ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGS February 14, 2026 What lenses are you currently wearing? A few years ago, I heard a former fundamentalist Christian speaking about her own transformation. She had grown up being told that women were to be subservient to their husbands, have no place of authority in the church, and should not work outside the home. On a regular basis, the minister would pull a handful of scriptures
ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGS February 13, 2026 Henri Nouwen (1932-1996), the great writer and theologian, wrote the following: “When we refuse to see the image of God in others, we prepare our hearts for violence. Racism and genocide begin not with weapons, but with a failure to love.” Originally, this quote was going to be a part of Sunday’s sermon, but for the sake of length, it needed to be
ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGS February 12, 2026 I heard someone say recently that righteous anger (indignation) burns long and slow, but rage burns fast and often leaves us too exhausted to do anything beyond the initial moment. Scripture is sort of all over the place in regard to anger, at least at first glance. In Matthew 5, early in the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus said, “You have heard that
ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGS February 11, 2026 While at Ministers’ Week at Brite Divinity School, I have been talking to as many people who will listen about our Youth Ministry position. Some of them are not people who would be interested, but I am a firm believer that someone may know someone who knows someone. On two occasions yesterday, as I was giving a quick overview of Cypress Creek Christian
ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGS February 10, 2026 Donna and I are in Fort Worth for Ministers’ Week at Brite Divinity School. We gathered at University Christian Church on the campus of TCU for worship last night, and the Rev. Dr. Donyelle McCray was our preacher. She spoke of Paul’s First Letter to the Church in Corinth, and specifically the Love Passage (1 Corinthians 13). The words we often hear in
ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGS February 9, 2026 Prayer for the Week: Spirit of Life and Love, you know us and you know the change needed within us if we are going to be the instruments of change for which this world is crying out. Where you are seeking to shape us to be a revelation of Jesus, whisper words of encouragement that we might grow in our trust of what
ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGS February 8, 2026 Big day at Cypress Creek Christian Church! There are times when we pack a lot into a Sunday morning. When we were still in the planning stage months earlier, it didn’t appear to be all that significant. And then the day gets closer, and you think to yourself, “I hope we can pull it off.” We have a One Service Sunday in the
ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGS February 7, 2026 One of the most beautiful things in the life of the church, at least for me, is the amazing people I get to know on a level that I would have never experienced had I worked somewhere other than the church. And it’s not just my employment as a pastor. Many of you have commented on how you met someone, and what started
ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGS February 6, 2026 So yesterday, I received an email from a local dermatologist offering Valentine’s Specials. For just $1,900, I can get a skin tightening session. Happy Valentine’s Day, my wrinkly friend… or at least that’s the way I read it. Or how about giving that to someone you love? I don’t see that going over well. I have many favorite church signs, but one of
ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGS February 5, 2026 I have been reflecting on a quote from Nelson Mandela: “May your choices reflect your hopes, not your fears.” How do I approach the day, the decisions that I make for myself, and the priorities for how my time will be spent in my ministry? Digging deeper, are there unspoken fears that are driving my sense of purpose? I would really like to