West Franklin Family, Tomorrow is Palm Sunday 2020. This, of course, kicks off Holy Week – the week we remember and reflect on Jesus’ last days, prior to His crucifixion, burial, and resurrection. Most likely, this week will be different than any other Holy Week and Easter you have ever experienced. Though we are doing all we can to offer you resources to enhance your Holy Week experience (you can go here to see a LONG list of interactive choices available; or click here, here, and here); it is beyond evident – for the time being – things have changed....

  We’re going on four weeks of not being able to gather together. The baptistery on our campus is empty. No water. No people. Dry as a bone. The good news is that it’s clean. As a matter of fact, I don’t believe our entire building has been more clean than it is right now. Though I would advise against it, you could eat off the floor and it would probably be more sanitary than off a plate straight out of the dishwasher. But I digress. The baptistery at The Church at West Franklin is empty. No water stirring. No...

  I love the hallways at The Church at West Franklin. On Sunday morning’s and Wednesday nights you can overhear laughter, prayer requests, insights shared during a group time, updates on life, looks of concern, compassion, and a few bad jokes. Okay, you can hear a lot of bad jokes. You can smell coffee, donuts, essential oils, Axe Body Spray on teenagers, and perfume worn by senior ladies. There are men in ties and women in dresses. There are T-shirts, shorts, jeans, khaki pants, athletic shoes, dress shoes, flip flops, and high heels. Bulletins are passed. . . some dropped...

Right now, the entrances to our building are empty. We can’t gather. We don’t know when we will be able to gather again. I don’t like it. I assume you don’t either. But let’s not waste this season. Let me urge you – beg you – plead with you – to pray. Pray that the next time we gather, we are different. That the next time we gather, people who don’t know Jesus are coming with us. Pray that we would be married to the mission, and wide open to new methods of getting the Gospel to Franklin and the...

Dear West Franklin, Tomorrow will be week #2 since we have seen one another on a Sunday morning. It’s true, isn’t it? Absence makes the heart grow fonder. Your pastor didn’t know how much he needed to be with you until he couldn’t. I don’t really fear the virus. Honestly, I am not scared of contracting it. Maybe I should be. I do have a fear in the midst of all this, however. My fear is not knowing how long this will last. That, if I am being honest, is what troubles me most. Part of that “trouble” is not...