Tapestry. Welcome kindergarteners to worship. Sanctuary Choir on the road today. Adventurers to Seattle. A group of 41 people traveled

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1 This Week at Wilshire Tapestry Weekly newsletter of Wilshire Baptist Church in Dallas, Texas Building a community of faith shaped by the Spirit of Jesus Christ Volume 60 No. 39 u September 23, 2012 Welcome kindergarteners to worship By Courtney Leal This Sunday we have some new faces in our worship service. Our kindergarteners have been busy learning about worship and how they can participate in the service. Today they begin joining us on a regular basis. Parent volunteers have been working to help them begin to understand what happens in a worship service. They have learned that big church is our worship service. Worship is a big word when you are 5, so they have learned that worship means giving God our attention. We worship by praying, singing, listening to the Scripture and message and by giving an offering. While teaching these 5 year olds, I have found myself reflecting on my own worship experience. Am I giving God my full attention during the worship service? Am I participating fully in worship? Children learn by example. Let s be good examples in the coming Sundays by fully worshiping God and giving God our attention. Let the little children see us all participating in prayer, hymns and offerings. My family gives electronically, which is a wonderful and convenient way to make sure you are always giving. However, in my reflection, I realized it has taken away from participating in this time of worship. I am going to start bringing an offering to church each Sunday, in addition to my online giving, so my own children and those around me can see me participating in the offering time of worship. It doesn t matter the amount; it is the act of giving to God that I miss in my automatic drafts and that my children never see. I encourage you to do the same in the coming weeks; bring a small offering to put in the plate as it passes by. I hope this might change worship for us all and become a part of worship we don t want to miss out on in the future. Today 8:30 a.m. Worship 8:30 a.m. YourCall Youth Center 9:30 a.m. Reception for Mindy Logsdon James Gallery 9:40 a.m. Sunday School 11:00 a.m. Worship 11:00 a.m. Kindergarten worship educ. 12:00 p.m. Reception for Mindy Logsdon James Gallery 12:00 p.m. Adult Educ. Committee Room :00 p.m. Deacon Nom. Committee Room 1205-L 12:00 p.m. Finance Com. Room 1205-H 12:00 p.m. Pathways Committee Room 1205-G 3:45 p.m. Shekinah 4:00 p.m. Carillon Ringers 4:45 p.m. Youth Choir and Paradiso Choral Hall 4:45 p.m. Living Your God-given Strengths Room 1205-G 5:00 p.m. Nova 6:30 p.m. Evensong Monday, Sept. 24 9:00 a.m. Women s fall Bible study Room :00 a.m. Domino group Room 1205-G 7:00 p.m. Wilshire Winds Choral Hall 7:00 p.m. Deacon and spouse social Adventurers to Seattle. A group of 41 people traveled with Wilshire Adventurers last week to Seattle and Victoria, British Columbia. The senior adult fellowship group explored art and nature and food from Mount Rainier to Pike Place Market to the new Chihuly Garden of Glass. More photos on page 3. Sanctuary Choir on the road today A large portion of Wilshire s Sanctuary Choir is in San Antonio this weekend for the first part of an exchange with First Baptist Church. The Wilshire choir is singing today with the First Baptist choir, and in a few weeks, the San Antonio choir will come to Wilshire for a weekend. Tuesday, Sept. 25 6:30 p.m. Women s fall Bible study Room :30 p.m. Stephen Min. supervision 7:00 p.m. Sanctuary Choir sectional Choral Hall Wednesday, Sept. 26 9:30 a.m. New Song Choral Hall 11:30 a.m. Koinonia Café Comm. Hall 12:00 p.m. Bible study Comm. Hall 5:00 p.m. Koinonia Café Comm. Hall Continued on page 2

2 Muslims taught me how to pray again. In my two years as a Peace Corps volunteer in Morocco, I drank countless gallons of tea at many different houses. Of all those invitations, one stands out. Members of an association had gathered to form a water treatment plan for the village. While debating the merits of an automated filtration system, the call to prayer echoed through the valley. Planning ceased and the men collected themselves for prayer while I sat quietly and respectfully off to the side. Hands, mouths, faces, ears and feet were washed in preparation. The men stood, kneeled and bowed in unison, acknowledging that God is one and God is great. They recited Scripture, asked for forgiveness and then returned to tea. The host turned to me and asked, How do