This past Sunday, January 11, was a first for me. It was my first time preaching in a church while wearing sweatpants! (My wife Rebecca calls them "joggers," but I don't think calling them by another name elevates their status above other clothing choices.) Now some might say, "well at least you weren't wearing pajama pants." True enough, that's not my style. When I worked for the Fulton Public Schools, I never participated in pajama days, even when I worked with preschoolers. I can't really see myself wearing pajamas when I preach, except maybe if I were at summer camp.
I hope to be back to wearing my usual dress slacks on Sunday morning soon. It's what I'm most used to, and most comfortable wearing, when I preach. But in the meantime, as I continue to recover from surgery and have the use of only one thumb, I'll have to push the easy button and go with joggers or sweatpants or whatever I can manage on my own.
All of this is part of the larger picture of learning to cope with the realities of life, making adjustments and accommodations, even if it means doing something that feels uncomfortable compared to what we're used to doing. Some accommodations are temporary, just for a season until the situation changes or improves. Others lead to permanent change. And sometimes, after a while, we look back on our lives and wonder why we didn't make any adjustments or changes sooner, especially those that lead to a better quality of life.
What accommodations and adjustments might we need to make at McMurry Church as we forge ahead into the year 2026? As we seek to be faithful to our mission to make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world, what might we need to change or do differently? I invite you to join me in considering these issues. Let's be regular in our prayers for McMurry and listen to where the Holy Spirit is leading us. The way forward may not always be easy, but the good news is we don't have to make this journey alone. We have God with us and each other. Together we can make a brighter tomorrow. See you in church!
Grace & Peace,
Pastor Clayton