Some days, life just sucks…
Yesterday was one of those days. This one probably will be, too.
Still…
I keep looking up…
What choice do I have?
Until next time, you keep looking up, too…
A Hard Dose of Life…
Month: August 2025
Things, They are a Changin’…
Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you’ve heard of Cracker Barrel Restaurants rebranding initiative. I must say, we’ve finally found something that everyone can agree on: no one likes the new branding that Cracker Barrel came up with!
Conservatives and Progressives/Liberals alike have lamented the corporate change. There are several reasons I’ve seen over the past week. Those reasons include a loss of nostalgia and identity, The redesigned logo removes the iconic image of a man leaning on a barrel—an emblem of Southern charm and the chain’s heritage—leaving just the words “Cracker Barrel” on a gold background. Critics say this erases the brand’s sentimental value.
There is also the sense of perceived sterility and blandness. Many called the new logo and updated decor “cold,” “sterile,” or “soulless”—in stark contrast to the warm, cozy atmosphere long associated with Cracker Barrel.
As with everything else these days, there are those who note the political undertones of the move and the backlash that followed. Conservative figures widely criticized the change as an example of “wokeness,” while others accused the company of abandoning tradition to appeal to diversity, equity, and inclusion agendas. Even California Governor Gavin Newsom mockingly added fuel to the fire, reflecting deep political polarization surrounding what many consider a benign design change.
And let’s not forget the financial consequences of the rebrand. Cracker Barrel’s stock plunged nearly 15% in one day, erasing an estimated $100 million to $195 million in market value.
I’d say someone didn’t really think that decision all the way through.
Let me say that my family used to love Cracker Barrel. We came to love it when we moved to Kentucky for seminary. Cracker Barrel was a welcome stop on the 12-hour drive between seminary and our home in Louisiana that we would make several times each year.
The biscuits and the cornbread muffins were always warm. The hospitality was always cordial. The atmosphere was inviting and the food quality was consistent. We always knew what we were going to get when we stopped at a Cracker Barrel.
We don’t go to Cracker Barrel anymore, though. We stopped going before the rebrand. We stopped going because the last three times we went to Cracker Barrel, the food simply wasn’t very good. And, they started serving alcohol, too! Not that the alcohol really matters. We go to restaurants all the time that sell alcohol, but there was something that stung me when they made that move. It’s probably more my issue than Cracker Barrel’s, but still…
So? Why such the pushback on Cracker Barrel? I think it’s because Cracker Barrel represents a memory. It was Grandma’s kitchen with biscuits and gravy, and rocking chairs on the front porch. The rebrand stripped away everything the company represented to its customers, all in the name of “relevance” and “modernization.”
I’m not so sure it’s not the same struggle the Church/church faces, too. We want to reach the next generation. We want to be relevant. But sometimes, in the process, we risk losing the very soul of who we are.
Some churches throw out every hymn, every tradition, every symbol of the faith, hoping that a sleek, modern design will attract people. But what happens? People walk in and say: ‘This doesn’t feel like church anymore. It feels soulless.’
Now, don’t get me wrong—change is necessary. We must preach the Gospel in the language of our day, but the Gospel is still the Gospel. The method of the message may change, but the message must never change. Or, just like Cracker Barrel discovered, we can’t throw away our heritage and expect people to follow. People are hungry for warmth, for story, for authenticity. People are hungry for Jesus!
Are we giving them Jesus, or are we giving them some warmed over, feel-good-get-your-God-moment and sending them back out into the world? The Church/church just needs to give the people Jesus every time they come.
Paul tells us in 2 Thessalonians 2:15: ‘So then, brothers and sisters, stand firm and hold fast to the teachings we passed on to you.’
Notice, Paul isn’t saying never change. He traveled culture to culture, adapting his methods to reach people, but he never threw away the core. He held fast to the Gospel, even as he adjusted his approach.
So here’s the lesson for us as a Church/church:
- Change is fine—but it must not be an erasure.
- We can add new songs, new ministries, new outreach—but not at the cost of losing the warmth of fellowship, the truth of Scripture, and the centrality of Jesus Christ.
- People don’t come to church for flash and logos. They come because they’re looking for a family, for hope, for soul, for salvation.
So the next time you drive past a Cracker Barrel (or hear someone complaining about the new logo) remember this: What the world is truly longing for is not sleeker branding, but something real, something rooted, something alive. And friends, that’s exactly what the church can offer, if we hold fast to Jesus Christ while speaking His love in a way this generation can understand.
I sure do wish we could all agree on that!
