The Kingdom, The Kids, & The Cowboys

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Transforming Moments

December 3, 2025 / / 1 Comment

The latest episode of the new-ish GCR podcast with Jadyn and Jim, Transforming Moments, just dropped today and, in case you’re not following it yet where you get your podcasts, here it is. Right here.

In this installment, Jim and Jadyn interview me about our GCR partnership with the 4Midland churches. We talk about the origins of our alliance, the theological basis for our public demonstrations of unity, and our plans for the future. But mainly the conversation is about spiritual formation. How does worshiping and serving with Christians from other denominations shape us more into the image of Jesus? How does being with different kinds of people in their spaces contribute to the “mind of Christ” among us? And does this have bigger Kingdom of God implications beyond our four churches?

The conversation is laid-back, personal, and includes a reference to Blaine Nye. I recommend it.

Peace,
Allan

Looking and Waiting

December 2, 2025 / / 0 Comments

The Dallas Stars finally unveiled their brand new alternate sweater in Friday’s win over Utah and wore the new/old uniform again in Sunday’s rout of the Ottawa Senators. And they look so great. The design is almost an exact replica of the uniform the Stars wore during their Stanley Cup runs in the late ’90s and early 2000s and, by far, my favorite Stars look. There’s more black than green in this re-imagined version, and there’s no gold outline, no gold anywhere. But, man, I love the unique look of that sweater, the big and bold Lone Star feel to the whole thing. It goes very well with the way the team is playing right now.

If you’re looking for a last-minute Christmas gift for me, they’re selling these things.

Check out the release video here, if not for Razor’s narration, for the sight of a gracefully-aged Brett Hull rockin’ the new sweater in front of an empty net. Is his foot in the crease?

“My eyes have seen your salvation which you have prepared in the sight of all people, a light for revelation to the nations and for glory to your people Israel.” ~Luke 2:30-32

The old man Simeon is looking at a baby, but he sees salvation from God. Anna is gazing at an infant, but she sees God’s deliverance.

“She gave thanks to God and spoke about the child to all who were looking forward to the redemption of Jerusalem.” ~Luke 2:38

You know why they saw it? You know why they recognized it? Because they were looking for it. The Scripture says they were waiting for the promised consolation, they were looking forward to the promised redemption. Anticipating it. Expecting it. Laying awake at night like a little kid on Christmas Eve. I can’t sleep because I can’t wait. It’s all I’m thinking about. Longing and yearning.

That’s Christian hope.

Our Christian hope is not wishful thinking. It’s a confident leaning, or even leaping, into the promise of God that he will one day make all things right. Something has happened that has changed our lives and redirected our destinies. Something has happened that changes everything. The holy Son of God came to this earth in our flesh and blood. He came! He did!

And he’s coming again. He is! He will! That’s the hope we’ve been given. That’s the hope we have.

And it’s real. Hope is real. Hope does not ignore anxiety and doubt and fear, it doesn’t ignore the bad stuff; it confronts it. Hope holds you steady in the face of the fear and anxiety and doubt by the conviction that truly great has happened and something even greater is going to happen again.

Hope waits for his coming. But it waits in a certain way.

Luke describes Simeon as righteous. He was living in peace with our God and with his neighbors. He was seeking the welfare of others. He was acting justly, loving mercy, and walking humbly with our God. The Bible also says Simeon was devout. He was devoted to our God, he was committed to tackling the tasks the Lord had given him in a way to honor God. Anna is also righteous and devout. She’s described as worshiping and fasting and praying. Both of them are at home with God’s people in God’s house and being led by God’s Spirit.

Waiting and looking.

There were others at the temple that day who did not see God’s salvation in the holy infant. They hadn’t been hopefully longing for it. They hadn’t been waiting and looking. Maybe they were just going through the motions. Maybe they were just in maintenance mode. They were at the temple when they had to be. They prayed to God and read his Word when they remembered to. They spent most of their time at work, chasing their career. They worried about getting rich, or just breaking even. They were overly-consumed with parenting their children or improving their house. Or maybe they were too occupied with what it takes to just get through the end of each day.

At the end of Luke 19, Jesus weeps over the people who missed it: “You did not recognize the time of God’s coming to you” (Luke 19:44).

What are you waiting for in your life because of Jesus? Something out of the ordinary is in store for you. What do you see? Can you see the darkness in your circumstance being turned to light? Can you see the despair in your situation being turned to joy? Can you see the boring and mundane parts of your life being filled with excitement and purpose for our God and his salvation mission? The reality of what’s coming for you–better, who is coming for you–should compel you to a deeper devotion to God. And a life lived every hour of every day in breathless anticipation of his promises for you coming true.

Let us adopt the attitude of Jacob who prayed, “I look for your deliverance, O Lord” (Genesis 49:18). Let us commit to the way of the psalmist who sang, “I wait for your salvation, O Lord, and I follow your commands” (Psalm 119:166). Don’t miss it. Don’t be preoccupied with something else. Don’t be distracted by less important things and miss it.

Let us live like Simeon and Anna. Looking and waiting.

Peace,
Allan

The Only Place

November 26, 2025 / / 0 Comments

“To the younger Christians who don’t have much denominational loyalty and who don’t fully appreciate or understand the history and depth of our denominational differences, do our unity efforts with the ‘4 Midland’ churches mean anything?”

I asked this question out loud at our GCR Church staff meeting Monday morning, less than 14-hours after the conclusion of our second annual “4 Midland” Thanksgiving Service. I asked it again during a de-briefing and wrap-up of the service on our GCR Podcast.

