04/16/2025
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FAREWELL~ TENDING TO A SOUL IS OUT!!!
What a journey it’s been at Lovers Lane United Methodist Church—this Sunday marks my 28th Easter there. Months ago I can almost hear the questions stirring in folks’ hearts about my next step. Inspired by life’s twists, especially after the passing of my dear father-in-law, Dale Barnes, I felt compelled to put pen to paper. And so, out came my book, Farewell~Tending to a Soul, available now on Amazon. In its pages, I share the contemplative journey of my decision to retire following 42 years of ordained ministry and 49 years since I preached my very first sermon at the tender age of 16.
Now, let me tell you, retirement for me isn’t so much an ending as it is a transition into a fresh season of ministry—a season marked by coaching and consulting with Church Difference Makers. I’ve got a passion for seeing pastoral changes done well, our UMC strengthened, with young clergy and local churches leading the way as they welcome others into the loving embrace of Jesus.
On a personal note, I look forward to cherishing more moments with family—traveling with Tammy, relishing the closeness of our grown children here in Dallas, playing with the granddaughters (one more on the way), and caring for my folks out in East Texas.
There’s another passion that stirs my soul, something I call “homeplacing”—a life richly woven with gardens, farms, the art of animal husbandry, heartfelt cooking, smoking, and of course picklin’, and canning the bounty of fruits and vegetables. Just wait till you see what I’ve been cooking up in this new form of preaching via video messages, dubbed Smokehouse Spirituality. For more of the details, it’s all laid out in the book.
I often get asked how many books I’ve penned over the years, and to tell you the truth, I had not really counted. Back in 1993, I was honored to write The Sanctuary for Lent for Abingdon Press—a small work that reached an astounding 250,000 copies. In 1995, I contributed to Disciplines by Upper Room, and was asked to do that again this year for Disciplines 2025. I later paid tribute to my mentor, Dr. Bill Hinson, with Lord, He Went (also from Abingdon Press). With Scott Gilliland, I co-authored Together appealing for church unity in a season of disaffiliation. I lent my voice to another collective work with fellow clergy led by Roy Spore called Our Favorite Sunday School Lessons. And how could I forget the fun side of authorship as the Picklin’ Parson—the three cookbooks I’ve written. The last cookbook was, Feeling the Heat in the Alaska Kitchen, which sets the stage for “homeplacing.”
No book I’ve written before has come from such deep prayer and reflection on what “next” looks like for both me and Lovers Lane United Methodist Church. I’ve dedicated this work to my successor, Reverend Dr. Eddie Rester and his wonderful family. I’m filled with excitement about his upcoming ministry at Lovers Lane, much like the journey we took when Tammy and I moved to Dallas with our two kiddos back in 1998. Farewell~Tending to a Soul is also written in loving memory of my dear friend and beloved member of Lovers Lane UMC, Billy Bob Harris, who outran us to heaven on March 9th. One chapter of the book lovingly recounts a scene in his life and his incredible, others-focused ministry of networking people.
The book is published by CDM Media and printed by Amazon, with a Kindle version also available. Look out for the audiobook too—recorded in my own East Texas drawl which I can’t help, which will be an Audible selection this summer. I’ll let you know.
Thank you kindly for your prayers during this season of transition. And to each of you who picks up Farewell~Tending to a Soul, may you enjoy it half as much as I treasured writing every word.
