ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGSSeptember 22, 2022Historically, Christianity described the journey of faith as: Beliefs -to- Behavior -to- Belonging. When you first entered the faith community, you were told there were certain things you had to believe. These were usually associated with creeds and doctrinal statements. Once you could recite the proper beliefs, you were taught the proper behaviors – a lot of you must do this and you cannot do
ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGSSeptember 21, 2022A few days ago, I received word that a professor and mentor, who later became a good friend, had died. Dr. Joe Jones was an extraordinary theologian who trained so many ministers with a clear understanding of why a good systematic (another way of saying consistent) theology is important. Though as a student, I did not fully appreciate the implications, it became very evident early
ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGSSeptember 20, 2022Negin Ansari is one of our newer church members. Before moving to the United States, Negin worked for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees in the Tehran Office, specifically working with victims and survivors of sexual and gender-based violence. Yesterday, she reached out to share with me a story that maybe some of you have heard. On September 13, a 22-year-old Iranian woman, Mahsa
ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGSSeptember 19, 2022Prayer for the Week: Speak to me and I will listen; reveal yourself and I will be watching; teach me and I promise to have an open heart. O Author of the Love First Life, I seek to be shaped in the likeness of Jesus and the love he gave witness to with his life and death. It does not come easily, for there are
ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGSSeptember 18, 2022What does it mean to say, “I believe in X” (X represents whatever someone believes)? Someone might say, I believe in Jesus or I believe in the power of love or I believe Christmas decorations should not be in the stores before Halloween. What do you believe? Is belief solely an intellectual exercise, or is there more to it? The Old Testament Prophets were deeply
ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGSSeptember 17, 2022I am preaching from the Book of James this Sunday. It was a book that the 16th Century reformer, Martin Luther, was ready to cut from his Bible. He was fearful it presented what is called a theology of works righteousness. To put it another way, you and I have to earn our way into heaven. I’ve read the Book of James often, and I
ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGSSeptember 16, 2022Rev. Bruce Barkhauer heads up the Center for Faith and Giving for our denomination. He puts together some wonderful material for rethinking what it means to bring all of our gifts to God’s service. Recently, a line in one of his prayers struck me. The line was: Still our squirrelly minds, help us settle into this time, focused and eager. I love the request for
ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGSSeptember 15, 2022Over the last 30 years, in some fashion or another, I have helped lead a Stewardship Campaign for the church I was serving. Some of these campaigns were highly organized with wonderful themes, while others were more low-key. Whenever you have a budget and bills and employees, you’ve got a figure out a way of raising money. Yet one of the cautions when it comes
ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGSSeptember 14, 2022How many times have you said, “I’m going to start that project tomorrow” only to see tomorrow come and go without even a nod of recognition toward the project? Maybe it’s not a project so much as a new habit or change in behavior. When our lives have been structured around a certain routine, and the comfort is there even if it is not the
ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGSSeptember 13, 2022Today (and then again on Thursday), I will begin teaching a class entitled Breath Prayer. It is based on a book (same name) by Christine Valters Paintner. A breath prayer is sort of what it sounds like. I think most of us are familiar with breathing. There is a rhythm or cadence to our breathing, and alongside the rise and fall, the inhale and the