March 24, 2003
Harker Heights: 'Our church is a global church'
___By Ken Camp
___Texas Baptist Communications
___HARKER HEIGHTS--Mowing yards, repairing cars and offering support groups for families of deployed military personnel all meet valid needs. But the pastor of a Fort Hood-area church believes his congregation should provide something beyond what social service organizations offer.
___"We've repeatedly asked the question, and I'm not sure we have a good answer yet, 'What can we as a church do that only a church can do?'" said David Morgan, pastor of Trinity Baptist Church in Harker Heights.
___One thing Trinity Baptist did was to sponsor a "Disarming the Powers" prayer rally in early March.
___"The objective was to say that God has intervened in the past, throughout history, and we want him to do it again," Morgan said. "
___"It's a way of saying that we may feel powerless in all of this, but we're not. There is a better way."
___The event grew out of an eight-week study of the Lord's Prayer, relying heavily on the writings of Duke Divinity School theologians William Willimon and Stanley Hauerwas, a Christian pacifist.
___The order of worship included prayers taken directly from old armed forces hymnals, as well as prayers for church members who were deployed or waiting for deployment.
___At one point, a worship leader asked for the names of people directly affected by deployment, and the congregation responded with at least 20. "I didn't handle it well. I started breaking down at that point," Morgan acknowledged.
___In addition to praying for the American troops and their families, the worship service included prayers for the Iraqi people. The liturgy also included prayers of confession, as worshippers were urged to acknowledge their complicity in the sinful attitudes that lead to war.
___Musical selections ranged from "A Mighty Fortress is Our God" to "He's Got the Whole World in His Hands."
___"Often as pastors, we can become so involved in leading worship that we may not experience worship," Morgan acknowledged. "That day, I worshipped. It was one of the most meaningful services I've ever been involved in."
___The service may be adapted for use in a chapel service at the nearby University of Mary Hardin-Baylor in the near future, he added.
___On March 30, Trinity Baptist Church will host a luncheon for the families of deployed military personnel. The goal is two-fold, Morgan explained. Church leaders will ask how the congregation can minister to families in appropriate ways. And the church will let them know, "We remember you."
___In the weeks ahead, the church will rope off one pew in the sanctuary as a symbol of those who are gone. Church members will have the opportunity to drop letters to military personnel into a basket in the worship center, and volunteers will sort and mail the letters.
___Worship leaders at Trinity Baptist may light votive candles each week in worship services as a symbol of remembering the military personnel. Scripture readings may be assigned to church members who have been deployed, with a note that another member of the congregation is reading the passage on behalf of the absent member.
___In addition to praying for deployed church members, leaders at Trinity also plan to send church newsletters and prayer lists of local needs to members overseas so they can continue to intercede for the people at home.
___"Our church is not limited to those who are here on Sunday or even those who are still in town," Morgan said. "Our church is a global church at this point."
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