Until next time, keep looking up…
Nine Things For a Church in Transition…
So, I’m pastoring a small congregation these days. As I reflect on my past leadership as a vocational minister, and I think about where God is calling me to lead as a bi-vocational pastor, I’ve sought to define the necessary actions that will help our congregation be faithful to God’s calling for this stage in our life.
What stage is that? I can’t actually answer that question, but if I attempted to provide an answer, it would be the transitional stage. We are a congregation that is in transition. We’re meeting in a storefront. I would define that as transitional. The storefront can’t be our permanent home unless we are content to be who we are where we are, and I don’t believe the Lord ever wants us to be content with who we are where we are, so we’ll see how that plays out.
We’re also transitional in our mission. As a congregation that was displaced from its property, there is a time of defining who God is calling us to reach with the Gospel. Our “target” now is not who the “target” was a year ago, because our storefront is located in a different part of the community. We’re in transition in figuring this out.
We’re also transitional in our worship style. The Lord has provided us with some amazing musicians to lead us in worship, and working to their strengths has made us adapt from a more traditional worship style to a more “contemporary” worship style. It is definitely a transitional time for the congregation.
One other transition the congregation is facing is in leadership. No, not in finding new leadership, but in understanding what it means to have a truly bi-vocational pastor. How does the congregation provide leadership in tandem with a bi-vocational pastor? Certainly a transitional aspect of life for the congregation.
These transitional aspect of congregational life have forced me to consider this question: What are nine things we MUST do to be faithful as a congregation in this time of transition? In no particular order, here are the nine things I’ve defined as necessary to navigate the transitions:
1. Biblical Teaching/Preaching
This almost goes without saying, but I’ll say it anyway. Let me clarify what I mean: I mean keeping the message simple without all the smoke and mirrors, sounds and light shows and video driven illustrations. It’s not about flash, it’s about truth and the Gospel message is a simple message for everyone. Keep it simple. Preach the Bible. Preach truth. The fluff is a distraction from the truth.
Technology is great, and it can really bring a “Wow” factor to worship, but in this transitional time, we need to let God wow us, not the technology.
2. Participatory Worship
Traditional worship (and by traditional I mean pretty much every church worship service these days) has become more of an observation exercise than anything else. Folks show up, sit in rows, listen to singers perform and preachers preach. Worship has become more performance than anything else.
Nope! Worship is meant to be a participatory experience. From music, to prayers, to preaching and teaching, to communion. All of the body of Christ is meant to participate in worship. Participatory worship will be another way that we encounter God, and we need to encounter Him over and over again during this period of transition.
3. Holy Spirit Led
One of my old mentors used to pray before he entered worship, “Lord, let something happen today that is not in the bulletin!” During this time of transition, we have to leave room for the Holy Spirit to move. We’re looking for flexibility not rigidity, allowing room for the Holy Spirit to move, even in our corporate worship.
That scares a lot of people, and it kind of scares me, too. It’s also a little bit counter to the argument that the Spirit works in our preparation for worship. Well, yes He does, but He can also lead in the present and we have to attune ourselves to His presence and moving.
4. More Fellowship Time
One of the reasons we have divisions is because we don’t spend enough time sharing meals together and doing activities outside the worship setting. No, I’m not talking about Sunday school or small group time. I’m talking about playing together. I’m talking about having fun together.
What does that look like? That’s yet to be determined, but it is necessary to navigating transitions in a healthy way. It will also help us define who God is calling us to be as a congregation.
5. Hear the Bible Again
I have to confess that I’ve been guilty of listening more to what other people say about what the Bible says than simply reading the Bible and letting the Bible say what it says.
Do you know what I mean? I mean I want to listen to what Billy Abraham says the Bible says than what the Bible says it says. Don’t get me wrong. Biblical scholars are great, and we shouldn’t be anti-scholarship, but often we hear 90% of what someone thinks what the Bible says and 10 of what the Bible actually says.
How about we start with hearing the Word and start with the Word we just heard?
6. Less Clock, More Connection
How did we ever come to believe that church/worship needed to be limited to one hour? Yes, I know the adage “The mind can absorb only what the seat can endure.” And, yes, I know there is the one guy always sitting in the back of the congregation checking his watch.
Seriously, we have to move past that mentality if we’re going to encounter the living God. Just when the Holy Spirit starts to move the preacher says, “Well, we’re out of time, so I’ll close.” I’ve said it many times. I wonder how often I quenched the Holy Spirit by making that statement?
Yup, I get hungry, too, but we can’t let our need to finish in an hour cause us to miss the Spirit.
7. Talk About Sin
I’m not talking about making every worship encounter fire and brimstone. I’m talking about acknowledging the reality of sin and acknowledging the destructive nature of sin. Sin has become unpopular topic in many churches these days. That’s unfortunate because unless we realize the destructive nature of sin, how can we know the saving grace of the Lord Jesus Christ?
