection between God’s hope and God’s dream for our lives and the world. Yet both take an active willingness to be part of the hope and part of the dream. This willingness comes from a commitment that must be made and re-made- to be so bold, faithful, or eager that we never let go of the dream and the hope that God has promise to us through this word ‘covenant.’

What does God dream about?

January 12, 2018

Dear child of God, what do you dream about in your loveliest of dreams? Do you dream about flying high, or rainbows reaching across the sky? Do you dream about being free to do what your heart desires? Or being treated like a full person?
Do you know what God dreams about? If you closed your eyes and looked within your heart, I’m sure, dear child, that you will find out.

New Years Reclamations

January 05, 2018

There’s a few pieces of wood from my family farm in East Texas that have found new life as my coffee table. We tore down the barn years ago, but decided to keep the wood to reclaim and reuse it for something different. It has occurred to me as I rack my brain for 2018 resolutions that maybe what I need is not to take on something new, but to reclaim what is already there - regardless of how worn out, distressed or too-far-gone it might seem.

Blessing of the Toys

December 29, 2017

All of us are given so much at Christmas- tangible and intangible. From gifts, to leftover food, to extra wrapping paper and supplies- I have no idea how to start cleaning my house from the Christmas explosion that happened just a few days ago. This Sunday as part of worship, we will be doing something a little different. We are asking all our children to bring one toy with them to worship. This may seem odd, but we are going to take some time in worship to bless these toys, and here’s why-

Struggling with an imperfect Christmas?

December 22, 2017

Christmas is three days away. Take a deep breath. Breathe in the peace. Breathe out the stress. Repeat. The lead-up to Christmas is often a trying time. We struggle for the perfect family get-together, perfect decorations, perfect gifts, or, honestly, just to get through it without messing up anything too badly. I don't tend to stress much over decorations, but this year I've been struggling with getting the rubber duckie nativity outside my office just right. Sure, it may not be your struggle, but I believe where it's led me will give you some peace.

Access Update

December 15, 2017

This last weekend in Access we announced in Access a staff transition that will be taking place starting January 1. Pastor Rich is changing positions and thankfully will continue to be part of our staff. I'll let Rich tell you in his own words what he will be doing:

Grinchmas Giving

December 08, 2017

This year, I might have a slight preference for the Grinch over Santa. The idea of someone coming to my house and taking all the stuff that I didn’t need in the first place would save me a lot of trouble when I get to spring cleaning. I have been the thinking the past fews weeks of what it might look like to buy presents for my family and friends a little differently this year.

Christmas stars in my neighborhood sky

December 01, 2017

Between kindergarten and eighth grade Christmas stars started appearing in my neighborhood. Farmers fashioned stars out of lumber and lights and mounted them on the tops of silos and other tall structures on their property. One year my uncle fashioned one such star for the silo at my grandfather's farm, and a few years later it came to our house where my dad mounted it at the top of a 5-story tower that held our TV antenna. High in the air and out in the country without city lights, our star and the others in the neighborhood shown large among a night sky filled with stars, and they proclaimed the coming of Christ. So, a couple years ago when our staff was encouraged to decorate our offices for Christmas, my mind went back to my childhood.