Sunday, August 3, 2008

A Return Home

I was blessed with the opportunity to speak to the Green Lawn church tonight. It was good being home.

Green Lawn Church of Christ in Lubbock, Texas is my home in many respects. I came to my own faith in Christ while growing up at Green Lawn and had my first opportunities in ministry there, serving stints as youth minister and campus minister. My parents are still a part of the Green Lawn congregation as are so many of my close friends and my "closest" relatives in Christ.

It had been over 13 years since I last spoke to the Green Lawn congregation. My first sermon was preached in that auditorium . . . I was a nervous 13 year old boy! And, for a few years I had some fairly regular opportunities to preach there. I hope tonight was not my final opportunity.

Green Lawn has had a great heritage of promoting youth ministry (it is in many ways the hallmark of the congregation) and missions. Much of who I am as a Christian man and much of my philosophy of ministry has been shaped by my experiences and associations as a part of the Green Lawn family.

2 comments:

Matthew said...

I love going back to Nova Scotia, in that little church I preached my first, I want to call it a sermon. It brings back great memories. Glad you had this blessing.

Matt said...

going to Tulia this weekend something about going to the place where you were born, nurtured, and loved. So glad to hear about you going to Greenlawn.