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Dear Friends,

Last night I remembered that I have spoken these words over this church for almost 25 years…and they never get old: “I invite you therefore to the observance of a holy Lent…” And now the season begins.

I would like to recap my message from last night so that you get the main gist. I am asking that you make your Lent a season of meaningful worship, deepening growth and study, and sacrificial service. It is our theme for the whole of Christ Church: Worship. Grow. Serve.

WORSHIP
Commit to attending church week by week.  I was preparing my message for the weekend and was absolutely inspired by the love and devotion of Mary, the sister of Martha and Lazarus. Her act of worship was totally “of the heart”. It was because of her love for God. Worship is like that…and can be like that for you this Lent.

• • • Pray - Connect to the Lord through our Prayer Experiment. As I mentioned last night on Ash Wednesday, the Prayer Experiment is a staple here at Christ Church. I have seen such incredible power come to people’s spiritual life through the gift of answerer prayer. As I said last night, God answers prayer in three ways: when He gives you the answer you had hoped for; when He changes your heart; or when He shows you His heart. But trust Him…He will not let you down.
    • Fast - Join us for (at least) two days of fasting, February 26 and March 26. Fasting is an ancient form of worship and prayer that was practiced by Jesus and His disciples and countless others.  Since it is a rather peculiar form of discipline according to our modern lives, some explanation is available for you here.

GROW
Join a Small Group to connect to the Lenten sermon series. I think it will help you go deeper in your faith. Reminder: Beginning with the Lenten sermon series, we will send out sermon study guides every other week instead of every week. We will combine two weeks into a single guide so that groups can stay on track with the Sunday sermons more easily and so that no group feels overwhelmed by the amount of material. So every other week, on Monday morning, beginning March 1, we will post a study guide that will include information from two weeks. To get onto the email reminder list, contact the Rev. Susan Freeman at 214-291-5055.

Also, come to On Point Bible Study (Tuesday morning for men; Wednesday evening for men and women). We are in the middle of a great series on Abraham called Walking With God.  Please join us. No prior Bible study experience is required, but you will certainly need to bring your own Bible.

SERVE
Join a ministry team.  We need ushers, greeters, lay readers, chalice bearers, and many other helpers and leaders that make Sunday morning a go. Go here to read about the various worship roles that we need filled. Contact Brenda Gribbin and tell her that you’d like to be on a ministry team.  You are needed.

By the way, these correspond to my video here in which I invited you to a ‘Simple, Holy Lent’ by connecting to the season of Lent through our simple process of the Christian life: Worship. Grow. Serve. (Not multiple choice, by the way. Pick three!)

ANGLICAN 1000
Next week is a huge week here at Christ Church. You will be blessed to know that over 300 church leaders and potential church planters will be on site on Monday and Tuesday. The Anglican1000 Church Planting Summit gets underway Monday morning at 10 a.m. sharp. Many of you are volunteering for this…your homes, your time, your expertise in many areas.  What a great response we have had, too. The new website is up and the whole movement is gaining momentum.

“DEAR DAVID…”
Last weekend’s “Dear David…” sermon about love and intimacy was a lot of fun for me. I hope you got something out of it, too. If you would like a copy to send to someone, you can order it here, or watch it online here.

I look forward to seeing you this weekend for the start of the “By the Cross” Lenten series.

Have a Holy Lent,

David+

Let’s get real before God. That is the title of my sermon this Sunday and I am eager to open God’s Word together.  The service outline for Lent is a bit different during this season. There is an important element of worship that takes place at the very beginning. (Hint: Don’t be late!) But all in all, the emphasis and focus of Lent is on the hope we have in God and God alone.

It is a perfect time to bring friends to church. As you might imagine, the whole North Dallas community is in need of hope and a deepening faith in God. We have been made painfully aware in recent months that the grasp we thought we had on our life–the securities of the world–is tentative. Yesterday was Ash Wednesday, and I am so grateful to God for all the people He allowed us to minister to. I saw many of you, but I also saw a lot of faces I haven’t seen in awhile. And I even saw a lot of new visitors. In fact, our Ash Wednesday attendance was up by about 150 over last year. Over the past several days, we gave out around 1,500 of the Lenten Devotional Books! So what does this all mean? I think it means that people are hungry for the comfort that a church can bring in times of need. They want a reminder of the truths of God that never change. And Christ Church is perfectly poised to deliver the gift of Christ’s message to this community. So please continue to invite. The gift that gets us through these tough times…and gives us more security than we ever imagined…is hope and faith in God. A friend of mine sent me this quote by the great preacher, C. H. Spurgeon: “-Little faith will bring your souls to Heaven, but great faith will bring Heaven to your souls.”

