When I was asked to share a story in worship, I really thought it would be an easy task to think of one because so many of my stories come from here. I was baptized here, confirmed here, I sang in Pure Sound, my husband and I were married here and we are now raising our 2 children here. But milestones are not a story...
The Randy Smith Bible Class was formed in 1972 by Wm. Randolph Smith, his wife, Ann Pichett Smith, Clyde and Jody Jackson, Faerie Marston and Miriam S. Slemmons after they had attended a retreat at Laity Lodge, established by the Howard E. Butt Foundation on the Frio River north of Leakey, Texas. Dr. J. Kenneth Shamblin, St. Luke’s Senior Pastor at the time, was concerned about a layperson teaching the Bible, but graciously consented to the class’ founding and Randy as its first teacher. Randy’s father was Bishop A. Frank Smith, but Randy had chosen to become an [...]
Although my memory isn’t especially clear on this, this clipping from an early 1954 Houston Chronicle article shows that my sister, my cousin, and I (among others age 6) “took attendance honors” for the Carol Choir of St. Luke’s. Eighteen months later, my family moved away from Houston. My next St. Luke’s memory was in 1965 while visiting Rice University as a college option. My family sat in the balcony and I was in awe of the amazing church service. The choir procession and the music really caught my attention. I also remember being unable to figure out [...]
You can’t imagine the impact St. Luke’s has had on my life. Sixty-six years ago, when Carl and I came to St. Luke’s with our infant son in 1954, I was 23 years old, and St. Luke’s was a neighborhood church. Friends of ours were members and invited us to the church. We loved it and stayed. I dove right in and taught kindergarten Sunday School, and Jan and Debbie Agee were two of my students. I sang in the Chancel Choir for years when Bob Bennett was the Choirmaster. I grew in my faith and my knowledge [...]
A PERSONAL PRAYER Gift giving, generous God, Today, I choose gratitude. Yes, in my mind other things pop up. I complain. I judge others. I get anxious about the future, or even about the present. But today I choose not to let them linger, but instead to douse them with gratitude and turn my thoughts to giving thanks. Life is all a gift, and I am thankful to be allowed to live it. I am especially thankful to be a part of a church family in which gratitude is both spoken and acted out. I feel the vibe when I [...]
A PERSONAL PRAYER God of love, Sometimes, I win. Sometimes I lose. Sometimes the blues get ahold of me, ah just when I thought I had made it. (With thanksgiving to Carole King, "Sweet Seasons." But all you boomers knew that.) It is so easy to give thanks in the good times. My heart is overwhelmed with how you have blessed me. Thanksgiving flows naturally from my heart filled with gratitude. But there are days things aren't going so well. I am so grateful that those are few and far between, but who knows what life will bring. I can [...]
A PERSONAL PRAYER Dear Jesus, The other day after a sermon about the idols we worship, someone confessed to me that he has made "comfort and happiness" his god. I thought a lot about that. I think I can make the same confession. So many times I long for life to be easy. I find myself wondering why everything seems challenging, why nothing just flows along nicely without any bumps and bruises along the way. I think, "well, I must be doing something wrong. If I was doing it right, then life would be going smoothly." Ah, but now I see it. It isn't supposed [...]
Friends, The called session of the General Conference of the United Methodist Church to deal with issues around same sex marriage and ordination is concluding. The body passed an amended version of the plan called “The Traditional Plan,” which continues the current United Methodist position that same sex weddings cannot be officiated by our clergy or in our churches, and self-avowed practicing LGBT men and women may not be ordained. It also adds increased accountability for bishops and boards of ministry in enforcing this covenant. However, many of the components to increase that accountability already have been ruled in violation [...]
A special called session of the General Conference of the United Methodist denomination will be meeting in St. Louis from Saturday, February 23 – Tuesday, February 26. The purpose of the session is to make decisions regarding whether United Methodist churches or clergy are permitted to hold or officiate at same-sex weddings, and whether Annual Conferences can ordain self-avowed, practicing homosexual men and women. Ordinarily, the General Conference of the church meets every four years, with lay and clergy delegates from Annual Conferences around the world. In the regular session of the General Conference in 2016, a special commission (The [...]
A PERSONAL PRAYER God of love, I was reading a book this week and words jumped off the page at me. I think I heard you speaking to me through the text: "It's an obvious but often overlooked truth: Nothing changes until there is a change in behavior. Nothing has changed until people start acting differently." (Tod Bolsinger, Canoeing the Mountains: Christian Leadership in Uncharted Territory.) The author's intent was to teach about leadership, but the words spoke to me about my own life. I crave a closer relationship with you. I long to be sanctified by the power of your Holy [...]