Who needs salvation when there is no sin?
8. Engage the Community Spiritually
We love giving backpacks and school supplies to kids. We love feeding the hungry and clothing the naked. We love, love, love meeting physical needs and we love to pat ourselves on the back when we do so. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with that. We are supposed to minister to the needs of others (read Matthew 25), but people’s greatest needs are more often spiritual.
What are we doing to engage our community on a spiritual level? What are we doing to address their spiritual needs? Those are questions we must ask during this transitional period of our congregational life.
9. Develop a Kingdom Vision
For too many congregations in transition, the vision is to simply stay afloat–to keep the doors open, to keep the bills paid, to hang on to the status quo. Transitional congregations must be intentional in developing a Kingdom vision–a vision for the future and for growth. It is about a vision for expanding the Kingdom of God, not about keeping people inside the walls of the church.
Developing a Kingdom vision takes time and intentionality. It takes patience and it takes relying on the Holy Spirit to move among us. Don’t rush it.
Conclusion
One would think I could come up with one more thing for the congregation to do in this transition. We like top ten lists, right? Honestly, though, anything I might add to the list above would really just dovetail off one of these nine, so I’ll leave the list at nine.
We could also spend more time unpacking each of the nine, but I offer them hear as conversation starters. I’d love to hear your feedback, and I’d also love to hear if you have any you would add to the list. Add them in the comments and let’s keep the conversation going.
Until next time, keep looking up…
The Message of the Cross…
Here’s the verse I’ve been contemplating all week:
18 For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. (1 Corinthians 1: 18 NIV)
Here’s the question I’ve also been contemplating all week:
Is the Church of Jesus Christ losing the message of the cross, and thus the power of God unto salvation?
Why do I ask?
No Crosses
It’s simple: there are some “Christian” bodies that no longer display the cross. I’m not going to name names. Why heavens! That would seem divisive, but you know what? Division in the body of Jesus Christ is exactly what the Apostle Paul was addressing when he introduced the message of the cross to the young church at Corinth.
So, yeah, let me name names.
Lakewood Church–that bastion of evangelical (?) Christianity in Houston, Texas–doesn’t display the cross prominently in its worship space.
They’re not the only one. Traditionally, Quakers do not display the cross (or any religious symbols) in their meeting houses. Additionally, many non-denominational churches have chosen to remove the cross from their worship spaces.
Why would they do that? They will tell you there are several reasons:
- Some would say they focus on the resurrected Christ rather than the crucified Christ (this would distinguish them from the Roman Catholics),
- Some would say that a focus on the cross is a form of idolatry and violates the second commandment,
- Some argue that the cross wasn’t used broadly as a Christian symbol until 300 years after the time of Jesus, so why use it now,
- Some say the cross is offensive to non-Christians, so to make non-religious people feel more comfortable, crosses should be removed.
It’s this last reason that gets me, and I’m wondering if it was what Paul was addressing as the first issue (among many) in their divisions of the Corinthian church.
The Offensive Cross
Look at what Paul says in verse 23:
23 but we preach Christ crucified: a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles,
In the first century, crucifixion was the most shameful death imaginable — reserved for slaves and criminals. Romans themselves would never endure it.
So, telling people their Savior died on a cross was scandalous to Jews and nonsense to Greeks.
I fear that today people want a faith without a cross. We want inspiration without repentance, blessing without sacrifice. We want Christ without the crown of thorns. If that is what we want, that is what we’ll get, but we’ll miss the power of God unto salvation.
Paul says “the message of the cross…is the power of God.” Why is the cross God’s power? Because at the cross:
- The penalty of sin was paid.
- The power of sin was broken.
- The holy love of God was displayed.
We should never be ashamed of the cross. It is where justice and mercy meet perfectly. The message of the cross changes lives.
Smarter than the Cross
Rev. Shane Bishop had a Facebook post earlier in the week wherein he identified four viruses affecting the contemporary church. The third virus is that “we are suddenly smarter than everyone else who has ever read the Bible.”
Our propensity is to read the Bible in light of current cultural trends and bend the Bible to fit the current cultural climate instead of allowing the Bible to form us in light of the current culture. Culture will always change. Always has. Always will. The Word of God never changes. It is the enduring truth of the ages. I believe this is what the Apostle Paul is saying to the young church.
20 Where is the wise person? Where is the teacher of the law? Where is the philosopher of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? (1 Corinthians 1: 20 NIV)
We’ll never be able to outsmart God. Paul mocks our human arrogance. All our knowledge can’t help us find God. Our learning can make us clever, but it cannot make us right with God. Only the cross can do that! Education, without the power of the cross, just makes smarter sinners.