Fran read me a portion of her journal the other day…and I asked her if I could reprint it here for you. She wrote:

We are each called to pursue the journey of sanctification—

• lives that are totally surrendered to God
• lives that reflect and worship Him alone
• lives that are disciplined to honor all He has done
• lives that are content in all things
• lives that are useful at all times
• lives that please and glorify HIM alone
• Soli Deo Gloria

That is what we are talking about and that is what I will try to express in my message this week.

Then, on this coming Monday, Fr. Ron McCrary will offer a workshop on the biblical spiritual disciplines. I know many committed Christians and people who work hard year after year to deepen their faith, but few are as knowledgeable and practiced in the biblical spiritual disciplines (the ones Jesus Himself practiced) as Fr. Ron. You will be blessed by his presentation and you will love meeting Ron, so please carve out two hours to come!

Here are a few things you need to know:

1. Saturday is the day of Ordination for Daniel Adkinson, Jason Bowman, and Susan Freeman.  These three candidates are known to many of you in the church.  But I assure you that they have been through an extensive process of study, preparation, examination and consideration.  They have all attained Masters level degrees in pursuit of this call.  They have been shepherded along the way by Fr. Jeff Rawn and other members of the staff and lay groups. The service will be at 10:30 a.m. this Saturday. I have the honor of preaching.  Our bishop, the Rt. Rev. Philip Jones, will conduct the service. You are invited!
2. On Sunday we will be joined in worship at 11 a.m. by nearly 100 of Christ Church’s finest young people, our Middle School youth.  They will be fresh off a great weekend called “DiscipleNow.” Wow…they bring a lot of life and joy to our church. Get ready!
3. The Vestry election is this weekend as well.  These are great men and women, and the church has a very difficult task of making these selections.  We are electing four to serve on a board of 12. In the Anglican tradition and the by-laws of our parish, the vestry serves to assist the rector (me) in the execution of the ministry. They vote to approve a budget (which will be available for you to see this weekend too), they serve as a counsel of advice, and they protect the financial integrity of the ministry. Only members of the parish are allowed to vote. Our by-laws allow us to hold our “annual meeting” as a worship service in which people are allowed to cast their ballot. Results will be in next week’s edition of The Call. I am personally thankful for the ministry of the out-going members of the vestry: Terre Michaels, Harry Harrison, Bill Breckinridge, and especially our Sr. Warden, Scott Tuthill. Click here for the current vestry member list.
4. I want to encourage our married and seriously dating couples to come to the seminar I am doing called The Biblical Vision of Marriage.  It may not sound like an exciting topic…but I assure you it will be.  I will outline for you the biblical definition of marriage, what God wants for our marriages (based on His Word), how men and women are to get along as husbands and wives, the purpose of sex and intimacy, and a few pointers that might be helpful to all married and seriously dating people. It’s Wednesday, March 11 at 6:30 p.m.

That’s it for now.  It is a very busy time, but our activities are focused on only three things: the Worship of Christ, our Growth in Christ, and our service to Christ. Sound familiar?

As you heard on Ash Wednesday, I invite you to the observance of a Holy Lent.

David+

Dear Friends,

This is an important weekend to be in church. It is the last Sunday before Ash Wednesday and the season of Lent. We have been planning a series of offerings including a small group curriculum, special readings and devotions (get your devotional book at church this weekend!), and a spiritual disciplines workshop. Also, our Children’s Ministry has an amazing program to help our youngest walk and learn faithfully in the Season of Lent. Go here to find out more.

Lent is a special season every year…but perhaps this year more than ever. We are all in need of a deeper touch and connection from God. And in the season of Lent, in our time of devotion and sacrifice, we essentially make room for Him. By what we give up, we open up, so to speak.

You can go here to read about Lent from a common understanding. But the Prayer Book language expresses it perfectly:

The first Christians observed with great devotion the days of our Lord’s passion and resurrection, and it became the custom of the Church to prepare for them by a season of penitence and fasting. This season of Lent provided a time in which converts to the faith were prepared for Holy Baptism. It was also a time when those who, because of notorious sins, had been separated from the body of the faithful were reconciled by penitence and forgiveness, and restored to the fellowship of the Church. Thereby, the whole congregation was put in mind of the message of pardon and absolution set forth in the Gospel of our Savior, and of the need which all Christians continually have to renew their repentance and faith.

