Katy Reed-Hodges: 00:07

Welcome to this episode of Tell Me More. We're talking about Easter at First Baptist Arlington. There's much to celebrate, to reflect on, and look forward to as we keep going through the year. So we're excited that you're listening, and we hope you enjoy it. Welcome to this week's episode of Tell Me More.

Katy Reed-Hodges: 00:30

We're in the studio. It's not Monday, but it is Tuesday. We are coming off a meaningful Easter Sunday at First World Arlington, and we're excited to get into all of it.

Dennis R. Wiles: 00:40

Amen. Amen.

Katy Reed-Hodges: 00:41

If you're watching, you may see there's only two bodies on the screen. If you're listening, you just haven't heard a third voice yet. We waited too late in the day for Luke to be included in this, so that's our apologies to Luke. He's still a welcome partner. We just had some other so it was busy.

Katy Reed-Hodges: 00:56

Today, well, let's just start at the immediate. Today, we hosted a Easter egg hunt for our staff.

Dennis R. Wiles: 01:02

We did.

Katy Reed-Hodges: 01:03

We fifth we do fifth Tuesday fun, quote unquote, fifth Tuesday fun. And the fifth Tuesday of the month, we had one, but it was last week. And we thought, in the middle of Holy Week, I don't think anyone would actually appreciate like a quote unquote fundatory event because there's a lot going on. So we pushed it back a week. We did it today, and we hid eggs I mean, kinda.

Katy Reed-Hodges: 01:23

Somewhat. I wouldn't say that. Some were hidden. Okay. Others were in various places.

Dennis R. Wiles: 01:26

Scattered. Scattered eggs. Yeah.

Katy Reed-Hodges: 01:29

Well, I About 600 of them. Yeah. I think it was more by the end of it. So 600 ish eggs.

Dennis R. Wiles: 01:35

It's the largest Easter egg hunt in history. Okay.

Katy Reed-Hodges: 01:38

In First Baptist Arlington staff

Dennis R. Wiles: 01:40

Yes.

Katy Reed-Hodges: 01:40

Recent history. Yes. Was the

Dennis R. Wiles: 01:42

largest one in the history of our church that was held after Easter.

Katy Reed-Hodges: 01:46

Could one of y'all call Guinness for us? The Guinness record? Not the not the

Dennis R. Wiles: 01:50

Come on now.

Katy Reed-Hodges: 01:51

Not the one with the other. Yeah. We So here's where I'll quibble quibble with you.

Dennis R. Wiles: 01:56

Okay.

Katy Reed-Hodges: 01:56

We did hide particularly There was like 600 eggs filled with all kinds of silly things. But we did hide 16 golden eggs.

Dennis R. Wiles: 02:05

Oh, that's right. You did hide

Katy Reed-Hodges: 02:06

And those were pretty well hidden because those were the, like, kind of the grand prizes. That's right. The grand prizes. And after the first round, we counted off because they were numbered one through 16. Four had not been found.

Katy Reed-Hodges: 02:17

Right. And we had to go back out and find And I pretty much pointed to where two of them were. They would've never found them. I was pretty impressed with myself. They were they were thinking it was just like low level,

Dennis R. Wiles: 02:28

entry level, You had hidden them well?

Katy Reed-Hodges: 02:31

I think so. One was in an outlet cover, of like an like an Oh, yeah. In the ground outlet box.

Dennis R. Wiles: 02:35

That's kinda what we do. Yeah.

Katy Reed-Hodges: 02:36

Yeah. I mean, you're gonna earn it.

Dennis R. Wiles: 02:37

Yeah.

Katy Reed-Hodges: 02:38

But the prizes for those ranged anywhere from, probably gifts people didn't think were gifts. Like, why aren't you making me do this? Like, plan the next fifth Tuesday fun. That was one of them. Luke got that one.

Katy Reed-Hodges: 02:48

He said, we're all gonna do a fun run, to which we said, no. I said, I'll wave the flag at the end. Yeah. I'm not gonna do that. Brad said he'd be the water guy.

Katy Reed-Hodges: 02:56

Mhmm. But all the way to some gift cards and It was fun. The gift of lunch with the pastor.

Dennis R. Wiles: 03:02

Yeah. Going to the driving range with me.

Katy Reed-Hodges: 03:04

Yeah. Know, think was Yeah.

Dennis R. Wiles: 03:05

I think those two were the top two prizes.

Katy Reed-Hodges: 03:08

Oh, the room was no.

Dennis R. Wiles: 03:09

Yeah. There was no doubt about it. It was a lot of emotion shared. In fact, when they when people knew that that was a prize and they didn't get it, it was pretty it was pretty hard on them.

Katy Reed-Hodges: 03:16

We had to have some pastoral care

Dennis R. Wiles: 03:17

afterward. Yeah.

Katy Reed-Hodges: 03:19

No. I think the prize is the most we I somehow got Phyllis to agree to a day off as a prize.

Dennis R. Wiles: 03:25

Oh, no. That's true.

Katy Reed-Hodges: 03:25

One eight hour day off. Yeah. And once that got announced Yeah. It was the talk of the town. So, anyway, that was fun and meaningful.

Katy Reed-Hodges: 03:34

In a way, a thank you to our staff for really

Dennis R. Wiles: 03:38

Making Easter possible here.

Katy Reed-Hodges: 03:40

Yeah. And worship carries a heavy load on that. AV, it's just faithful. But it's every it's really everybody. It's everybody.

Dennis R. Wiles: 03:46

Everyone makes it possible. Right?

Katy Reed-Hodges: 03:48

Yes. So thanks to everybody on our staff. And then also, of course, our laypeople. I mean, the choir and orchestra is it's a church unto itself in terms of size. Come on.

Katy Reed-Hodges: 03:59

And they are a volunteer. Just They just show up because they love So And they wanna honor God with their gifts. Don't you love it? So anyway, where do we even start? You wanna I wanna roll back to not just Easter Sunday not quite yet.

Katy Reed-Hodges: 04:11

Mhmm. We can go Good Friday. We could go earlier. I mean, Holy Week for us kicks off with a beautiful Palm Sunday.

Dennis R. Wiles: 04:19

Mhmm.

Katy Reed-Hodges: 04:19

It's kind of a routine now that many of us go to the Arlington prayer breakfast Wednesday early morning. You, for several years now, have presented the Easter story to the international friends, our English classes for nationals. That's all Wednesday. The more formal, of course, is the Good Friday service

Dennis R. Wiles: 04:35

That's right.

Katy Reed-Hodges: 04:36

And then Easter Sunday. So anything from last week that stood out to you before we get into Easter, I guess?

Dennis R. Wiles: 04:42

It was all very meaningful. I mean, I would say just the, you know, reading the scripture together, making our way through Holy Week is always very meaningful to me. Mhmm. The prayer breakfast on Wednesday, just our city leaders, churches

Katy Reed-Hodges: 05:00

Mhmm.

Dennis R. Wiles: 05:01

Business leaders, community leaders all coming together.