you pray? I didn t know how to answer: I just talk to God? I was confused. Yes but when do you pray? What do you do with your body? They do this! shouted one of the kids running in from the other room crossing himself. Well, that s what Catholics do. I just pray whenever I want and say whatever I want. How would you answer that question? While there is spontaneous prayer in Islam, the prayer (salat) I witnessed had no familiar equivalent in my Baptist tradition. Five times a day the muezzin sound the call to prayer (adhan). Work stops and prayer begins. Another Voice Prayers Prayer orders life. Prayer marks time. Praise, Scripture and confession call you away from your sleep, your play and your work, several times a day. Prayer forms you. A Trappist monastery six and a half hours down the road would became my only Christian community in Morocco. The brothers there taught me to pray the Psalms of the Old Testament the prayer book of the Church and pray them regularly. They took the word of the Psalmist who says, seven times a day I will praise you and ordered their days accordingly. Bells pealed in place of the muezzin, and the brothers were called to prayer seven times a day instead of five. Prayer was a salvific interruption. Prayer formed you. While I always had reveled in the freedom of spontaneous and unscripted prayer, what I had missed was a life ordered by prayer whether I felt like it or not. I discovered a deep well of Christian formation. All of us are subject to the tyranny of deadlines and grocery lists, but ordered prayer praise, Scripture and confession reminds us daily that God is in the midst of the city and God s salvation is at hand. Observing my Muslim friends at prayer (salat) helped me understand and reclaim an ancient Christian practice that continues to deepen my faith. Samuel Gunter This Week at Wilshire Continued from page 1 Wednesday, Sept. 26 5:00 p.m. Children s handbells 5:00 p.m. Beginning handbells, Room :45 p.m. Youth handbells, Room :00 p.m. Bible study, Comm. Hall 6:00 p.m. Music and Missions 6:00 p.m. MOPS steering, Room :00 p.m. Centering prayer group, Room :00 p.m. Library Committee, Room 1205-H 6:15 p.m. Committee on Committees, Room 1205-G 6:30 p.m. Watershed, Youth Center 7:00 p.m. Sanctuary Choir, Choral Hall Thursday, Sept :00 a.m. Writing Life Stories workshop, Room :00 p.m. Faith and Grief luncheon, Community Hall 1:30 p.m. Knit Unto Others, Parlor 7:00 p.m. Texas Faith Forum, SMU Prothro Hall Friday, Sept. 28 9:00 a.m. MOPS Mothers of Preschoolers, James Gallery Saturday, Sept. 29 Youth Choir mini-tour to Houston See the complete calendar online at Koinonia Café menu for Sept. 26 Pumpkin-crusted tilapia, grilled chicken breast, buttered salt potatoes, grilled zucchini, broccoli au gratin, oven-baked rolls, tabbuleh salad, peach cobbler. Briefly u Living Your Strengths. Today is the last day to register for the Living Your God-given Strengths class. A Sunday evening session will begin Sept. 23 and conclude Nov. 4. It will meet from 4:45 to 6 p.m. A Sunday morning session will begin Sept. 30 and conclude Nov. 11. It will meet during the Sunday School hour, from 9:40 to 10:40 a.m. Go to u Men s ski trip. Wilshire s annual men s ski trip with Senior Pastor George Mason is scheduled for Feb in Copper Mountain, Colo. Reserve your place with a $250 deposit by Oct. 15. Rate for lodging, lifts and equipment rentals is $485 per person. Rate for lodging and lift tickets with no equipment rental is $440. Lodging rate for non-skiers is $322. All airfare must be booked separately. Book online at wilshirebc.org/register or through Sports Travel at (214) , ext u Faith and Grief Luncheon. Wilshire s next Faith and Grief luncheon is this Thursday, Sept. 27, in the Parlor. RSVP through Faith Presbyterian Hospice at presbyterianhospice.org/luncheon. Tapestry (USPS ) is published weekly except Christmas week by Wilshire Baptist Church, 4316 Abrams Rd., Dallas TX Periodicals postage paid at Dallas, TX. Telephone: (214) Website: Editor: Mark Wingfield. Contributing writer: Sue Coffman. Postmaster: Send change of address to 4316 Abrams Rd., Dallas TX

3 Wilshire Adventurers in Seattle and Victoria Plan to join the Adventurers April for Young at Heart Camp at Camp Buckner in the Texas Hill Country and the second week of September 2013 for a trip to Yellowstone National Park. More photos at 3