I invite you, therefore, in the name of the Church, to the
observance of a holy Lent, by self-examination and repentance;
by prayer, fasting, and self-denial; and by reading and
meditating on God’s holy Word.

That says it all.

Here are a few things you need to know:

1. We have almost 150 women going off for a retreat on Friday-Sunday. I will pray for them, and I ask you to join me in prayer. But I also pray for something else. I pray that the husbands of all the married women on retreat will NOT use this weekend for sleeping in. Husbands, bring your kids to church! It doesn’t matter if you can’t “do” your daughter’s hair, or the socks don’t match, or they are not fed breakfast. (Well, maybe a quick trip to McDonald’s on the way to church?) I’ll hope to see the men here!
2. Speaking of men, I am happy to announce that we have called Jason Bowman to be our Men’s Ministry leader. (If you recognize the name, it may be because he is also one of our Feb 28 ordination candidates.) As part of the staff reorganization process, we left room for a leader who could come alongside our men and minister to them in their spiritual walk. Jason has a master’s degree in theology from Dallas Theological Seminary and currently teaches at Trinity Christian Academy. He will transition into his new role here over the next several weeks.
3. There are two learning opportunities coming up soon that I want you to consider: First, on Wednesday evening, March 11, I will do a talk on “The Biblical Vision of Marriage.” Anyone can come, but the talk will be gear for married and seriously dating couples. The presentation will be frank and honest, and based on the key biblical passages from God’s Word. Then, on two consecutive Sunday nights, April 26 and May 3, I will do a two-part seminar called “Confirmed Anglicanism.” Again, anyone can come (and I hope you will), but it will also be tailored for adults who are considering being confirmed through the Anglican faith. You’ll see more details soon on both events.

Finally, go back to The Call…There are a couple of short videos that you need to see…you may recognize some of the “talent.”

‘See you this weekend!
David+

Dear Friends,
A vestry member called me today to make an observation. He said he experienced a problem on Sunday that he had never encountered at Christ Church…at least not in recent years. He couldn’t find a place to park!

I have never had to worry about finding a place to park on Sunday morning (I live really close ☺), but generally, I think this is a good problem to have. It means that our members are taking seriously the call to commit to Worship Christ, Grow in Christ, and Serve as Christ in and from the church. It also means something that we would all suspect: People are looking for deep answers in the wake of the national trauma we have all experienced.

Christ Church is a place to find these kinds of answers…because these answers are found embedded in the Gospel of Christ. I ask for your prayers as I try week by week to preach a gospel of hope and grace. I hope you will continue to commit to attend worship and to invite others to hear the Good News of Jesus Christ.

I want to thank you all for your patience and comments as I have made some changes in the worship life of Christ Church. Things like this take time and the guidance of the Holy Spirit. I’ll be visiting with our Vestry about it on Monday night.

And, by the way, those at the 11:00 service last Sunday experienced something wonderful when I asked people to “get out of their neighborhood” and meet others. Let’s be sure we continue to reach the many new people that are attending.

Here are some things I want you to know:

1. MARRIAGE
I had planned on preaching a sermon this weekend entitled “A Biblical Vision of Marriage.” My eyes are bigger than my stomach. When I got into the study and preparation for it, I realized that it was too much to do on a Sunday. I have asked Fr. Jeff Rawn to work with me to find a single evening where I can present this material to the whole church in the Fellowship Hall. I hope to videotape it so that we can present it to couples in our pre-marital sessions and for other uses around the church. Dates for that will be made known soon.

2. LENT
Lent is coming up (Ash Wed is Feb 25) and Christ Church has a great deal to offer our members and friends to deepen their spiritual life. Go deep this year. Here is one event you can look forward to. Complete Lenten details will be on the website soon.

3. CUSSING
I spoke to the men at On Point this week about language, words and cussing. Many men struggle in this area…and sadly, many young students do, too. I showed the men an intriguing website and story of your young boy who decided to challenge his friends to stop cussing. He is doing it. Go to this website: www.nocussingclub.com. Read it over…and gently suggest it to your teenage children.