Katy Reed-Hodges: 05:03

It was a big crowd. Several hundred? Four hundred? Five hundred?

Dennis R. Wiles: 05:06

Yeah. What do think? Right around 500 Okay.

Katy Reed-Hodges: 05:08

That were

Dennis R. Wiles: 05:08

there. And the pastors now, the Engage Arlington pastors, are the ones now who run that breakfast. And, it was very

Katy Reed-Hodges: 05:16

think it's found its way. I mean, from being a city led

Dennis R. Wiles: 05:19

Yeah.

Katy Reed-Hodges: 05:19

To a kind of lay led or whatever you wanna

Dennis R. Wiles: 05:22

call that. Yeah. Just just the churches now.

Katy Reed-Hodges: 05:24

Yeah. Church led.

Dennis R. Wiles: 05:26

And then, you know, various representatives from different, churches led us in prayer. You you were one of those

Katy Reed-Hodges: 05:33

who led us to gathering this prayer. Yeah. To lead one of the prayers.

Dennis R. Wiles: 05:37

I did. It was very meaningful. Thank you.

Katy Reed-Hodges: 05:39

We joke, but we're serious. There's a thin line between tokenism and representation.

Dennis R. Wiles: 05:43

That's right.

Katy Reed-Hodges: 05:43

And I will take the representation part. It's great.

Dennis R. Wiles: 05:46

You're represented well. Yeah. And then, of course, Friday, I was thinking back, I think when I was pastoring Calvary Baptist in Garland years ago in the early nineties. That's really what I I think had my first Good Friday service that I led as a pastor.

Katy Reed-Hodges: 06:07

Did you show up and they were doing that at Calvary? Yes. You didn't state it?

Dennis R. Wiles: 06:11

No. They they were doing it as well as the Advent season, which both of those were somewhat new to me.

Katy Reed-Hodges: 06:18

Right. Because you've talked about in here. Growing up, that would have not been part of your No. Yep.

Dennis R. Wiles: 06:22

In the early churches that I pastored, we did not do that.

Katy Reed-Hodges: 06:25

Yeah.

Dennis R. Wiles: 06:26

And then when I moved to Alabama to First Baptist Huntsville, that church is is a little more liturgical than ours here. And so that was very much a part of we did Maundy Thursday there as well as Good Friday and then Easter Sunday. And but anyway, here, we the whole time I've been here, we've done a Good Friday service service. In fact, doctor Wade told me, I believe he started it fifty years ago.

Katy Reed-Hodges: 06:48

Wow. When he came.

Dennis R. Wiles: 06:49

When he came. Mhmm. And and he was there, you know, for our Good Friday service. Very meaningful.

Katy Reed-Hodges: 06:55

When doctor Wade gets in line I know. It just kinda undoes me. I'm I'm kinda undone by it. Him. He he's been in my line at least one year, if not more, for the Ashes on Ash Wednesday, and I think I've said it on here.

Katy Reed-Hodges: 07:09

Yeah. It's just I mean

Dennis R. Wiles: 07:10

It is humbling.

Katy Reed-Hodges: 07:10

I have any sin within me

Dennis R. Wiles: 07:12

Right.

Katy Reed-Hodges: 07:12

I'm trying my very best to confess and repent before he gets repent and whatever the order is there. Yeah. Confess and repent. Before he gets to me because I was you know, you're serving doctor Wade. Yeah.

Katy Reed-Hodges: 07:22

And then I saw him get in line and just wait. I believe he went to Ashley and Michael, although I'm not sure for the elements on Just Lord's waits in line.

Dennis R. Wiles: 07:31

Just in line.

Katy Reed-Hodges: 07:32

Like like the every man. Yeah. It's, you know, you know, Jesus got in line too. Yeah. Yeah.

Katy Reed-Hodges: 07:37

We're big doctor Wade fans.

Dennis R. Wiles: 07:38

We are. Big time. And

Katy Reed-Hodges: 07:40

Yes. So anyway But we love him.

Dennis R. Wiles: 07:43

So, yeah, the Good Friday service was very powerful. The music, obviously, very moving Yeah. Meaningful.

Katy Reed-Hodges: 07:49

My parents were here, and they loved the music when they could. Because I grew up in and and they still attend, and are involved in a small church. Mhmm. And it's a a Good Sunday would be like a 125.

Dennis R. Wiles: 07:59

Mhmm.

Katy Reed-Hodges: 07:59

Meaningful, influential in that little county seat, But you come here, just the resource we have, the the talent, and the just the breadth of it all is just really fun for my parents to participate in. So they had a meaningful Good Friday. Yeah. Yeah. Which I'm I'm thankful for.

Katy Reed-Hodges: 08:13

Thanks, for leading my parents. You know? It's great.

Dennis R. Wiles: 08:15

It's very sweet, very thoughtful. I just feel like the way we moved through the service was was really powerful. And then, you know, the Lord's Supper, we we do we celebrate the Lord's Supper variously, obviously. There are times In a few different ways. Most of the time, our deacons distribute the elements, and the entire congregation participates at the same time.

Dennis R. Wiles: 08:36

And that's historically been kind of how the broader Baptist family has done it.

Katy Reed-Hodges: 08:42

Tell me more about that. Because you told the staff you you explained it well. We huddled up as a staff to try to get on the same page before Good Friday, and you had a little bit of a theological teaching about that.

Dennis R. Wiles: 08:51

Yeah. In the in the in the free church tradition, which is what we're in, baptism is viewed as this individual, act, if you will, of devotion and obedience to Jesus. But communion or the Lord's Supper, we've typically viewed that as a congregational response. And so historically, to mark that, that we do that together in community as God's people. Almost like if you were at the table together, we all would eat at the same time.

Dennis R. Wiles: 09:21

And so the elements are served everyone, but no one partakes of them. Your weight. We do all that together. Kind of a is an expression of our congregational connection, if you will.

Katy Reed-Hodges: 09:31

Which is lovely. Kind of our communal faith.

Dennis R. Wiles: 09:33

Right. Yeah. Very good. And I appreciate what I've grown up with, what we've done. But occasionally, in in our, you know, our brothers and sisters who are in more liturgical churches, the Lord's Supper, Eucharist, communion, whatever, is is a little more of an individual act Mhmm.

Dennis R. Wiles: 09:49

Where you come forward and receive the elements from the minister, the priest, whoever.

Katy Reed-Hodges: 09:53

Right.

Dennis R. Wiles: 09:53

And you take the elements right there in front of the priest or whoever it is that is serving the church.

Katy Reed-Hodges: 09:59

Mhmm. Ryan and I did that. We were in Victoria, British Columbia in August. Mhmm. And we went to a very high church, went to the cities, because it's got a British influence, kind of the city chapel, and we went down and kneeled, and I got a wafer and drank from a common cup.

Katy Reed-Hodges: 10:17

I don't know that I had ever done that or haven't done it in a long time. Very meaningful. Very different. That's Very ceremonious.