4 Church committee form Wilshire s Committee on Committees is beginning its work to nominate members of 2013 committees. The form below may be used to (a) volunteer yourself for consideration or (b) suggest someone else for consideration by the Committee on Committees. All names received will be considered and evaluated against current openings and needs. The Committee on Committee s final report will be presented to the church in conference for approval. Please place the completed form in the offering plate or return it to the church office promptly. Ed Francis, chair Ginny Booth Bill O Brien Gail Williams Tom Bateman Mark Ferguson Charlie Burgin Allison Brown Lydia Perry A. I am willing to serve on a church committee, and my preferences and comments are: B. I would like to suggest the following people to serve on church committees: My name: Phone: Committees ADULT EDUCATION: Reviews performance of Adult Education program and makes recommendations to the minister to adults for improvement. The committee also promotes growth in adult classes, reviews curriculum, evaluates space and resource needs, identifies leadership, assists with training and recognition. BUILDING & GROUNDS: Assists staff with maintenance and repair of church property by developing plans for the future to improve the efficient use of the church premises and enhance the security of the church property. CHILDREN S EDUCATION: Reviews performance of the children s education program and makes recommendations to the minister to children. The committee also promotes growth in the program, reviews curriculum, helps recruit and retain teachers, and establishes policies to ensure safety of children in all church activities. CHURCHWIDE SOCIAL: Organizes church social events. DEACON NOMINATING: Makes annual recommendations for selection of deacons. ENDOWMENT & MEMO- RIAL: Promotes planned giving to the church and allocates undesignated estate gifts. FINANCE: Develops the church budget and works with the business administrator to monitor income and expenses, approving monthly financial statements and reporting them to the church. HISTORY: Maintains archives of church to preserve a record of our history together. INTERIOR DECOR: Consults with other committees to coordinate decor of interior public spaces. LIBRARY: Advise and support library administration and events. MISSIONS: Supports and promotes partnership missions by developing and maintaining relationships that provide opportunities for Wilshire to be on mission. NEW MEMBER: Helps new members become assimilated into the church family by supporting the Connections Class, assisting with new member fellowships, greeting new members upon joining and presenting them with new member packets. PATHWAYS: Coordinates and supports work of Pathways to Ministry program, including pastoral residency. PERSONNEL: Establishes duties and responsibilities of all ministry staff positions and maintains the Personnel Manual. The committee has ultimate responsibility for recommending new ministry staff to the church. It also recommends ministry staff compensation. PRESCHOOL EDUCATION: Reviews performance of the preschool education program and makes recommendations to the minister to preschoolers. The committee also promotes growth in the program, reviews curriculum, helps recruit and retain teachers and establishes policies to ensure safety of children in all church activities. RISK MANAGEMENT: Works with staff to reduce and manage safety and liability risks. STEWARDSHIP: Seeks to expand Christian stewardship individually and church-wide through education, communication and goal setting. WEEKDAY EDUCATION: Sets policies and governs Wilshire s Early Childhood Learning Center. WORSHIP AND MUSIC: Works with staff on special worship programs, including Advent and Lent. The committee also gives counsel to the minister of music on the church s ministries of worship and arts. WILSHIRE ADVENTUR- ERS: Plans fellowship activities for older adults. 4

5 Deacon Nomination Form The Deacon Nominating Committee is asking Wilshire members to submit names of persons to be considered for deacon service either as a new deacon or by returning to active service after being a deacon in reserve. Nominees should be individuals who have been church members for at least one year who have modeled consistent, faithful service and leadership in the life of Wilshire. You may nominate as many individuals as you desire. Those chosen will serve a three-year term beginning January Please note that a deacon in reserve is not automatically considered by the committee; reserve deacons must be nominated to return to active service. Although an exhaustive list is not necessary, please indicate for each nominee the qualifications you believe most important for the committee to consider (e.g., participation in church