On June 7th we attended the First United Methodist Church of Bastrop for probably the last time. We're moving next week and have had other commitments on Sundays since then.
We moved to Bastrop on July 1, 2025 and attended FUMC for the first time on July 6. If you've been around this space for a minute, you may recall the communion incident that occurred on our first Sunday there. As it turns out, that was also the first Sunday for their new pastor, Pastor Dave. Also, they let us come back even after "the incident." 😊
This church has been a haven of peace for us over the last year. We kind of slip in at the last moment and slip out when the service is over, but it's been exactly what we needed.
Hymn numbers on the wall each week. Smiles and handshakes from parishioners as we passed the peace. Sort of uncomfortable wooden pews. The Lord's Prayer. Communion open to anyone. Gloria Patri. The Apostles Creed. And sermons that focused on being like Jesus. Reminders from our pastor that there is no such thing as "the least of these" because with God we are all honored children of the Lord.
Over the course of the last year, we moved from our home of decades. We both had major job changes. We lost Trey's precious mom and experienced our first Christmas and Mother's Day without her. We navigated the feeling that somehow everything seemed different, but with each other and this precious church we could remind ourselves that the really important stuff has not and will never change.
On our last Sunday, we sang Spirit of the Living God, fall afresh on me. The incredible Elizabeth, with her amazing voice, sang Chris Rice's "Come to Jesus" as the special music of the day. The song is one of my favorites, and it was divinely fitting for our last week there as the lyrics walk through different parts of life that all point back to Jesus. Many of those parts of life we have experienced over the last year.
(And of course I sobbed through the whole thing, so people probably wonder what on earth is going on with me! Nothing is wrong. I just cry when I'm moved. Anyway...)
We shared communion. This has been a topic of conversation in our marriage because many churches that I knew of growing up did not and do not recognize Trey's and my boys' baptisms and would not welcome them to communion. They certainly have their reasons, but I was always so taken before communion when Pastor Dave reminded us that Jesus doesn't say to get your act cleaned up before he invites you to his table. He only asks that we come.
Our whole lives, we have known that we should be givers of our time and contributors to our church family, but over the last year we were takers. We went to church, were blessed and inspired, and went home. We needed to be filled each week, and the FUMC Bastrop friends gave that to us with no pressure or guilt about not doing more. Just smiles and kindness each week. They shared the peace of Christ, and we needed it.
And so, this is an open letter to them and to Pastor Dave. They likely have no idea the gift they gave the Hickmans over the last year, but it was meaningful and kind, and in some ways helped us get through it all.
May the Lord bless you and keep you. May the Lord make his face shine upon you and be gracious unto you, May the Lord turn his face toward you and give you peace.
You gave that to us. And we thank you.
And now to find a new church near our new home. Be sure that the standard is set very high.
The end.