Dennis R. Wiles: 10:25

Yeah. I think that's Lots

Katy Reed-Hodges: 10:26

of ceremony around the

Dennis R. Wiles: 10:27

broader church does, the Lord's Supper. And so I it was Good Friday, and, you know, we usually do these things congregationally, but I just felt led to do that at our church on Good Friday to where you had that individual response to what the Lord has done

Katy Reed-Hodges: 10:45

for you. Personal. Yeah. So that each

Dennis R. Wiles: 10:48

the ministers were positioned at the tables, deacons up in the balcony. Mhmm. And so I really wanted to have that kind of one on one. This is the the church expressing its gratitude to what the Lord has done for us, this is your individual response. So for you to come forward and as a congregant

Katy Reed-Hodges: 11:08

Mhmm.

Dennis R. Wiles: 11:09

Get the bread and take it right there in the ministry to say to you, this is the the body of Christ which is broken for you, and, here's the the blood of Christ shed for you. We don't believe that the elements themselves are transformed. That's not our our theology. Mhmm. We believe the transformation happens within us.

Dennis R. Wiles: 11:27

Yep. And, and I know that, you know, like even the phrase this the body of Christ broken for you comes out of scripture, but some passages don't have the word broken. Some texts, it's the body of Christ for you. But the idea we know that that, you know, when they went to break the legs of Jesus Gosh. If he'd already died, so he it's not that his bones were broken.

Dennis R. Wiles: 11:47

It's just that his whole body was broken

Katy Reed-Hodges: 11:49

for us. You know? Yeah. Don't get too literal with that. It's it's

Dennis R. Wiles: 11:52

him offering up himself to us Yeah. Or, I for us to the Lord. And so the acknowledgment just one on one between you and the minister who was standing there serving you

Katy Reed-Hodges: 12:04

Mhmm.

Dennis R. Wiles: 12:05

Yeah. That's what Jesus has done. And and also he shed his blood for us. Mhmm. Just to have that personal just encounter

Katy Reed-Hodges: 12:13

That's good.

Dennis R. Wiles: 12:13

Was was was what I was after. Mhmm. And I felt like it was incredibly meaningful. And seeing our people just lined up waiting their turn, there was something about that, that you were being gracious to your fellow Mhmm. Believer.

Katy Reed-Hodges: 12:26

Yeah. It's communal even in that way.

Dennis R. Wiles: 12:27

Right? And and there was a sense of there was there was a sense of joy in it, and also a somber note, obviously, that I feel like we struck the right chord in it and, just received a good bit of feedback from our people. Was very meaningful. It was to me to watch it all. You know, for us to serve our ministers and deacons, serve each other.

Dennis R. Wiles: 12:50

Mhmm. You and I did that. And then to watch our

Katy Reed-Hodges: 12:53

Yeah. And then we kinda let it roll. Then Became crowd control. Yeah. And so Happily.

Dennis R. Wiles: 12:57

Yeah. It was just a very, very special night for us. And then and then to kind of, just leave the sanctuary that night with the just the reality of it just just hanging over you a little A

Katy Reed-Hodges: 13:12

little more somber.

Dennis R. Wiles: 13:12

Yeah. So I came back up to the church on Saturday. I'll I typically always do that on the Saturday before Easter. I've done that for many, many years. And so I came up Saturday.

Dennis R. Wiles: 13:24

There was no one here, at least as far as I could tell in the in the building. And, so I came in and, just just kind of walked through the sanctuary, you know, and prayed over the people that would that were there Friday night, people that were going to be there on Sunday. I went and just for a while just the the cross was still draped in red. We hadn't made the transition yet Mhmm. For Sunday morning.

Dennis R. Wiles: 13:48

Mhmm. And I just stood there and pondered for a while, and I and and I put a post on my Facebook page that said, well, the is silent Saturday. Mhmm. The cross is empty. The tomb is full, and we wait.

Dennis R. Wiles: 13:59

Mhmm. And that's really what happened,

Katy Reed-Hodges: 14:01

you

Dennis R. Wiles: 14:01

know, that Friday, Saturday. Mhmm. Mhmm. And it's kind of in my own spirit, I guess, would say, helped prepare me for the anticipation of coming to church on Sunday morning, you know, and truly celebrating the resurrection of Jesus. And so, yeah, it was it was very meaningful.

Dennis R. Wiles: 14:16

Friday and Saturday both were particularly meaningful for me. And, and then my goodness, you know, you you, I mean, what preacher of the gospel, doesn't wanna wake up on Easter Sunday with with the message to proclaim, you know? And Mhmm. I remember I always think about this. I can't ever think of his name, but it was a Methodist preacher who preached for, you know, most of his adult life.

Dennis R. Wiles: 14:42

And and then he in his elderly elderly years, he lost his voice. And in the very first Easter Sunday that he was he moved in with his daughter. She was caring for him. And she woke up that morning early, and and she just started thinking about her dad and the fact that her dad wasn't gonna be able to preach that morning.

Katy Reed-Hodges: 15:04

Mhmm.

Dennis R. Wiles: 15:04

And so she and so they she could speak to him Yeah. But he wrote notes. Yeah. You know, and so she said to him, when he came to breakfast, she said, I'm so sorry, dad, you know, that you've you've woken up this morning and it's Easter Sunday and I know you have the desire to proclaim he has risen, but you just don't have the voice to do it. And so he wrote her a note and he said, yes, but sadder still is to wake up with the voice and no desire.

Dennis R. Wiles: 15:30

Mhmm. You know, I always think about that every Easter Sunday morning. You know?

Katy Reed-Hodges: 15:33

Lord, may it not be me.

Dennis R. Wiles: 15:34

That's right. It's exactly right. So

Katy Reed-Hodges: 15:37

So how many Easter Sundays have you preached?

Dennis R. Wiles: 15:40

This was my forty third 43.

Katy Reed-Hodges: 15:42

Consecutive Sunday. 43 in a row.

Dennis R. Wiles: 15:44

43 in a row.

Katy Reed-Hodges: 15:44

Got one off.

Dennis R. Wiles: 15:45

That's right. Hadn't missed one. And, but by the grace of God, yeah, nineteen eighty three, I was called to pastor a church in Oklahoma in June. So it was the next year '84, but if you count 1984

Katy Reed-Hodges: 16:00

Right. Starting then. Starting the thing eater Easter. Of '84.

Dennis R. Wiles: 16:02

'84 till 2026.

Katy Reed-Hodges: 16:05

Mhmm.

Dennis R. Wiles: 16:06

That's if you count if you include that first one, it it's forty three years. I guess, do the math, just '42. But if include the sun, yeah, 43 Easter Sunday mornings, I've stood in the pulpit and preached the Easter message.

Katy Reed-Hodges: 16:18

And you still have a message. You still have a fresh message.

Dennis R. Wiles: 16:20

Yeah. It turns out it's a really good story.

Katy Reed-Hodges: 16:23

You could actually say the same message forty three years

Dennis R. Wiles: 16:26

in a row. Exactly right. And he is risen. And so

Katy Reed-Hodges: 16:29

Pretty powerful.

