ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGS
May 23, 2026
I was able to catch the second half of the Nebraska vs. Oklahoma State softball game yesterday. It was a Super Regional game as my Cornhuskers try to make it to the College World Series. When you enjoy sports, you’re probably going to know both elation and great disappointment. Or as we heard every Saturday with ABC’s Wide World of Sports, “The thrill of victory… and the agony of defeat.” As much as we may not like the defeats, they can often make us appreciate the victories even more intensely. Of course, we don’t wish defeats or agony on anyone, yet like sports, every life is going to know them. No one is immune. But if the lows do not ultimately define us, then they will make us appreciate even the small victories. Ministry has provided me many opportunities to witness people who have been at the lowest point imaginable, yet even a glimmer of hope or beauty is a source of joy. It doesn’t mean the brokenness is mended or everything is hunky-dory, but it often becomes the prompt by which a person is able to say, “This low will not own me.
Give to me, O Gracious God, the capacity to see the goodness and beauty, especially in my more difficult moments. I look for them as I look for hope, and I believe you are the God who is full of hope. Amen.
