Fort Worth Dish Out

A little project I have had the honor of working on is the Fort Worth Dish Out.  Which is not a huge thing in the world of micro-finance and micro-granting, but it is a huge thing in my little world.  

If you were not there, we had 162 people in attendance on a Sunday evening who each gave at least $20 to break bread, meet new people, share ideas, and participated by voting to support different mission/service projects/ministries in the Fort Worth community.  

People were there for 2 hours.  Which by most accounts, is 100% longer than most worship services.  

And not a single person said to me, "hey, this thing ran long".  

Not one.  In fact, the opposite was true.  People asked when could we do it again and even offered up their time and resources to help the FwDo in the future.  It really was remarkable.  

But more than that.  It was Church.  

Too often we think of Church as what we do in worship.  And while worship is important to Church, worship is just one expression of Church.

And the worship expression has become the dominate, and seemingly only acceptable expression, of Church.  

Recently I was asked by a respected clergy friend if there was any fall out from church members or from my bishop about putting on an expression of Church that had wine.  (The UMC has a stance that does not jibe with alcohol consumption.)


Frankly, while I respect my bishop and will do as I am asked to do I would have to respectfully disagree with him if he decided to take issue with the FwDo.  However, based upon a recent blog post he wrote, I do not think that will be a problem.  


Here is the last paragraph of the linked post which I think expresses an incarnational theology beautifully (emphasis added):


"Wesley took the commanding mission (and commission!) to spread the gospel through making disciples way beyond radical hospitality.  He went where the people were out of love of Christ and love of those who have no relationship with the living God as Father, Son, & Holy Spirit.  What is the equivalent of the New Room and field preaching for us this day?  I believe the same living Lord who called Wesley and early Methodists calls us today."


It seems to me that the UMC has at least one bishop who understands mission and service to a world in need and might be willing to support some ministries that move the Church into other expressions of Church that are not just worship.  


I am thankful that there were many people at the FwDo who also caught a glimpse of what Church can look like in addition to Sunday morning worship.  


Let us hope that vision does not fade in time.

Because the world will die without it, go with love

My wife was going through old boxes and she came across a speech that was given to my graduation class from St. Mary's University in 2004.  


It is not given a source and a quick google search did not help me out.  I share it as a great benediction to which I hope to memorize in the coming month.

Because the world is poor and starving, go with bread.

Because the world is filled with fear, go with courage.

Because the world is in despair, go with hope.

Because the world is living lies, go with truth.

Because the world is sick with sorrow, go with joy.

Because the world is weary of wars, go with peace.

Because the world is seldom fair, go with justice.

Because the world is under judgment, go with mercy.

Because the world will die without it, go with love.

Ray Altman - Living Stones

Do you have people in your life who seem to radiate the Spirit of God of a Peace that you also desire?

If you have that person in your life, I want to share with you that person in my life.

He is also a newly ordained young clergy but he ministers in the south of Texas.  His name is Ray Altman and while his blog is just up and coming as he discovers how best to utilize the blogging platform, I hope you will add him to your blog reading and come to see the Peace of Christ that I have come to see in him.

Check out Living Stones.

Here is a little blurb from his May 30th post:

"You see, God intends us to be dependent, needy, and ignorant because his plan is to provide us with everything we need.  Not that we would posses it for ourselves but that we might find it in him and thereby be in fellowship with him.  Dependence, neediness, and ignorance are only negative terms for those who have no provider, no lover and no teacher!  There was one person who had for himself all independence, who needed nothing at all from any creature, and who knew all things in heaven and earth.  He is the Messiah.  And yet in Jesus Christ we find one who chose to humble himself in the form of a slave."