Dennis R. Wiles: 16:30

Yeah. It's always humbling to me. You know, it's funny. The I mean, every Sunday is a privilege. Let's be honest.

Dennis R. Wiles: 16:37

You know, just the

Katy Reed-Hodges: 16:38

fact Sunday in that way is a mini Easter. Yeah. Always celebrating the resurrection.

Dennis R. Wiles: 16:41

We we do, and we believe in it. Right. So Right. So, yeah, to have that to think that I've had the opportunity to, you know, get up on a Sunday morning, Easter Sunday morning. I've done that in Oklahoma.

Dennis R. Wiles: 16:55

Then I've done that in Texas, and I've done that in Alabama, and now I'm back in Texas again. And so the fact that I've had the privilege of

Katy Reed-Hodges: 17:04

Doesn't it feel best to do it here?

Dennis R. Wiles: 17:06

It does. Doesn't it feel like a good golf swing?

Katy Reed-Hodges: 17:08

You know, like, this is right. Yeah. This feels right.

Dennis R. Wiles: 17:11

Yeah. I mean, I've I've lived in Texas more than I have not. I'll have to say that. That's true.

Katy Reed-Hodges: 17:18

Let's mark that.

Dennis R. Wiles: 17:19

And so but yeah. But I'm you know, I I loved it. I love it. And I love all that it brings. You know, you you when I walked in Sunday morning, the choir and orchestra was rehearsing, and I had already been moved by that message that they that they shared as an anthem Sunday on Wednesday prior.

Dennis R. Wiles: 17:41

I just happened Cindy and I went in the sanctuary together while they were rehearsing, and, it was just powerful to hear it just being rehearsed and then to actually experience it together on Sunday. And then the the both both worship services, just the music, the I don't know if pageantry is the right word, but just the movement of the service that just culminates in such a a celebration. Yeah. It's perfectly memorable. You know?

Dennis R. Wiles: 18:07

And, sometimes I'll go home on Easter Sunday night, and, you know, I'll just kinda rewatch some of it just to just to relive it. Sure. You know? I get that. It's so meaningful to me.

Dennis R. Wiles: 18:16

Yeah. And, and to and to look at all the people it involves. I think, you know, today when we had the Easter egg hunt, you know, I took a minute to, as you did, to thank the staff because everybody on this staff made Easter Sunday possible. Yep. Yep.

Dennis R. Wiles: 18:29

Whatever role you played.

Katy Reed-Hodges: 18:31

Mhmm. Yeah. Any anywhere from a a clean sanctuary

Dennis R. Wiles: 18:34

with a

Katy Reed-Hodges: 18:34

cool AC

Dennis R. Wiles: 18:35

You get it.

Katy Reed-Hodges: 18:36

The way to on the stage Exactly. Everything in between. Yep.

Dennis R. Wiles: 18:39

Just it just it just made it happen. And not only that, not just the staff, but all the laypeople that invest so much every week, you know, and certainly on a Sunday like that was just, yeah. You just you just get caught up in it. You can't help yourself.

Katy Reed-Hodges: 18:53

Pretty special.

Dennis R. Wiles: 18:54

And, and then

Katy Reed-Hodges: 18:56

And I

Dennis R. Wiles: 18:56

you know, a lot of folks there, you know, it's Easter Sunday. I get it.

Katy Reed-Hodges: 18:59

I continue to say and believe Aaron Tom's has done I say God through Aaron Tom's. I mean, I wanna get it right. What what I really would have said was impossible before he came.

Dennis R. Wiles: 19:09

Mhmm.

Katy Reed-Hodges: 19:09

Which is convince everyone that classic worship isn't just for quote unquote old people.

Dennis R. Wiles: 19:16

That's

Katy Reed-Hodges: 19:16

right. And to fill it with life and youth and we're running out of chairs in every area.

Dennis R. Wiles: 19:22

Yeah. Creativity.

Katy Reed-Hodges: 19:23

And the talent is, it's not reduced just to talent, but it is. But we do have just such giftedness in our midst. You have a whole congregation just on that side of the platform.

Dennis R. Wiles: 19:35

Mhmm. Yes. Powerful.

Katy Reed-Hodges: 19:36

Just churning it out. It's beautiful. It really is. And and we have, I mean, Aaron took credit for much of that.

Dennis R. Wiles: 19:41

We do.

Katy Reed-Hodges: 19:41

And that's, I mean, that's in the DNA of our church. But Mhmm. When Aaron came, he had a vision, and he's really been able to implement it. And Yes. It's just we're we're lucky, blessed Yes.

Katy Reed-Hodges: 19:50

To have his to have his leadership in that area. And Brock is his right hand person. Yes. Emily, I mean, there's so much depth Yeah.

Dennis R. Wiles: 19:57

Know, and you know, you just listen to them talk about how they do it. We've had to compose this and we've arranged that and we've had to match it to our voices and then match the instrumentality to what we know we can do. And, you know, you just you just it's just a

Katy Reed-Hodges: 20:14

Which I would say, I have no clue.

Dennis R. Wiles: 20:16

Yeah. Absolutely.

Katy Reed-Hodges: 20:16

I have no clue. Right. But thanks for doing it.

Dennis R. Wiles: 20:19

Yeah. And then you have all that and then you walk into the next service and you've got this incredibly talented, gifted Michael Glenn who just godly, thoughtful, a lot of the similar kind of talents in a different vein, so to speak. And Yep. And all of those folks that work so hard to to help us worship. Yeah.

Dennis R. Wiles: 20:39

And the whole media team that work so hard so often behind the scenes. You know?

Katy Reed-Hodges: 20:44

Very behind the scenes. Yeah. It's just doing their job right, don't even notice them. Right?

Dennis R. Wiles: 20:47

Attention to do it right

Katy Reed-Hodges: 20:48

past them. But it but it adds so much to our experience.

Dennis R. Wiles: 20:51

So good.

Katy Reed-Hodges: 20:52

It's no small thing to know what word you're supposed to be singing

Dennis R. Wiles: 20:54

That's right.

Katy Reed-Hodges: 20:55

At what time, you know?

Dennis R. Wiles: 20:56

It's so good.

Katy Reed-Hodges: 20:56

And to do it without distraction. Yeah. We have a great team.

Dennis R. Wiles: 20:59

Mhmm. So, you know,

Katy Reed-Hodges: 21:00

we're we're blessed. Then But

Dennis R. Wiles: 21:02

of course, I mean, the message of Easter, you know, I love every gospel writer, you you've got four different men really writing to four different audiences, sharing their own unique perspective Mhmm. About a common event that is the most monumental event in history. I mean, it is I mean, creation and the resurrection, those those two events, if you think about it, it really just shape everything there is about us.