4. ORDINATION
Finally, there are three people in our church family who have taken the Lord’s call on their lives very seriously and in fact are preparing to be ordained by our bishop: Daniel Adkinson, Susan Freeman and Jason Bowman. Their respective photos are below. You are all invited to the ordination service on February 28 at 10:30 a.m. in our Sanctuary. If you see these three individuals, give a hug or handshake to encourage them in this wonderful new phase of their ministry.

In Christ,
David+

Dear Friends,

As recession worries mount, many people are looking for spiritual and faith-guidance. I hear it all the time. I read about the personal impact of lay-offs and tightening budgets. Some have asked me for guidance and have looked to their church for help.

As I have prayed about it, I came across Psalm 4. After doing some study and reflection on it, I suggest that it might be called “A Psalm of David for a Time of Recession.” Here are a few lines that are certain to get to the heart of the matter:  “…the Lord will hear when I call to him.” “Many are asking, “Who can show us any good?” Let the light of your face shine upon us, O Lord.” “I will lie down and sleep in peace, for you alone, O Lord, make me dwell in safety” And read this: “Answer me when I call to you, O my righteous God. Give me relief from my distress; be merciful to me and hear my prayer.”

I implore you to read it, mark and learn it. Hold the hand of your spouse and pray it every morning. Show it to a co-worker or a fellow job seeker. And please know this: As we go through this season—however long or however deep—our God doesn’t change and you will always find strength in the fellowship and joy of worship.

Here are a few things I want you to know for this week:

1. I believe and trust that we are coming out of the season of change and transition we have been going through. I have been engaged in serious discussions with the vestry and with the senior staff leadership. I see the new structure we have as, in the words of the world, “lean and mean.” That is to say, I am confident it will be very effective in achieving our mission to make disciples and teach them to obey the commands of Christ.
   Our new structure takes seriously the central focus of our church to Worship, Grow and Serve. This has been the heart of what I have been trying to do over the last few months. Look at this logo. You will see it everywhere. It is an invitation to everyone in our church to commit to three areas of ministry and mission:  Worship of Christ every weekend, Growth as a disciple of Christ; and Service in and from Christ Church. And as we commit to those three things, it is vitally important is to remember to reach out to others in our community—colleagues, peers, friends, neighbors, family members, and people you meet all over our community. (Speaking of reaching out to your neighbors, click here for a quick video and see which kind of neighbor you are!) 
2. I met with a group of teenagers in my home last night. What a group!  These young men and women touched me deeply and taught me many things. They are faith-driven; they are deeply committed to this church; they are grieving the youth staff changes announced last week; they were respectful and articulate. I was very, very impressed with them.
   One thing I took away from that meeting was a sense that our youth need us. They need the stability of parents and young leaders in the church who will work shoulder to shoulder with them. As Pam Coghlan, our student minister, develops the program and starts to build her teams for these kids, I ask you to stand with our youth and build a great ministry to them and with them.
3. Next Sunday (I’m telling you now so that you can drag your spouse to church…or invite a friend…or neighbor) I will be talking about marriage from a biblical perspective. I spoke to the men at On Point a few weeks ago about the biblical vision of marriage. Many of these men cornered me afterward or wrote and asked me to please share this idea from the pulpit. So I am working on it. If you care about marriage…if you are married, want to be married, used to be married, have married friends, or are tired of being married…you really need to be in church the weekend of Valentine’s Day. I’ll preach at 9:15 and 11:00.
4. Many of you have written me or spoken to me about the music at 9:15 and 11:00. It has been a great blend of contemporary and traditional music, all structured along the lines of the Anglican worship format. We have some tweaking to do (again, I ask for your patience) but in the end, it will be terrific. It will all be a tribute and offering of praise to our God.
5. On February 28 at 10:30 a.m. in our Sanctuary, the Rt. Rev. Philip Jones, our bishop in the AMiA, will ordain Daniel Adkinson, Jason Bowman and Susan Freeman to the Holy Order of Deacons. All are invited for this special service and a reception immediately following in Fellowship Hall.
6. Finally, it’s already February and our staff is making preparations for the Lenten season, which begins with Ash Wednesday on February 25. There will be a Lenten devotional book for you to follow in your prayer time, a workshop on spiritual disciplines taught by Fr. Ron McCrary and me, special studies for Small Groups, etc. Mark your calendar now and look for more information soon.

‘See you this weekend.
In Christ,
David+