Yesterday’s assembly was transforming. There was a buzz of excitement as the people of God gathered. We looked around at the 200 or so people and it was clear that they reflected the city of Houston where they’re living out their Christian calling. It was probably the most racially diverse group I’ve been with in quite a while; and I’m guessing it’s an economically diverse group as well. But they were one. They were gathered around one table as a family.
We began by singing “O Worship the King” and “We Shall Assemble.” Then a young woman prayed that as we gathered our lives might be reshaped into the image of the risen Christ.
An older woman then got up and reminded the church of some of the ways God was allowing them to minister on Wednesday nights (including ESL classes). She recognized the people leading those ministries, encouraged others to consider finding a place of service there, and then asked God’s blessings on all the ways he was allowing the church to live out the mission of Christ.
A much-loved, long-tenured minister spoke briefly about people in the church who needed prayer. After a time of singing (”Lord, I Lift Your Name on High”; “My Hope Is Built”; “All Hail the Power of Jesus’ Name”; “He Is Exalted”; and “Listen to Our Hearts”), of prayer and of scripture reading, the young preacher spoke. Right to our hearts. He sat around a table and talked about the meaning of tables in Luke/Acts and in the life of the church today. He and his wife have only been at the church a couple months, but he talked about all the tables they’d been around with people in the church. His words not only DESCRIBED a fellowship that exists, they helped FORM an even greater sense of unity and mission.
Then, after “O, For a Faith That Will Not Shrink” and “O Sacred Head,” a family gathered around that table, speaking right to our hearts about what eating together means to them . . . and what it means to gather around the table of Christ. (While only the dad, the mom, and their daughter spoke, their young son was also in the spirit of the moment. He helped us by pretending to eat and drink the whole time, making it hard to keep a straight face as we listened.) We shared communion, understanding more of the blessing.
After the collection and singing “There’s a Fountain Free,” the ministers and elders gathered around a young woman who’s been one of their ministers to bless her as she heads off to graduate school. Then the benediction moved us from that assembly to an all-church potluck.
Here’s what struck me: while amazing things were being said up front, I never felt like a spectator. I felt like a part of the family, challenged to reach out to my brothers and sisters and called to live out the Way of Christ in this world.
That sounds like such a neat service. I almost feel like I was there with you. I’m glad that Matt and Jenna have found such a great place to plug in.
Does this mean you’re going to stay in Houston? Who will teach Highland members how to make the perfect guacamole dish if you don’t come back? In all seriousness, though, I would love to see the diversity you described at the service at Highland.
sounds like the body of Christ to me.
Mike…sounds like there was an exciting movement of God’s Spirit that day and that this community of faith is truly Christ-formed. The experience you shared gives church planters like myself great hope in the beautiful aspects of churches of Christ. Thanks for the shared experience.
Dwayne - It is partly church planters like you who I had in mind! This isn’t a huge church. But it’s a church that is in touch with one another and that is living for the sake of the world. Blessings on you and others who are planting these small outposts of the kingdom!
Mike,
Your description of yesterday’s congregational worship is an exact picture of my ongoing prayer for Highland and the church universal. My vision is of a congregation reflecting the beauties God has given us in nature, flowers of all sizes, shapes and colors, coming together to form an extraordinary blend of beauty. How I long to see my prayer and vision realized. Monocromatic scenescape is not God’s idea of beauty, imho.
Thank you for your words. Though Kayci and I have only been ministering here for 2 months, we already feel like part of the family. Not since our time at Highland have we looked forward to Sunday with such anticipation.
We were so blessed to have had my parents and the Cope family with us yesterday.
Please continue to pray for us as we strive to be formed into Christ’s image.
Sounds wonderful!
My fondest memories of communion and family have been at a place I wasn’t even really apart of. I interned at the Manhattan Church and the diversity and care many of those people have for the ones they are around (although it may seem like few) makes that a special place. I hope we can see more places like SW Central & Manhattan in the future of our tribe.
Andrew - Every time I’ve been with the Manhattan Church it’s been a blessing. You’re right: what a great, vibrant community of faith.
As a member of Southwest Central I thank you for your kind words about our body and our worship. I, too, felt particularly blessed by the worship yesterday. Also, as one member of the family who participated in the discussion of gathering around the table of Christ, I thank you for mentioning our son, Will. In preparation for that event, we had encouraged him to also speak but he refused. He also balked that morning upon seeing the table at the front of the auditorium and decided he wasn’t going to join us up front. But he was there, after much cajoling, and as you put it so well, he did have a part even though he didn’t speak. We were so glad to see your mention of him and I will definitely print it out and show it to him tonight!