ministries, examples of spiritual leadership, etc.): Deacon Nominee: Qualifications: Deacon Nominee: Qualifications: Signature: The Deacon Nominating Committee sincerely appreciates your prayers and your thoughtful suggestions. Travis Keath, chair Erin Basden Mark Blackwood Kile Brown Fred Cullum Barbara Floyd Mike Imhoof LeAnn Hampton Barbara Nelson Return completed nomination form to Debby in the church office or place in the offering plate by Sept. 30, Ordained deacons Akins, Allan Akins, Kelly* Allen, Ken Alloway, Paul** Alverson, Kathy Anderson, Andy** Armstrong, Don Armstrong, Jerilynn* Ashby, Nancy* Atkinson, Ray Austin, Jim Baker, Ken Ballinger, Bill Banta, Rob Barner, Claudia Bateman, Marshall** Bateman, Mike Bateman, Mindy* Beilue, Bobby Bennett, Terry Blackwood, Mark* Bratcher, Tom** Brookshire, Gail* Brookshire, Steve* Brown, Chad Brown, Dennie Brown, Dorrell* Brown, Kile* Bruster, Bill Bruster, Charlotte Bryant, Jerry* Buchanan, Barry Bullock, Stan Burgin, Charles Burns, Alvin** Burns, Dwight Burton, David Burton, John Cabaniss, Carol* Cabaniss, Joni Cabaniss, Kevin* Caperton, Richard Capps, Michael Carter, Les Carver, Mary* Clanton, David Clay, Steve* Coffman, Sue Coleman, David Coleman, Judy Coleman, Bob* Conner, Dale** Conner, Steve Crain, Gaylen** Crain, Kelly Crosland, Randy* Cullum, Fred Cullum, Pat* Dodge, Nathan* Dodgen, Jack Dunsworth, Arlet Eggert, Mark Elliott, Susan* Farner, Nathan* Floyd, Don* Forsyth, Nelson Francis, Ed Francis, Linda Garner, Linda* Garrett, Linda Granberry, Jill* Granberry, Larry* Hagler, Al** Hamilton, Dean Hamon, Richard Hampton, Jeff Hampton, LeAnn* Hanie, Bob Harty, Bob** Hayes, Charles* Herold, Clairene** Herold, Fred** Hill, Ann* Hill, Doug* Hill, Mary Ann Hinton, Grady Hodges, Jack Hodges, Stacy Hollis, Bill Hollis, Lauren* Imhoof, Mike* Jernberg, Bill* Johnson, Johnny Jones, Jeff* Keath, Travis* Kimball, Don Kirkham, Daryl* Kolenovsky, Gladys Krause, Tim Laquey, Phil** Laux, Dot** Law, Bob Lawson, Gayle Lee, Don* Lewis, Brad* Lindley, Bob Logsdon, Rick Malcik, Michael Martin, Gloria Martin, Lester Martin, Phill Mason, George Sr.** McCane, George* McCoy, Byron McCray, Jim** McDougal, Cary McKeever, Carl** Meripolski, Debbie* Mirochna, Janell* Moorhead, Shaeron* Morgan, Tim Morris, Brenda* Morris, Gwin* Mosley, Meredith Moudy, Mellissa Murray, Carolyn* Musick, Virgil** Nation, Jim* Nelson, Barbara** Newsom, Asa Newsom, Kent Newsom, Kirk Nuckels, Jim ** Perry, James* Phillips, Fran* Phillips, Tom Plunk, Michael Post, Max** Powell, Carol Powell, Scott* Ramsour, David* Rivera, Juliana Moore Rosamond, Mike* Self, Jim** Shelby, Tom Shilling, Gerald* Short, Judy Simons, Don Skelton, Paul Slater, Estelle** Smith, Bob ** Smith, Dennis* Smith, Garland** Smith, Guy Smith, Larry* Smith, Laura Smith, Stuart Stafford, Allan Stone, Henry* Strickland, Carolyn Swint, Galen* Terry, Steve Thompson, Hank* Tobey, James Trevino, Art** Tucker, Ann Tucker, Jim Vigil, Julian Wakefield, Harry* Wallis, Sondra* Waters, Bill** Wilkinson, Sam Williams, Everett Williams, Nelda* Wilson, Megan* Wilson, Stevan Woodbury, Jason* Woodbury, Paula Yarbrough, Judy* Yarbrough, Charles* Yarbrough, Charles, Sr.** * Currently serving (do not nominate) ** Deacon Emeritus (do not nominate) 5

6 Book review A Free People s Suicide By Os Guinness If you are willing to dive deeper than the often shallow, polluted puddles of daily news and political palaver; if you are open to hearing a wise man of faith whose keen intellect and compelling words will arrest you; if you want to be a participant in a civil discourse on the future of our nation, then I recommend you read A Free People s Suicide by Os Guinness. America is still a youthful experiment in freedom. We are the beneficiaries of blood-bought liberty and a brilliant, noble Constitution that provides order for it. But freedom must be sustained by each generation in order to flourish. Summoning historical evidence on how democracies evolve, Guinness argues that our freedom will die if we abandon the conditions necessary for it to thrive. These conditions include faith and the classic habits of heart that make for a virtuous life. We live in a day when our founding fathers profound assumptions about freedom are barely in our memory, much less in our conversation. Faith and virtue have been assigned to the cell of private life. Our educational and immigration systems are dysfunctional, breaking down the primary means by which our civic values have been passed on to new generations. And the very customs by which freedom was sustained in the past are being abandoned or corrupted. It s too early to write the epitaph for America. And it s not too late to read this book and get your head and heart into the conversations we need to be having to live as free people. Gary Looper New members: Grace Redmon Randy LeBlanc Cele LeBlanc Jerry Young Barbara Young Betsy Lofman Nicky Bell Conrad Mirochna 6

