Greg Smith

Blessed by Northridge Presbyterian Church's strong support of White Rock Center of Hope beginning with their Pastor, Rev. Betsy Swetenburg. This afternoon a group from Northridge volunteered at Hope as part of the congregation's fourth annual Northridge Serves Day.

Grateful for @1stuchurch.bsky.social ongoing support of White Rock Center of Hope. Honored that Hope was selected as the First Sunday Giveback recipient for November and thankful for the opportunity to speak during their All Soul's Day worship services this morning.

As an American, I live in a country that can’t seem to decide what time it is.Do we live in a season of new freedoms...Or do we live in a time like the end of the Roman Republic, when traditions &institutions of democracy were replaced by authoritarian rule? –Diana Butler Bass (Beautiful Year, 2025)

A little rain could not stop the work of Hope! This morning White Rock Center of Hope provided more pounds of food to neighbors in need than any day in our 38 year history. Grateful to all who volunteered or donated to make this possible.

The Hebrew Bible lacks any reference at all to the concept of creation out of nothing. –Dan McClellan (The Bible Says So, 2025)

Just 50 years ago, nearly 90% of all adults identified with a Christian tradition. Today, that share has dropped to just over 60%. –Ryan P. Burge (The American Religious Landscape, 2025)

Communities of hope dwell with and attend to the stories of the people in their communities. –Alan Roxburgh & Roy Searle (Communities of Hope, 2025)

Hope is rising!
So many families are about to lose their SNAP benefits, and it’s heartbreaking. If you’ve been wondering how you can make a real difference, let’s talk! There are so many ways to help - from volunteering and donating to simply shopping at Hope's award-winning thrift store.

. . . in the 5 decades of the General Social Survey, no religious tradition has claimed a higher percentage of the population than the mainline did in 1975. –Ryan P. Burge (The American Religious Landscape, 2025)

Inspired by The Rev. Dr. Bill Tillman: My 25-Year Writing Journey - sowhatfaith.com/2025/10/27/i... #writing #ministry #mentor

Nobody in a position of influence over a community of Bible believers subordinates their needs and interests entirely to the Bible. There is no such thing as a biblical literalist. –Dan McClellan (The Bible Says So, 2025)

Celebrating Reformation in N. Dallas at a service of worship that includes confirmation. Grateful for the ministry of King of Glory.

Great morning to vote!
Have you voted or made a plan to vote?

Knowledge as possession is concerned with answers; knowledge as activity is open to questions. The life of faith calls for both kinds of knowledge in order to nurture a strong and vibrant spirituality. –Peter Choi (Christian Century, November 2025)

Remissioning churches aim to grow transformational disciples from the inside out who will imitate Jesus and seek the flourishing of their neighbors. –Josh Hayden (Remissioning Church, 2025)

. . . the Bible doesn't say anything at all. The Bible is a collection of texts, and texts do not have inherent meaning. –Dan McClellan (The Bible Says So, 2025)

Meanwhile, the Methodists went from 2% of Christians in 1776 to nearly 35% by 1850. But that was the high watermark for Methodism. –Ryan P. Burge (The American Religious Landscape, 2025)

You have a calling. In fact, you have more than one calling. Indeed, you will have various callings over the course of your lifetime. –Karen Swallow Prior (You Have a Calling, 2025)

Modern organizations with their professionalized, ordained experts and bureaucratic elites aren’t able to recognize the ways of God. –Alan Roxburgh & Roy Searle (Communities of Hope, 2025)

Genesis 1 begins with God looking over tohu wabohu, a watery void that represents primordial chaos - a common trope in Ancient Near Eastern creation myths. –Paul Schutz (A Theology of Flourishing, 2025)

God is acting, in Christ, by the Spirit, and through the church for the healing of creation. –Alan Roxburgh & Roy Searle (Communities of Hope, 2025)

Thecla’s story, and the scripture where it is found, suggests that women held positions of spiritual authority from the start. –Meggan Watterson (The Girl Who Baptized Herself, 2025)

The Global Decline in Religious Identity - New Research on Secularization Extending Beyond Western Christian Nations - sowhatfaith.com/2025/10/19/t...

Now is the time for worship as we continue repainting the Christian faith
#viewfromthepew #cohdallas #ucc

A great unraveling is now underway. The institutions we’ve come to take as normative now fail to address the multiple cascading crises of our time. –Alan Roxburgh & Roy Searle (Communities of Hope, 2025)

Attending the Fall Meeting of the North Texas Association of the South Central Conference of the United Church of Christ in Carrollton, Texas

Notably, the 4 denominations w/ the highest levels of educational attainment & economic prosperity in the US - namely Episcopal, Presbyterian (PCUSA), Evangelical Lutheran (ELCA), & the Disciples of Christ - all fall within the mainline tradition. –Ryan P. Burge (American Religious Landscape, 2025)

Scripture is sacred because it's meant to be read and interpreted as art. –Meggan Watterson (The Girl Who Baptized Herself, 2025)

I think the Bible is the single most fascinating, complex, and influential text that has ever existed. –Dan McClellan (The Bible Says So, 2025)

In the mid-1970s, the US devoted 1.4% of our gross domestic product to federal interventions in affordable housing. Today, our commitment is less than a fifth of that, only 0.25%. –Fran Quigley (Eviction Court, 2025)