Also, as a member of Southwest Central, I want you to know how much we treasure Matt and Jenna! They have jumped into work with loving hearts and are busy helping us be the hands and feet of Christ in southwest Houston. We have also grown to love Josh and Kayci Ross in such a short time, thank you for all the nurturing you have given them!
As another member at SWC in Houston, I am humbled to hear your description of your time here. We do not often get the chance to see through others’ eyes what we “look” like.
Too often I am looking at the flaws in the body, and failing to see its form. That’s “not discerning” the body, is it?
We so want to be Jesus in Houston.
Michael
Thank you for your words and for the role you have played in the blessings that are flowing at Southwest Central Church. For 23 years my life has been blessed beyond measure as a part of Southwest Central. Over 10 years ago and after one year of meetings and prayer, a mission statement was presented to the congregation. For several years it seemed to be just words but through the power of the Spirit working in diverse ways we began to be challenged to live it out in our neighborhood and church community. Southwest Central’s Mission Statement: “As God has loved us, we will meet people on common ground and journey together to the higher ground of life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” We beg for prayers that we will lovingly respond to the opportunities that are being presented to us.
“while amazing things were being said up front, I never felt like a spectator. I felt like a part of the family, challenged to reach out to my brothers and sisters and called to live out the Way of Christ in this world.”
Mike you have always made me feel this way.
We are moving to San Antonio on our way to Fredericksburg and I wanted to publicly thank you for resorting my faith in preachers. Because of your love for God and his children “preacher” is not necessarily a bad word to me anymore. Your desire to know God’s truth goes beyond your understanding. Thank you for your insight and friendship, may God always pour through you his gift of preaching.
Mike - I preached one weekend at the Southwest Central congregation back in 1991 or ‘92 and I thought it was much larger than 200 members.
I had a great visit that weekend and fond memories of folks there.
jp
I think it’s interesting that Burton Coffman had a hugh part in both congregations, SW Central being just Central in years past. We owe him a hugh debt and I don’t think he has been given his due.
A good number of Southwest Central members attended Burton Coffman’s funeral. His name has come up in numerous conversations that I have had with people from this church. He is, and will always be, remembered in the life and story of our church. Great man! Wish I could have known him.
Sara, your son Will was amazing yesterday. He is a great kid. I think the world of your entire family. Thank you for blessing us yesterday.
Mike,
I was very glad to see you and your family there at what was a very special Sunday to me. I also greatly appreciate your description of my family at SWC, I am glad that others can come in and feel like family so quickly, as I did 9 years ago when I started my relationship with Southwest Central. I am excited about heading to grad school but it was a decision that took me two years to make becuase of the family that I am leaving behind. I have never had the opportunity to tell you this, but you are one of my favorite preachers, I used to go to Highland when Iwas at ACU so that I could hear you. One of the things that I love so much about your preaching is that you start with a prayer that God will pour thorough you the gift of preaching, well He has in amazing ways. I have also been blessed by Matt and Jenna and also Josh and Kayci so much since they have been here, and they are a tribute to the father and mentor that you are. Blessings to you and your family, thank you for being a part of my last Sunday at Southwest Central, I deeply appreciate and admire you. In Jesus, Sarah Bright
Beautiful
Favorite Burton Coffman memory:
I was a senior Bible major at Ohio Valley in the early 1980’s and Bro Coffman was speaking on the lectures there. I was asked to pick up Bro Coffman from the airport and take him to dinner at Shoney’s.
I picked him up - no problem - and immediately discerned that he was a character. We sat down in a crowded Shoney’s surrounded by folks who were in town for some kind of Baptist church function.
Bro. Coffman starts teaching me from the Old Testament and he reached a crescendo with: “Solomon never had authorization from God to build a temple in Jerusalem!”
Silence across the restaurant. You could have heard a pin drop.
Everyone looked in our direction and Bro Coffman said, (between bites of dinner) “It’s true, it’s true, the house God promised through David’s ‘son’ was Jesus Christ and his Kingdom.”
And everybody looked around and kind of acknowledged, “Hmm, okay, that makes sense.” and went on with their dinners.
It was a pleasure to have had dinner with him that evening and I have never forgotten his candor in such a crowded venue.
Mike, what you described reminds me of the communion service at New Life Church in Abilene, the inner city church. Every Sunday communion is held around tables with real lunch and then “family groups” discussion. Communion like that is what I picture as the true “first century church” communion. How beautiful to be a part of it.
Jennifer - I’ve heard it’s wonderful. What a blessing! Last week we snuck into the Wednesday gathering at Highland’s Freedom Fellowship (just about five blocks from our building). Same spirit there. I mentioned a couple weeks ago getting to see The Church Under the Bridge in Waco. Yes, there is a sort of ecclesial revolution happening that fits the calling of Jesus. And it’s being led more by people YOUR age than MY age. Lead on!!