7 I Am Wilshire Nick Shirley A young Renaissance man living in a downtown Dallas loft, Nick Shirley joined Wilshire last spring and has quickly become involved. Born in Waco, he moved a great deal when he was a child. His father was a Nabisco cookie man whose job took the family to northwestern Arkansas, North Richland Hills, Houston, San Antonio, Louisiana and South Carolina before they settled in Rockwall as he was going into sixth grade. Music is one of the constants in Nick s life. He began piano lessons in second grade and was the praise and worship leader at Heritage Christian Academy from 10th through 12th grade. There he also was a defender on the soccer team, played six-man football and as a senior in was an all-state kicker. As an entering freshman at Dallas Baptist University in 2006, I was an honors English major, but music was still a big part of my life, Nick said. Friends advised me to audition for Belmont University, where he spent his sophomore and junior years as a vocal performance major. Then I decided I wanted to be nearer to my parents and thought I might want to go to law school, he said. I double-majored in music and political science and took 54 hours from May to the following May in order to graduate in four years. During that time Nick played keyboard and helped plan contemporary worship services at First Baptist Church in Grand Prairie. Graduating in 2010 but not feeling led to law school after all, he took a job as a bankruptcy specialist helping people survive bankruptcy and save their homes in Dallas. I did that until April of this year, when I was ready to leave the mortgage industry, he said. Nick now works in sales for a postage meter company, selling to small businesses, such as doctors and lawyers, all over the country, mostly via the Internet and telephone. After working with a career counselor, he has settled on a career path. I plan to enter the University of Texas Southwestern Medical School s clinical psychology program next fall, he said. Nick grew up Southern Baptist and was baptized as a child, but it was only at age 16 that he really understood what it meant to be a follower of Jesus. His revelation came after learning that a 17-yearold friend who had died in a car crash had written in his journal that he wanted to be a fisher of men. After graduating from college, he began looking around at different churches but wasn t making a connection, he said. My mother knew someone in Rockwall who recommended Wilshire. I started attending a year ago or more and really fell in love with the sermons and music, and the people were so friendly. I miss the modern praise and worship services, but I love Wilshire s music, Nick said. It s a very spiritual experience to hear the different parts and the order within. I admire the work that has gone into it. He joined Wilshire, he said, after Mindy Logsdon and Tiffany Wright took hold of me, and then George took hold of me. However, Nick kept delaying getting involved in Sunday School because he had been forced to go as a child. One Sunday morning God was telling me to go, he said. Someone at the greeting station took me to Avodah Class. I liked the discussions. Nobody was afraid to state their opinions, and everyone was respectful to each other. The class discusses what applies to all of my life, not just Sundays. I also love George s sermons, Nick said. They re so refreshing and inspiring. I thought about last Sunday s sermon (Sept. 9) all day long. I like to walk away and think about things. The first thing I think of when I hear the words community of faith to describe Wilshire is that everyone is accepted, not just a select few, he said. We don t all have to think alike. I also like the diversity of Wilshire, not just younger or older members, and I like the name Community Hall rather than Fellowship Hall. Nick is a member of Pastoral Resident Austin Almaguer s lay support team and plans to investigate other avenues for service, including possibly Stephen Ministry. He already has worked with CitySquare, one of Wilshire s mission partners that helps the homeless get plugged in to housing and ready to enter the job market. By the numbers Financial report for Sept. 16 Weekly Ministry Fund projected... $51,050 Weekly Ministry Fund received... $47,485 Annual Ministry Fund projected... $662,093 Annual Ministry Fund received... $645,658 Annual ahead/behind... -$16,434 Crossings campaign this week...