Katy Reed-Hodges: 21:31

And

Dennis R. Wiles: 21:33

and so and then the ultimate, I guess, expectation of the return of Jesus, I mean, you you put all that together, and that's really our story. And so the message of of, the resurrection of Jesus, you know, John's account, it's interesting. Mean, John's if you put them all together, you get a fuller picture. Each one of them kind of offers a singular perspective. You know, people get a little worried about it and go, wait a minute, thought more than Mary came.

Dennis R. Wiles: 22:01

Well, John doesn't say the other women weren't with Mary. He just tells us about Mary Magdalene. Right?

Katy Reed-Hodges: 22:06

I guess there's no real

Dennis R. Wiles: 22:07

Yeah. It's not his his

Katy Reed-Hodges: 22:09

Maybe maybe omission, but not No. He's just really saying otherwise.

Dennis R. Wiles: 22:12

Perspective, you know, because he's telling that story. Which don't you think And

Katy Reed-Hodges: 22:15

that they don't line up perfectly adds a little bit of legitimacy to it. Right? Wouldn't you think?

Dennis R. Wiles: 22:19

Yeah. Yeah. Just a little different perspective, different view.

Katy Reed-Hodges: 22:21

Mhmm.

Dennis R. Wiles: 22:22

And but they have the basics. All of them have Jesus being resurrected from the dead. And that powerful message is in every one of the gospels. And so that's really the you can quibble over a little bit of that, but if you do, you miss the whole point of what it's about. I mean, it is about Jesus.

Katy Reed-Hodges: 22:40

Oh, yeah. And there's plenty plenty of people have quibbled too. We got that covered. Yeah. It's been quibbled about.

Katy Reed-Hodges: 22:45

Don't you worry.

Dennis R. Wiles: 22:46

Aspen for sure. There's

Katy Reed-Hodges: 22:47

PhDs in the quibbling.

Dennis R. Wiles: 22:48

That's right. But it's so powerful just the, you know, how John tells you know, I love how John, you know, he and Peter run to the grave and or to the tomb where and he outruns Peter.

Katy Reed-Hodges: 23:01

And make sure to write it down.

Dennis R. Wiles: 23:02

Yeah. That's right. And then you get there and it's like John stops. Mhmm. You know?

Dennis R. Wiles: 23:06

Almost like, okay, this is maybe this is too holy or whatever. And then, of course, Simon Peter, typical Simon Peter fashion, just runs in. And then now they're both in there and there's nobody, you know. And just just imagine imagine how disconcerting that would have been because, again, they they knew that the religious leaders were were in control, so to speak Mhmm. And had things covered.

Dennis R. Wiles: 23:33

So just what's happened? Have they come and gotten the body of Jesus? Maybe.

Katy Reed-Hodges: 23:37

Right.

Dennis R. Wiles: 23:38

That is a possibility.

Katy Reed-Hodges: 23:39

We've a mystery in our hands.

Dennis R. Wiles: 23:40

Yeah. What's up with this? And that's Mary Magdalene's perspective, you know, what have you done? Where where is the where is he? Someone has taken the body of our Lord.

Dennis R. Wiles: 23:48

And then her to encounter Jesus. And and putting all that together for me Sunday, you know, we we did the lamb of God on Friday evening, and I wanted to just carry that over on Sunday morning that, okay, this really is the lamb of God reflecting on his crucifixion on Friday, but kind of taking in his glorification on Sunday morning that he's actually enthroned now. And the fact that John has both of those, that John is the one whose gospel tells us he was the lamb of God, and then he gets the book of Revelation and shows us where the lamb of God is now. All that I think is just Powerful. Yeah.

Dennis R. Wiles: 24:25

It's just beautiful.

Katy Reed-Hodges: 24:26

Had one quibble with your message.

Dennis R. Wiles: 24:28

Okay.

Katy Reed-Hodges: 24:28

Non theological, of course. I think some lambs have horns.

Dennis R. Wiles: 24:33

Okay. Well, how do I know? I don't think lambs Do

Katy Reed-Hodges: 24:36

lambs have horns? They have little nubs.

Dennis R. Wiles: 24:38

Okay. I'm sorry.

Katy Reed-Hodges: 24:39

I think some are born with little nubs.

Dennis R. Wiles: 24:40

Okay. Alright.

Katy Reed-Hodges: 24:41

When you said it in the welcome I watched it in the welcome home center in the first

Dennis R. Wiles: 24:44

Wait a minute.

Katy Reed-Hodges: 24:45

And Luke was Maybe next to

Dennis R. Wiles: 24:46

a ram has horns. What about lamb?

Katy Reed-Hodges: 24:48

I googled it. Do lambs have horns? And I was like, some are born with little nubs, and I said, I thought so.

Dennis R. Wiles: 24:52

Tell Go, man. Well, don't correct me on don't don't do it on Sunday morning. Not live.

Katy Reed-Hodges: 24:56

Yeah. You know, I This is a note. When I moved to Franklin from You know, was born in Conroe and lived there till my my parents met and married there, lived there for twenty years. When I was 11, we moved to the country. And I had only really interacted with deer, and all male deer have antlers, and all female deer, the does, they don't.

Katy Reed-Hodges: 25:17

This is all I knew about the animal kingdom. Well, I really stepped in it. Really embarrassed myself because there were some cows that had horns and I thought, well, those must be the male cows.

Dennis R. Wiles: 25:26

The bulls.

Katy Reed-Hodges: 25:27

The bulls. And I got quickly corrected and then chastised by my classmates because they're like, those are girls. And I was like, but they got horns. They're antlers. And at that point, I probably didn't know the difference between a horn and an antler.

Katy Reed-Hodges: 25:39

Now I do. The antlers fall off. Tusks come out of the mouth. Tusks are teeth. Anyway, this is my hole.

Dennis R. Wiles: 25:45

You. Welcome. The horns don't fall off?

Katy Reed-Hodges: 25:47

Horns

Dennis R. Wiles: 25:48

And lambs stay can be born with horns?

Katy Reed-Hodges: 25:50

Nubs, I would say.

Dennis R. Wiles: 25:51

Okay. Well, then let's clarify that. Not real horns, though.

Katy Reed-Hodges: 25:54

No. They gotta grow into horns.

Dennis R. Wiles: 25:55

Okay. Alright.

Katy Reed-Hodges: 25:55

That's That'd be a tough birth

Dennis R. Wiles: 25:57

Yeah.

Katy Reed-Hodges: 25:57

Okay. Not to get too graphic.

Dennis R. Wiles: 25:58

I'm going if they don't have them then. Then I'll stick to my guns.

Katy Reed-Hodges: 26:01

And I'll go ahead and say you're

Dennis R. Wiles: 26:02

They don't have seven. I

Katy Reed-Hodges: 26:04

will say you were right. They definitely don't have seven horns. There is no seven horn baby lamb. Yeah.

Dennis R. Wiles: 26:11

Well, when we when we moved to Murtiens, little country church, great people. Gosh, we love them so much. And I'd I'd been pastoring in, Jimtown, Oklahoma, peanut farmers, and most of them had most of the guys I'm trying to think in Jimtown. Most of them ran a few cattle. Well, almost all had a few head of cattle.