Thanks for the update, Mike! This is great news to hear…
Mike-
There is nothing so inviting as the Lord’s table, is there? I have wished so many times that others could share with our life team in the communion, because of the way it has changed me and and brought us all so close. The sense of family is almost overwhelming. You described it well, and so brought the rest of us around the table with you at SWC.
Isn’t it interesting that Paul, from Ephesus some 200 miles away, wrote to the church in Corinth:
“We, who are many, become one body for we all partake of the one loaf…”
By faith and the discerning of the Body, we join SWC and many other congregations; we all participated in the body and blood of the Lord, making us one, giving us health and strength and life…
It is good to hear that there are so many places around the table.
Linked this post on the home page of New Wineskins this morning … it’s such a good fit with the other articles about church planting and nontraditional churches. Thanks for it!
Since Burton Coffman has been mentioned: I was “born at Central” while Daddy was in England during WW2. My grandad helped build Central. I remember when we met in the auditorium which faced the side street…not Montrose. When I was 3, Brother Coffman found out I could say all the books of the Bible, and he had me stand before the assembly at VBS and say them…and I can still remember his telling everyone that they needed to be able to do the same thing. I visited in his home, sat on his knee and played his pump organ as he pumped. The friendship continued through the years with visits, calls, and letters from both him and Sissy. When my husband preached in Deer Park shortly after we married, they came over to hear and encourage him. They were “one of a kind”, and if you have not read his autobiography “Tales of Coffman”, get a copy and read the life of this amazing couple. When we visited him a few months after his 99th birthday, I was amazed and grateful for his vitality and zest for life, for his memory…both of Scripture and things we had experienced together, and so very blessed by the love he had for God and His church.
Your perception is quite accurate. SWC Church is very diverse at all levels (socially, economically, educationally, spiritually). BUT we can come together as One in Christ because we are One in Spirit guided by Love.
We, too, were blessed to be part of the assembly Sunday morning at SWC. What a treasure in this mother’s heart! Glad you and yours were there on Sunday, Mike! May the Lord continue to draw people to Himself through those that minister in that sweet place!
I also was visiting SWC this Sunday morning and, once again, was moved to tears as I experienced God working in some very precious brothers and sisters. The significance of Will, the son of Sara & David, participating in his own style at the table truly was a wonderful work of God! The diversity at SWC has always amazed me - especially that they’ve maintained it over the years…all ages, various colors, different “flavors” of worship, a variety of backgrounds. The participation of women, including my 70’s+ mother serving at the Lord’s table, touched the depths of my heart. (My own family is part of a congregation who is not ready to embrace participation by women in the assembly. I deeply respect the years of study, dialogue, prayer and patience SWC - and Highland - were willing to give to come to that decision. In fact, I still chuckle at the comment of my Highland friend, Becky, a few years back: “Let’s finish talking about it and Just Do It!”) There is no doubt in my mind that Jenna, Matt, Kayci and Josh are part of a family where God is free to work His will.
Michael’s comment about appreciating someone else’s eyes to see what his church “home” looked like so he could lay aside his own focus on the flaws also hit home with me. #1) I truly love my own church family (which is not SWC) and know this is exactly where my physical family needs to be for spiritual purposes, but I have times I could just scream out of frustration from the crazy paradigms we follow. #2) Thus, I was reminded of how important it is for us to share the appreciation we DO have for our mates, children, church family, neighbors just as you “bloggers” have shared your appreciation for each other today. It helps us take a break from being bogged down in the flaws - which in some form or fashion will always be there - and praise God because we recognize His amazing work in each other. Thanks to each of you for sharing your thoughts and supporting each other in this journey called Life.
tracy
P.S. Michael, y’all aRe being Jesus in Houston. God bless you, brother!
You know, I read this and thought to myself, “Here is a person who revere’s the Lord’s day….Do we all see the awe in our congregational worship that we should?”
While we worship the Lord each day in our own ways, I love Sunday. It means a chance to be with my large family, and worship the King together!
As my daughter is “catching on,” it puts even more meaning into these times than ever. What a joy to see your children embrace the Lord, eh?
Warm fuzzies all over, Mike - thanks!
Hello,
I don’t know anyone publishing this site, but I was a member of SWC for three years while teaching in Houston. I ache for their brand of worship–it is the true restoration of the body that God commands us (and allows us) to have every week. Anyone who visits is lucky, and certain to be challenged.
Andrea, We remember and miss you and continue to love you with the love of the Lord.
Mike, thank you for this blog. It and the comments have encouraged us.