My philosophy of religion and life is akin to an ancient Chinese proverb: "When I hear, I forget; when I see, I remember; when I do, I understand." Religion must be applicable to our lives or else it is empty. It must be able to help us put things into perspective, especially when all around us is coming unglued. Healthy religion has always been the cement of society, holding society together as one though it be many.
We Disciples should have a good understanding about all of this, especially since we are the people of the parentheses. We find our unity in diversity and disdain all forms of uniformity leading to cookie cutter theology and practice. The creativity of our frontier spirit leads us to acquire a knowledge of God's word, develop interpretative skills to unlock the meaning of the scripture for today, live the Christian life by treating one another with dignity and respect with no exceptions, and by doing God's word - advocating for justice, peace, and opportunity for all.
Such a frontier church as ours needs to be semper reformanda, always reforming itself, with intellectual vigor, social relevance, and ecumenical/interfaith vitality. As former General Minister and President, C. William Nichols said:
"I believe being a Christian is less a matter of having the right facts than of having the right spirit. And the spirit that must control us is the astonishing love of Jesus Christ, who reached out to embrace us even when we were totally unworthy of it, and then reaches out through us to those no more deserving of it than we are."
Some of you old timers might remember what Bill Nichols said next. If you do not remember you can blame it on the Chinese proverb, "When I hear, I forget." For you Disciples that are in the PBN timeframe [Post Bill Nichols], listen to his words:
"Sometimes problems are not as complicated as they seem. An engineer, a psychologist and a theologian were hunting together in the wilds of northern Canada. They came across an isolated cabin, far removed from any town. Because friendly hospitality is a virtue practiced by those who live in the wilderness, the hunters knocked on the door to ask permission to come in and rest awhile.
"No one answered their knock, but, discovering the cabin was unlocked, they entered. It was a simple place - a single room with a minimum of furniture and household equipment. Nothing was surprising about the cabin except the stove. It was large, potbellied, and made of cast iron. What was unusual about it was its location: it was suspended in midair by wires attached to the ceiling beams.
"Fascinating!" said the psychologist."It is obvious that this lonely trapper, isolated from humanity, has elevated his stove so he can curl up under it, and thus vicariously experience a return to the womb."
"Nonsense!" replied the engineer. "The man is simply utilizing the laws of thermodynamics. By elevating his stove, he has discovered a way to distribute heat more evenly throughout the cabin."
"With all due respect," interrupted the theologian, "I'm sure that hanging his stove from the ceiling has religious significance. Fire lifted up has been a religious symbol for many centuries."
"The Three debated the point for some time without resolving the issue. When the trapper finally returned they immediately asked him why he had hung his heavy potbellied stove by wires from the ceiling. His answer was succinct: "Had plenty of wire, and not much stovepipe."
Dr. Nichols went on to say,
"And maybe the current malaise of morale among us can best be addressed by one of the first and simplest memory verses we learned in our Kindergarten Sunday School class: "be kind to one another." That may not be the whole Christian Gospel, but the Christian gospel is not whole without it."
Let us do kindness. Let us live by the Golden Rule. Let us be a church of innovation and creativity utilizing the supplies we have at hand. The spirit of God that created the heavens and the earth is calling us to a new day. The same spirit who empowered Jesus to reach beyond his own community to the ends of the earth is calling us to a new day. May this spirit fill us to attempt new things for God in worship, faith, theology, and in service to the world.
Semper reformanda-ly yours,
proposals for projects that 
Mission Stations continue to evolve as a core collaborative ministry. In Taylor, TX, DV has partnered with the United Church of Christ's Disaster Ministries and local leadership to support the recovery from flooding that occurred in May 2015; that response is expected to end in June. Meanwhile, DV, Week of Compassion (WOC), First Christian Church Rowlett, and the North Texas Area are preparing to receive mission teams assisting with the recovery following the Dec. 26, 2015, tornado. 
Planning for 
