Sunday, May 29, 2011 was my last Sunday to preach and lead worship as the pastor of Central Christian Church in Dallas, Texas. It was an emotional mix of sadness, gratitude and anticipation. My final messages were from John 15:1-8 and 9-17: Any Last Words? Abide in Jesus (05-22) and Any Last Words? Love Each Other (05-29). If you’re interested you should be able to listen to them at www.cccdt.org. The music people went all out to make a festive celebration. Rev. Dr. Larry Ross, Area Minister for the North Texas Area, and his wife Judy were there. Besides our pastoral relationship, they have been good couple friends. Larry lead a prayer of commissioning that concluded both the service and our time with Central Christian Church.
I have moved almost everything out of my office and will be cleaning on Tuesday. On Wednesday we will take care of details to be ready to leave for the Midwest on Thursday. Our plan is to see Candy’s Dad in Minneapolis, then stop to see Rachel and David, Sam and Elizabeth in Milwaukee. From there we’ll make a quick stop in Batavia, Illinois to see my Mom and my sister, Elaine, and her husband Max. The last stop will be in Grand Island, Nebraska to see Candy’s Aunt Vonnie and Uncle Roger, before returning to Dallas.
After returning from our Midwest tour, I anticipate beginning a new phase of ministry as an interim pastor. You can learn more about this from the Interim Pastor Journey link in the left margin. We have met with one church and are anticipating their answer with hope and expectancy.