Dennis R. Wiles: 26:32

But we didn't have we didn't we had a few goats there, but, but no sheep. Okay. You know?

Katy Reed-Hodges: 26:40

I mean, from my experience in Central Texas

Dennis R. Wiles: 26:42

Yeah. It's not super common. So that's Oklahoma.

Katy Reed-Hodges: 26:45

Okay.

Dennis R. Wiles: 26:45

Moved So there.

Katy Reed-Hodges: 26:45

Were in Mertens?

Dennis R. Wiles: 26:46

No. When I moved to Mertens, I was my very first Sunday, and, so I really knew nothing. All I knew was they had told me they were cotton farmers. They weren't peanut farmers. The the dirt in Mertens is black and kind of dark and rich.

Dennis R. Wiles: 27:00

Mhmm. The dirt in Jimtown, Oklahoma is sandy loam. It's kind of a red Uh-huh.

Katy Reed-Hodges: 27:06

It makes sense. With, like, Red River, all that.

Dennis R. Wiles: 27:07

Yes. So the peanuts grew very well there. The peanuts didn't grow very well.

Katy Reed-Hodges: 27:11

Cotton was better Yes. Cotton. In Central Texas.

Dennis R. Wiles: 27:13

Got it. And so so I'm brand new. Don't really know anything. I just know that they're cotton farmers. And so we go over to Buddy and Firm Blue's house who we became great friends with.

Dennis R. Wiles: 27:23

They became almost like surrogate parents, grandparents for Hannah when she was born. And their son, Don, great who we became great friends with and we're great friends to this day. We're standing there on Buddy's back porch. I am with him and and Buddy and Don and a couple other men.

Katy Reed-Hodges: 27:39

Mhmm.

Dennis R. Wiles: 27:39

Cindy's inside the house getting ready to have lunch. And in their backyard, it's just all these baby, you know, to me Sheep. Lambs, a sheep. And I'm thinking, first of all, I'm not accustomed to people having and I'm talking about, like, 50 of them, not not three.

Katy Reed-Hodges: 27:57

Know? Just a whole backyard?

Dennis R. Wiles: 27:58

Yes. Of yes. Of babies. You

Katy Reed-Hodges: 28:00

know? Baby sheep.

Dennis R. Wiles: 28:01

Yes. Your mind.

Katy Reed-Hodges: 28:03

In your mind.

Dennis R. Wiles: 28:03

Yes. And I was like, it's interesting. Mhmm. And, and they they said something like, well, you know, we're just getting them used to, you know, being here. We're gonna you know, I I forget what all they did.

Dennis R. Wiles: 28:12

But, anyway, they were telling me and I just said, I guess I'm just not used to, you know, having 50 sheep in your backyard. I I said, well, I guess they're babies. I guess they're lambs. And they kinda both stood there for a second. And finally, Don said, well, actually, preacher, they're goats.

Dennis R. Wiles: 28:26

They're not sheep. And then he said, and if you don't know the difference between goats and sheep, then we don't want you at the last judgment.

Katy Reed-Hodges: 28:33

You know? So You need to learn something, pastor.

Dennis R. Wiles: 28:36

So that was the

Katy Reed-Hodges: 28:38

running joke.

Dennis R. Wiles: 28:38

The whole if I ever mentioned anything about sheep and goats, I had to mention, okay, y'all realize I don't know the difference. I promise you the Lord does.

Katy Reed-Hodges: 28:45

Well, that's about how I felt moving to Franklin. My because I grew up in the city. I mean, let me rephrase this. Franklin has a township and I grew up in town, like walkable to the courthouse, you know, that kind of thing. And most of my friends grew up in the country, and their parents were ranching Mhmm.

Katy Reed-Hodges: 28:59

And farming and working at pretty sophisticated cattle.

Dennis R. Wiles: 29:03

Mhmm. Oh, yeah.

Katy Reed-Hodges: 29:04

Martians, place that cloned the first sheep, Dolly, the first sheep was like in my school district. Anyway, so this is like the caliber. And I didn't know, I still don't know anything, but they would make fun of me. And I had to really, like, steep learning curve about how to hunt and fish and ride horses. And I enjoyed it all, but I was an outsider.

Katy Reed-Hodges: 29:25

Go mudding, things like that. I just

Dennis R. Wiles: 29:28

And that's how we were, you know, living it when you That's

Katy Reed-Hodges: 29:30

not mine.

Dennis R. Wiles: 29:30

You move as adults into that area.

Katy Reed-Hodges: 29:32

Yeah. And you

Dennis R. Wiles: 29:32

can their life.

Katy Reed-Hodges: 29:33

And at least for me, I mean, if I was gonna go pasture a small town, I don't think I don't think that's right on nice trajectory. But one, I like it here. I'm not I'm not thinking about anything as far as trajectory.

Dennis R. Wiles: 29:43

Clear it up. Clear it

Katy Reed-Hodges: 29:44

up. Great. Very content to be the associate pastor of First Baptist Arlington. One of the associate pastors of First Baptist Arlington. But we think about it because we're just not rural in our like, we have a lake house.

Katy Reed-Hodges: 29:52

My parents have one.

Dennis R. Wiles: 29:52

Mhmm.

Katy Reed-Hodges: 29:52

And I know how to, like, tinker with a boat and keep things alive and fish and, like, enough to keep teach the boys, but we would have to really

Dennis R. Wiles: 29:58

Right.

Katy Reed-Hodges: 30:00

Prove ourselves

Dennis R. Wiles: 30:00

We have a new day.

Katy Reed-Hodges: 30:01

Or at least admit that we don't know anything. Yeah. It's just anyway.

Dennis R. Wiles: 30:04

Because you get in those communities, you know, and they know how to do everything. And that was something we learned after we moved into we'd already had some of that in Oklahoma, but when we we moved in we never lived in Oklahoma. We drove back and forth every weekend. We moved to Mertens. Yeah.

Dennis R. Wiles: 30:19

So now you're living with these very resourceful, actually brilliant farmers.

Katy Reed-Hodges: 30:24

Yep. I mean,

Dennis R. Wiles: 30:24

just just so smart. I mean, I had no idea. Mhmm. Because they're managing these huge cotton, ranches or farms, whatever call them, farms.

Katy Reed-Hodges: 30:34

They're sophisticated.

Dennis R. Wiles: 30:35

They have to

Katy Reed-Hodges: 30:35

a cotton farm.

Dennis R. Wiles: 30:36

Farms. And so they've got, you know, folks are coming up from Texas A and M and they've got like, you sell those little flags out all over their fields. This fertilizer's in this section.

Katy Reed-Hodges: 30:46

Studying it all.

Dennis R. Wiles: 30:47

This fertilizer's in this one. And you, you know, you go to their barns Mhmm. And the equipment in their barns, you know, are these are hundreds

Katy Reed-Hodges: 30:54

of thousands Yes. Of Yeah. We had all

Dennis R. Wiles: 30:57

crazy Yeah. Sophisticated equipment with

Katy Reed-Hodges: 31:01

I get it.