God’s plan of salvation was designed so that no one could claim special “knowledge” that led to salvation. It can’t be earned through human achievement. It is available to anyone and everyone who receives it by faith…it is God’s gift.
Look folks, everything we have comes from God through Jesus Christ. Paul evens ends his initial plea for unity with that truth:
30 It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God—that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption. (1 Corinthians 1:30 NIV)
Paul says Jesus is the source of any wisdom we attain. Paul says Jesus is the One who places us in right standing with God. Paul says Jesus is the One who sanctifies us, and that He has purchased our pardon. It all happened on the cross.
If the Church of Jesus Christ would find its unity, it must do so, Paul says, in the message of the cross.
We can’t replace the Gospel message with clever ideas or popular cultural trends.
We can’t water down the “offense” of the cross. The message of the cross will always confront our pride.
We must remember that we are nothing and we have nothing apart from the cross of Jesus. If we boast, let our boasting be in Him.
The cross of Jesus is the power of God. Let us never lose His power. Let us never lose the cross.
Until next time, keep looking up…
A Stroll Down Memory Lane…
Due to some unforeseen circumstances, Vanessa and I took a flying trip to Morgan City, LA on Saturday. Morgan City’s Pharr Chapel United Methodist Church was the first congregation we served after I graduated from seminary in 1998. The unexpected trip became a stroll down memory lane for both of us as we rode around town reminding ourselves of our time there.
As best I recall, I haven’t been back to Morgan City since August 2013–almost exactly 12 years ago. I returned then for the funeral of a prominent member of the congregation who passed away. His name was “Boogie” Hamilton.
“Boogie” was a great guy. He was a local pharmacist who owned the Standard Drug Co., of Morgan City. As best I can remember, Standard Drugs was a family business that Boogie took over from his dad.
We drove by Standard Drugs yesterday (it was at the end of 8th St. right in front of Morgan City High School. It looked like it was no longer Standard Drugs. I know he sold the business to a fellow pharmacist when he decided it was time to retire, but that was what seems like a long time ago.
Boogie was faithful to Pharr Chapel. He was the “head usher” at the 8:30 a.m., worship service. He was always there on time to get things ready for the service and to line up those who would assist him with ushering for the day.
Better still, Boogie was a guy who took care of his pastor. Well, I can’t speak for all his pastors through the years, but I can certainly speak for this one. At least once a month, Boogie would call me up and treat me to lunch at one of the popular seafood restaurants. Knowing my love for catfish, also about once a month, he would show up at the church or the parsonage with five pounds of fresh catfish filets caught right out of the Atchafalaya River.
I know they were fresh caught catfish because I know where he got them. He got them (most of the time) from Lester Duvall, who was also a member of the congregation. Lester was a commercial fisherman. Lester, on several occasions, took me with him down the Atchafalaya to run his fish traps. I suppose he wanted me to see the lifestyle of the fishermen of the region. I never left a trip with Lester without some fresh catfish.
Boogie was also the guy who kept his ear to the ground for me. Boogie was such a long-time, prominent member of the congregation that if something was afoot, or if someone was upset, or if something needed to be addressed, he was the first to know. He was also (generally) the first to let the pastor know. He would always pass along that information quickly and without judgment on the situation. He just needed the pastor to know, so he made sure I did.
We drove by the church at 517 Federal Avenue. The congregation has cared for the facility very well. The “old” parsonage, that sat directly in front of the educational building on Federal Avenue is gone. It served as a rent house when I was pastor there. I never thought it was a good idea for a congregation to be in the rental business, but I was a young pastor fresh out of seminary, so I can honestly confess I wasn’t savvy enough to know how to approach that battle. It’s good to see one of my subsequent colleagues was savvy enough to accomplish that task.
We drove by the “new” parsonage (which is now actually the “old” parsonage) at 3013 Carrol Drive. We spent three years in that home. I’ll say it was one of the finest parsonages we have lived in through our years of vocational ministry.
The parsonage was a block off Lake Palourde, and a half a block from the levee of the swamp. We remembered the golden lab we rescued from the local pound. Shadow would jump the fence in our back yard and make his way to the swamp. We were forever looking for him. No matter what I did to the fence, he was able to jump over it or climb it to get out. Animal Control even picked him up a few times before we could find him. We ended up rehoming him before we left Morgan City.
Pharr Chapel was/is a great congregation. We had fruitful ministry there. Morgan City is/was a great place to call home. Unfortunately, it is also the only appointment that we requested a move from. It absolutely has nothing to do with the congregation or the community. We loved both. It had to do with family.
