ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGS May 26, 2026 Barbara Brown Taylor wrote, “Wisdom is not gained by knowing what is right. Wisdom is gained by practicing what is right, and noticing what happens when that practice succeeds and when it fails.” This makes sense. Recently, I was talking to someone who had done something she believed to be right, and I would even describe it as Christ-like. It sort of came
ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGS May 25, 2026 Holy, Loving Presence—found within, around, above, and beyond—we pause to center our hearts on the beauty of your Kin(g)dom. Awaken us to the places in the Greater Houston area where things are not as they should be. Grant us the courage to stand with the marginalized, and to be your hands, feet, and voice in the dismantling of systems that devalue and cause
ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGS May 24, 2026 Today is Pentecost Sunday, often referred to as the birthday of the church. Jesus, after the resurrection and forty days of teaching and eating, ascended to Heaven. And though the disciples were a little freaked to be on their own, Jesus had already prepared for the moment. Earlier, according to John’s Gospel, Jesus had said to them, “But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit,
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
ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGS May 22, 2026 Today is National Vanilla Pudding Day, and if that isn’t enough to excite you, it is also the day Orville and Wilbur Wright were granted a patent for their new “flying machine.” I wonder if any of the airlines will offer vanilla pudding instead of pretzels? I get a little tickled with all the “special” days or months on the calendar. I occasionally
ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGS May 21, 2026 I had just typed a handful of words, and though my fingers were not on the correct keys and what I typed was nonsense, my computer attempted to show how smart it was and correct my mistake. The only problem is that what it believed to be the correct sentence was not close and sort of inappropriate even for my Etchings. Is anyone
ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGS May 20, 2026 Though we’ll learn more about the shooting at the San Diego mosque in the coming weeks, I’m heartbroken for the faith community and everyone else who genuinely feels threatened. While law enforcement has only given us some basic information, they’ve confirmed that “hate rhetoric was involved.” In the last year, Islamophobia and religious bigotry toward other minority faith communities have been on the
ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGS May 19, 2026 So when I have some free time, I’ve been watching an episode of Monarch: Legacy of Monsters on AppleTV. Trust me, you won’t see it winning any awards, but I have always been a fan of the old giant monster movies, and this show includes Godzilla and King Kong. The writing has been a bit clunky and predictable, but I still enjoy it.
ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGS May 18, 2026 Prayer for the Week: Living and Life-giving Spirit, we seek to center ourselves in your loving presence. As we hear voices seeking to play on our anxiousness, we breathe in your grace and release that part of us that can so easily be drawn into the manipulative games that are played. Grant us wisdom to know when those games are being played and
ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGS May 17, 2026 There was a sticker that one of our youth read out loud, and it included the word ‘stigma.’ She wanted to know what it meant. The sticker was referencing the stigma associated with mental health, and how we approach our conversations on the topic as if it were bad or a taboo. There is no question that our culture has made some improvements