Dennis R. Wiles: 31:01

The seeds there. You know, like like they would show me the seeds, you know, and you'd you'd you'd pick up these seeds and they're like, you know, they're they're colored, you know, all these different crazy colors coated with all of these special chemicals and I mean

Katy Reed-Hodges: 31:16

There's a lot of technology. It

Dennis R. Wiles: 31:17

was amazing. It is. I had no idea.

Katy Reed-Hodges: 31:21

And not that you have to earn the street cred but you do need to at least acknowledge their world. Absolutely. You know, we've

Dennis R. Wiles: 31:29

And I learned to do that.

Katy Reed-Hodges: 31:30

Yeah.

Dennis R. Wiles: 31:30

Riding around with them. I'd ride in their combines or on their tractors.

Katy Reed-Hodges: 31:33

Yeah. You have to meet

Dennis R. Wiles: 31:34

them where they are, guess, much as anything. Because I had no clue, you know, what was going on.

Katy Reed-Hodges: 31:38

But they're not just, although at least in Franklin, they are, country bumpkins. I mean, some of them are. My gosh. I can name them. I can name them.

Katy Reed-Hodges: 31:47

And but some are, I mean, PhDs from A and M, and they're it's just interesting.

Dennis R. Wiles: 31:51

We loved it. That that church was such a mature church for us. It became such a home for us.

Katy Reed-Hodges: 31:56

Okay. I think I I got us way adrift. Yeah.

Dennis R. Wiles: 31:58

That's my fault. But but, you know, I think about the the the journey that I had been on to learn so many different things in the church world Mhmm. My goodness. Those are those were rich experiences for us. Yeah.

Dennis R. Wiles: 32:09

And it pays dividends in so many other areas of your life. But, you know, I preached Easter Sunday sermons in those country churches.

Katy Reed-Hodges: 32:16

But you gotta know your audience.

Dennis R. Wiles: 32:17

The message is powerful.

Katy Reed-Hodges: 32:18

And you don't think in those smaller churches, this is my experience, the the relationships are key.

Dennis R. Wiles: 32:22

Oh, yeah.

Katy Reed-Hodges: 32:22

They're huge. You've got to show up.

Dennis R. Wiles: 32:23

You do.

Katy Reed-Hodges: 32:24

I mean, you can really

Dennis R. Wiles: 32:25

Yes.

Katy Reed-Hodges: 32:27

I hope we do this here. You know that's my heartbeat is secure well here. But gotta show up. You gotta be there when someone has a hardship, a surgery, a loss. I mean, that's kind of the bread and butter.

Dennis R. Wiles: 32:37

That's the currency.

Katy Reed-Hodges: 32:39

They care for each other, and so if you're not gonna come and care for them, then you can't earn the right to preach to them or be with them. I mean, that's Franklin at least. And it's good. Take care of each other.

Dennis R. Wiles: 32:47

It is. We learned some great lessons. But, but, yeah, and you think about the message of Easter transcends all of that, though. I mean, it doesn't matter. Mm-mm.

Katy Reed-Hodges: 32:56

You can pretty much walk in and tell the story of Easter.

Dennis R. Wiles: 32:58

Yeah. Because it's it's life giving and Right.

Katy Reed-Hodges: 33:00

You may wanna contextualize an illustration, but you don't have to. I mean, you could just tell the story and it's got power. You've seen that all over the world.

Dennis R. Wiles: 33:06

I have. Right? In John's version of it, you know, I love how You know, I I intentionally stopped reading in verse 10 because nobody knew what had happened and I wanted to save it for the swamp kinda weak that. See what really happened. So then you get finally get Mary Magdalene just kinda hangs out waiting and then meets the resurrected Lord.

Dennis R. Wiles: 33:27

And then she gets to go and tell the disciples about it. And I mean what I mean, I love that just what that portrays to us, that that gospel to the marginalized.

Katy Reed-Hodges: 33:39

Yeah. Who's the first carrier of this Yeah. Life changing, world changing message?

Dennis R. Wiles: 33:44

Mary Magdalene, of all people.

Katy Reed-Hodges: 33:46

Yeah. Not just a woman. Yeah. I mean, yes, a woman. Yeah.

Katy Reed-Hodges: 33:48

But just, by all measure, just not worthy of carrying something like that in in a kind of

Dennis R. Wiles: 33:53

It's what she would think.

Katy Reed-Hodges: 33:54

Worldly yeah.

Dennis R. Wiles: 33:55

Which to me adds to the credibility of this because that's the last you would have

Katy Reed-Hodges: 33:59

Yeah. You wanted you would have wanted like a Caiaphas or, you know, some Yeah. Nicodemus. Someone with cloud. Think about how powerful Nicodemus would be a good example.

Dennis R. Wiles: 34:07

What if that had happened in this story? Nicodemus, John three, and all of sudden, he's the first one. That would be you'd go, man. Yeah. That's awesome.

Dennis R. Wiles: 34:13

Yep. But instead, it's awesome this way though. You know? Yeah. Because guys like Nicodemus are gonna have to depend on people like Mary Magdalene to get the message.

Dennis R. Wiles: 34:22

God. Which is incredible to me.

Katy Reed-Hodges: 34:24

Yeah. How about we humble ourselves? How about we all humble ourselves on Right.

Dennis R. Wiles: 34:28

It's so powerful. And then, so we come through that season and there's been so much energy given to Lent and Easter and, you know, we we I mean, we're not big Lent focused, I would say. We're not we're not one No.

Katy Reed-Hodges: 34:44

It's not too heavy handed.

Dennis R. Wiles: 34:45

No. We're not. I think we do I think we again, I think we strike a really good chord here.

Katy Reed-Hodges: 34:49

I think, I mean, we definitely do Ash Wednesday. Yeah. We're helping our people mark it.

Dennis R. Wiles: 34:52

That's right.

Katy Reed-Hodges: 34:52

But we're not too heavy with it.

Dennis R. Wiles: 34:54

No. Right. But then you come on the other side of of Easter.

Katy Reed-Hodges: 35:00

Mhmm.

Dennis R. Wiles: 35:01

And now we've got a journey liturgically. And typically here at our church, we we do things seasonally, not necessarily always liturgically. The big the big rocks are in Advent and Easter, obviously. Those are the two stat poles for us. And then for us, missions, that missions focus has always been in November and the fall.

Dennis R. Wiles: 35:25

I inherited that.

Katy Reed-Hodges: 35:26

Yeah, that's a very predictable and steady and meaningful is, part of our

Dennis R. Wiles: 35:30

yes. And then certainly you think about the fall of the year, you know, all the rhythms come back, school starts back, there's just kind of that normal

Katy Reed-Hodges: 35:39

Yeah.

Dennis R. Wiles: 35:39

There's kind of a do wanna call it?

Katy Reed-Hodges: 35:41

A calendar in our own personal lives that dictates a little bit of our church Yes. We're gonna start up our midweek in hand in hand with that, that kind of thing.