We were raising four children, and without going into detail, suffice it to say we were being challenged in our parenting skills. We thought a move closer to family might be helpful to our situation and better for our family. As it turns out, that wasn’t exactly the case, and our move from Morgan City remains one of the biggest regrets of my time in vocational ministry.
For all the good memories this stroll down memory lane evoked, there are a few regrets that surfaced, too. First, there is the regret of leaving fruitful ministry. The congregation was growing. Our faith community was thriving and reaching out into the community.
I was deeply involved in the community, as well. I served on the hospital ethics board and I was the go-to pastor for the two local funeral homes when they had a death and the family had no church connection. By my count, I officiated 37 funerals in the 36 months I pastored in Morgan City. It was in Morgan City that I developed a deep appreciation for the liturgy for funerals. When one performs more funerals for people you didn’t know than for ones you did, the liturgy becomes your friend.
In addition, the local radio station was located directly across the alley behind the church. I became friends with the owner, and through that friendship, became the color analyst for the Morgan City High School football games. Who knows? I could have been the next Vin Scully or Pat Summerall.
Next, I regret leaving (and subsequently not maintaining) the strong friendships we developed in our three short years there. I’ve already mentioned two that were meaningful to me, but there were others that were meaningful to both Vanessa and me together. There were several couples in the congregation who were at the same life stage as us. Our friendship just clicked. We shared Sunday school together. We shared meals together. We shared social functions together. We shared birthdays together. Vanessa even shared work together with two of them. We were, by my account, great friends.
I don’t know why those friendships diminished so through the years. Well, of course I do. First, time does that to all our relationships. We can add distance to that equation, too. We moved five hours away. Five hours is a long way when we were at the life stage (all of us) we were in. Of course, not long after we moved, Morgan City received an evacuation notice for an incoming hurricane. A group of those friends landed with us for two days in our new appointment. It was a fantastic time. Good friends, indeed!
I also want to lay part of the blame on the “system” of the United Methodist Church. It used to be (I don’t know if it still is) that it was drilled into pastors that when you leave a congregation, you leave a congregation. You don’t go back for any reason. You give the new pastor an opportunity to become the congregation’s pastor. Being the good company man I was, I sought to fulfill that expectation to the fullest extent.
I refused calls to officiate both weddings and funerals. I didn’t engage myself in conversations with former church members when they were upset that the new pastor didn’t do things the same way I did. Oh yes, there were the occasional calls back to friends, and the Christmas cards and what not, but the friendships withered. I know I wasn’t intentional in maintaining them.
Of course, the same can be said for every congregation we’ve served. Looking back over our years in vocational ministry, I regret not maintaining the relationships better after we departed. That’s on me. I’ve learned through the years that my wanting to “leave” a congregation well stemmed from my own insecurities about being perceived as a good “company man.”
This stroll down memory lane has taught me that relationships are more important than that. To have friends, we have to be a friend. I don’t think I’ve been a very good friend through the years. Oh, I have lots and lots of acquaintances, but very few friends. That, too, is on me.
We’ve never served a bad appointment in vocational ministry. I say that without equivocation. We’ve been blessed by every congregation…every last one. Each of them has been great in its own way, and I am proud (if a follower of Jesus can be proud) to have served each one. With that qualifier, I’ll say Morgan City/Pharr Chapel is absolutely at the top of the list.
Yeah, I’m probably getting myself in trouble with this blog, so I’ll just go ahead and beg forgiveness from all the other congregations I’ve served. This stroll down memory lane has challenged me to be more direct in building and maintaining friendships.
I’ve also come to realize that we pastors don’t need to be quite so insecure. You don’t want to return for fear of interfering with the new pastor? Get over yourself. Go back. Be in ministry to your friends. In the big picture, they won’t remember you for the friendship you developed. They’ll remember you didn’t minister to them in their time of need.
You don’t want a former pastor returning to the congregation you’re now pastoring? Ha! Get over yourself. You’re not the end all and be all of pastors. Give it time and extend the invitation to former pastors when requested. It’s the greatest ministry you can offer someone in their time of need–to affirm the relationship of a trusted friend. Besides, you’ll develop your own relationships that you won’t want to leave behind. It’ll be okay.
A lot of people will disagree with the two previous statements, but that’s okay. I’m old enough and secure enough now to not care. I’m going to be intentional in building friendships and maintaining relationships in the years I have left.
I’m grateful for the stroll down memory lane that Vanessa and I enjoyed yesterday.
Until next time, keep looking up…
Not the Perfect Pastor 