Of the more than 700 people in attendance at Sunday’s combined assembly, it seemed that many more of them were in their 50s and older. There weren’t too many families there with school-aged children. Not too many folks in their 30s and 40s. The energy in the room was beautiful. The singing was inspirational. The fellowship was welcoming and warm. Steve Brooks’ message was powerful. For people my age and older, it is unquestionably a BIG DEAL when First Baptist, First Methodist, First Presbyterian, and the Church of Christ get together to do anything. But when we lay aside our denominational and doctrinal differences to experience and express the visible and physical unity we share in Christ by worshiping together in each other’s spaces, it’s HUGE!

But does it matter to people younger than me?

Does it matter that four congregations of Christians representing four distinct denominations with four different views and practices in important areas like baptism and communion and ordination and church polity are setting those differences aside to worship God with one heart and one voice? Does it matter that these four churches are making a public stand for the unity of all who call on the name of the Lord over their own denominational traditions? Does it matter that these churches are choosing love and grace over opinion and position in very public ways?

Yes, it matters. Of course, it matters. We know it matters. But does it matter to people younger than me?

I believe it does. You’re not surprised by that. But let me explain.

Our society and all the world’s powers are singularly focused on dividing us–all of us. Our culture is bent on pointing out our differences, accentuating them, and demanding that we divide over them. Everything in the world points to that. Thrives on that. Makes money off that. Division is what drives our country’s politics, it’s what fuels the planet’s largest digital technology companies. it’s what makes the whole world roll. Our world demands that you take an immediate position on every single issue and never waver. Plant your flag immediately and loudly, draw your line, dig in, and never give in. Compromise is a dirty word in our culture.

Where else on this globe are people ever going to experience a coming together in mutual love and respect of folks with different viewpoints and opinions? Where else in this world will people ever see modeled a laying down of individual rights and group practices for the sake of dignity and charity and grace for people with differing backgrounds and beliefs?

There is only one place. The Church is the only place.

That’s why it matters. If nothing else, the younger among us who are disgusted by all the arguing and fighting need to know that this kind of division is the default in our society now. Separating into our individual bubbles of belief to throw rocks at everybody who is not inside our bubbles is how things are now. And God’s Church must be the model for a different way. The Church is the only place, the only people, the only system of beliefs and values, that can practice unity and love across political, racial, economic, gender, and geographical lines.

The only place.

That’s why it matters. To everybody.

That’s why it must be guarded fiercely, practiced frequently, and celebrated always. It can’t be blown off or taken for granted; it can’t be ignored or dismissed because, in our culture today, it wouldn’t take much to blow it up. It wouldn’t take much to lose it.

And then there would be no place.

That’s why it matters. To everybody.

Peace,
Allan

 

She Married ME!

November 25, 2025 / / 0 Comments

On November 25, 1989 Carrie-Anne Rowland married me. She married ME! Can you believe that? It’s almost impossible to comprehend. Carrie-Anne flew with me to Las Vegas over Thanksgiving weekend and married me in a 45-second ceremony at 11:45pm in the basement of the Clark County courthouse. Carrie-Anne married me 36-years ago today.

Perhaps I caught her in a moment of weakness; she’s not a naturally impulsive person. At the time, I considered myself incredibly lucky. Today, more and more, I consider myself unbelievably blessed by God.

I love you, darling. I thank God for his eternal love and faithfulness that I experience in the love and faithfulness we share together in our marriage. Thank you for marrying me 36-years ago and for loving me every day since.

These anniversaries are coming faster and faster, it seems, and our time together on this side of glory is getting shorter. How about dinner and a movie tonight and a trip to Tulsa next weekend? That feels about right.

Happy Anniversary!
Allan

Concerning the Robe

November 24, 2025 / / 0 Comments

Just to dispel the rumors, I did NOT preach in Steve Schorr’s robe yesterday at First Presbyterian Church. I did preach the Word with our brothers and sisters at First Pres yesterday, and I was honored and blessed by God to do it. But I did not preach in any robe.

I was gathered with the excellent pastoral team at First Pres–Walter, Dillon, Erica, Charlotte–and going over the order of service, checking my microphone, praying, and all the things you do before a Sunday morning worship assembly. Dillon joked about me wearing the robe and it turned into a photo gag for Steve. I put the robe on, we took the pic, and they sent it to Steve. Hey, ha ha, Allan is wearing your robe!

Little did I know that Steve, who was preparing to preach at GCR, gave his phone to Andrew and Tim in the A/V booth and they grabbed the photo to show to our whole church! Steve put it up on the big screens early in his sermon!

Needless to say, I had several text messages waiting for me after church. Mostly smart-alack remarks. A couple of pointed questions. And they kept coming. All afternoon. As soon as I entered our building Sunday afternoon for the 4Midland Thanksgiving Service. And a couple more after the service.

Wearing that robe, even for that short amount of time, even as a joke, has caused me to do some deeper reflection on the whole clergy regalia thing. I’ve always had many reasons–convictions!–for not wearing a robe while I preach. But, for the first time ever, I’ve realized there are some good reasons for embracing it.

  1. I would never have to iron a shirt on Saturday night. I would never have to decide what to wear. The robe covers everything. My socks wouldn’t even have to match!
  2. The robe gives off a very pious look. People might take me more seriously.
  3. Big pockets. There are huge pockets inside that robe. Places to put my gum, my pen, my index cards. Pockets enough to conceal a Little Debbie Swiss Cake Roll and a Diet Dr Pepper.
  4. The slimming effect. At least two people told me I looked thinner in the robe. Because it’s black? I don’t know. This is a very compelling reason to change my mind about robes.
  5. It’s the only reason anybody would ever think of maybe calling me “Your Eminence.” I’ve always wanted somebody to call me “Your Eminence.”

I’ll write more about the amazing 4Midland Thanksgiving Service tomorrow. I just wanted to clear up any questions about the robe.

Peace,
Allan

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