Dennis R. Wiles: 35:50

So you just build those rhythms in every year. Mhmm. And typically, what we do after Easter is we just refer to that as spring, you know, and in spring, there are going to be graduations and there's going to be Mother's Day and

Katy Reed-Hodges: 36:03

A lot of celebration. And it gets us to summer. I mean, basically, then it then the next season, quote unquote, for us is summer.

Dennis R. Wiles: 36:09

That's right. Yeah. And, so but

Katy Reed-Hodges: 36:11

but This year.

Dennis R. Wiles: 36:12

Liturgically, this season of the year is called Eastertide. It's the season after For

Katy Reed-Hodges: 36:18

us, has felt a little too formal,

Dennis R. Wiles: 36:19

I'd say. A little too formal.

Katy Reed-Hodges: 36:21

Uh-huh. But it's the time after Jesus resurrected. That's

Dennis R. Wiles: 36:24

right. Until Pentecost.

Katy Reed-Hodges: 36:25

And he's kind of

Dennis R. Wiles: 36:26

So you've got forty days you've got forty days of Jesus, and then you've got the ten more days of Pentecost.

Katy Reed-Hodges: 36:32

Then wait where they wait and then the spirit

Dennis R. Wiles: 36:34

comes. So

Katy Reed-Hodges: 36:35

So we're gonna walk

Dennis R. Wiles: 36:36

through that. Year, we're going to do that and actually call it Easter time. Tell me We wanted to get this.

Katy Reed-Hodges: 36:41

And Why the conviction to do it Well, this

Dennis R. Wiles: 36:44

I'm I'm connecting it to our journey into intentional discipleship that, we have we've agreed now as a as a church family that knowing God, experiencing God, and serving God are that really helps define for us what's supposed to happen in the life of the of a disciple. And to intentionally engage that process, we believe that knowing God to us means you you need to be saved, become a believer. Then experiencing God, we have used the the words being shepherded Mhmm. By the Lord into this journey.

Katy Reed-Hodges: 37:20

Mhmm.

Dennis R. Wiles: 37:20

And then being shaped into being a disciple. And then serving God is being sent into the ministry that he's called each one of us too, which varies depending on who we are and what we're doing.

Katy Reed-Hodges: 37:32

Mhmm.

Dennis R. Wiles: 37:33

And so, well, so I wanna really we've been focusing in the Lenten season on being shepherded by Jesus, which is a part of our discipleship journey and just watching how he does it. And so I wanted to compliment that

Katy Reed-Hodges: 37:47

Jesus the good shepherd.

Dennis R. Wiles: 37:48

For the Eastertide of being shaped. And so, well, this is a time when we celebrate the gift of the spirit.

Katy Reed-Hodges: 37:54

Mhmm. So Which is that which shapes us Correct. He who shapes

Dennis R. Wiles: 37:57

us from the beginning. I wanted to in the the two aspects of experiencing God together. Mhmm. And there's a there's a there's a season of the year where we can do that, and it's where we lean into Pentecost.

Katy Reed-Hodges: 38:10

Yeah.

Dennis R. Wiles: 38:10

And so that's what we're gonna do this year.

Katy Reed-Hodges: 38:13

I think it's great.

Dennis R. Wiles: 38:13

And, I'm pretty excited

Katy Reed-Hodges: 38:14

about think excited for us to I mean, there's a lot of reasons, I'm guessing, particularly with Luke in here next week, we will talk more about just life in the spirit, what we're trying to learn from Pentecost that we may have, as Baptists, neglected about.

Dennis R. Wiles: 38:27

We we We don't have

Katy Reed-Hodges: 38:29

to tease all Well, we can tease it here. Yeah. We don't to get into all of it because I think that's really the theme of the next

Dennis R. Wiles: 38:34

That's what we're heading into.

Katy Reed-Hodges: 38:35

Your sermon plans, then we're gonna try to really help ourselves, our people. Mhmm. Maybe we can confess the ways in which we haven't taken

Dennis R. Wiles: 38:43

That's right.

Katy Reed-Hodges: 38:43

The spirit seriously.

Dennis R. Wiles: 38:44

Little bit more about it all. Yeah. Gonna launch it with the with the true celebration of the gift of God's spirit to the church. Mhmm. And, a lot of times, as I've shared with y'all's staff this morning, you'll wait and save the Acts chapter two for Pentecost Sunday, but I'm actually going to launch a whole series with it to just set the stage with, hey, This this is what this season's about.

Dennis R. Wiles: 39:06

It's about the fact that God has chosen to answer the prophecy of Jesus where Jesus says, I'm gonna leave Mhmm. But it's to your advantage that I leave.

Katy Reed-Hodges: 39:15

Which is a joke.

Dennis R. Wiles: 39:16

Dream to

Katy Reed-Hodges: 39:16

Which feels like a joke. It does. Mean, if you're

Dennis R. Wiles: 39:18

In the moment. Yeah. That's Yeah. Why I was thinking about that when I was watching The Chosen the other night when Jesus said, I'm gonna send you the help. And the guys were like, we don't wanna help her.

Katy Reed-Hodges: 39:25

Yeah. I I We want you. I respectfully decline.

Dennis R. Wiles: 39:28

That's right.

Katy Reed-Hodges: 39:28

I'm content with what I have.

Dennis R. Wiles: 39:30

And, but they had no idea.

Katy Reed-Hodges: 39:32

And if that's the case for us Yeah. Yeah. Then we need to take it more seriously. Absolutely. We just probably do.

Dennis R. Wiles: 39:38

So That's what I'm excited about. I'm looking forward to it. Think it's gonna be a

Katy Reed-Hodges: 39:40

great There's season for a lot there.

Dennis R. Wiles: 39:42

Connects to our discipleship journey. Think it's what it's all about.

Katy Reed-Hodges: 39:45

I hope for our church, I mean, for y'all, We didn't do it like this is sponsored by.

Dennis R. Wiles: 39:48

But Yeah.

Katy Reed-Hodges: 39:49

But it's sponsored by. We're rolling through all of it, but post Easter is not a time to take the foot off the gas.

Dennis R. Wiles: 39:55

That's right.

Katy Reed-Hodges: 39:55

You know, oh, we're just gonna coast into summer. There's a lot here for you to participate in, and obviously, it's a it's a discipline daily to stay engaged with this, but we're giving a lot of tools, resources, sermons. Daily bible readings are great.

Dennis R. Wiles: 40:07

Mhmm.

Katy Reed-Hodges: 40:07

Just keep leaning in to to life and spirit, and and let's do this together. That's right. I'm excited for it.

Dennis R. Wiles: 40:13

Amen. Amen.

Katy Reed-Hodges: 40:14

We'll see you next week. Thank you all. Thanks for listening to the Tell Me More podcast today. You can subscribe to this podcast on your app of choice, or you can visit us at fbca.org to find out more information about the podcast and our church. Thanks for listening.

Katy Reed-Hodges: 40:33

Have a good day.