$1,729 Crossings campaign total received... $3,027,232 Pathways Endowment this week... $364 Pathways Endowment total received... $1,929,680 Special missions for year... $8,385 Sunday School Sept. 16 Officers...21 Preschool Children Youth...79 Young adult Median adult Senior adult Total present Total previous week Same week last year Congratulations to: Paige and Jeremy Pendery on the birth of their son, Luke Carter Pendery, Sept. 17. Condolences to: Sharon Laminack on the death of her husband, George Laminack, Sept. 17. Daughter is Kristin Laminack. Son is Scott Laminack. Sam Wilkinson on the death of his mother, Dottie Wilkinson, Sept. 17. James and Lydia Perry on the death of his uncle, Billy Ricks, Sept. 17. Ann Ponder on the death of her daughter-in-law, Celia Ponder. 7

8 Wilshire contacts To any member of the Wilshire staff, use the first initial with the full last name and then To phone staff, dial (214) and the three-digit extension: Pastoral offices George Mason (133) Debby Burton (132) Mark Wingfield (128) Kathi Lyle (130) Pathways to Ministry Geri McKenzie (159) Scott Dickison (156) John Jay Alvaro (154) Annette Thornburg (153) Austin Almaguer (155) Samuel Gunter (152) Business offices Paul Johnson (157) Teresa M. Newtown (131) Susan Kimball (108) Dale Pride (101) Sandy Allen (150; sgallen) Lauren Crain (111) Wilshire Baptist Church 4316 Abrams Rd Dallas TX PERIODICALS RATE 8 Age-graded ministries Jessica Capps (129) Darren DeMent (102) Julie Girards (103) Joan Hammons (141) Holly Irvin (106) Care ministries Tiffany Wright (107) Debby Burton (132) Missions offices Mindy Logsdon (110) Sandy Allen (150) Music offices Doug Haney (123) Sarah Stafford (121) Barbara Clayton (125) Jeff Brummel (122) Food services John Jost (117) Weekday Education Mary Browder (115) Parish nurse Linda Garner (151) Library Jeri Baker (114) Hymns We Love: Footsteps of Jesus Hymns We Love is a new feature in the Tapestry over the next few months. Each month s column will be written by a Wilshire member to offer some background and commentary on a hymn we re singing within that month. By Sarah Stafford It is the 1870s. There are no automobiles, no TVs, no cell phones and no Internet. Long distance travel is by steam engine or boat. Local land transportation has a minimum of one horsepower or a maximum of six horsepower one horse or a team of horses pulling a wagon. Most travel is by foot. The author, Mary Slade, and composer, Asa Everett, have ample and intimate practice walking and following footprints of others along the pathways. The slow pace of walking encourages careful observation of the footsteps of those who walked the path earlier and contemplation about the travelers who left those impressions. Long walks lead to long conversations with companions and curiosity when meeting other travelers. Footsteps of Jesus is this year s first hymn for our children in children s choir to learn and memorize. Celebrating Grace (the publisher of our hymnal) has released a new children s choir curriculum, Growing in Grace. Step by Step is the theme, with Footsteps of Jesus being the featured hymn. The hymn is a metaphor for us to follow Jesus teachings whenever we are sad or lonely, successful or triumphant. Our life journey is to be one of a servant and about the relationships we make. I m not sure when I first began singing Footsteps of Jesus. I m certain it was when I was a young child. It was a hymn that was easy for me to understand on my age level. The first stanza references Jesus calling us to follow him. Jesus called Peter, James and John to take up their nets and follow him. Jesus gave the leadership for the journey. When he calls us, Jesus doesn t leave us to find our way, he leads our way. Do you remember as a child trying to leap from your father s footprint to the next footprint he left in the sand? You felt safe; your father had walked before you. Jesus wants us to follow him, stepby-step, wherever he leads us. But where do Jesus footsteps take us? Always some place Jesus already has been. And it is always some place to relate to others. The call to the cold dark mountains was not to be alone, but to seek his sheep. Siloam is the pool where Jesus sent a man blind from birth to complete the man s healing. Jesus knew the place for healing. Following Jesus footsteps is a journey to relationships our relationship with the Lord, our relationship to those in need and our relationship with others on life s pathway.