ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGSDecember 14, 2022Imagine someone visiting a church four times, and as this individual is leaving for the fourth and final time, the comment to the pastor is, “You all don’t seem to understand the meaning of joy and kindness, or even how to smile.” This was the experience of a pastor friend of mine who was initially hurt by the visitor’s words, but reflecting on them later
ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGSDecember 13, 2022With last Sunday being Joy Sunday in the Season of Advent, I have been pondering the idea of rejoicing a lot. It is always a bit dangerous to put forth an idea I’ve not yet fully developed, yet I am going to toss this one before you all to engage. I believe there is a connection between one’s capacity to rejoice and the ability to
ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGSDecember 12, 2022Prayer for the Week: Let holy joy pulsate through my veins with rebellious power as I seek to offer an alternative vision of life to a world hell-bent on the devaluing and dehumanizing of others. Great God of All, allow for your love born into the world, and for the sake of the world, to provide me with a glimpse of who I truly am.
ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGSDecember 11, 2022Today is our Annual Congregational Meeting. For some folks, those words are followed by a rolling of the eyes and a deep sigh. It’s not the flashy or exciting stuff of church, but it is sort of necessary. Here is what I want to emphasize. Yes, we are voting on a budget, but it represents the intersection of the congregation’s commitment and God’s vision. We
ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGSDecember 10, 2022Tomorrow is the Third Sunday of Advent, often referred to as “Joy Sunday.” This is the Sunday when we remind ourselves of the difference between joy and happiness. The two might overlap, but joy has this amazing capacity of showing up when happiness is not the mood of most. Rev. Dr. Emilie Townes, Professor at Vanderbilt Divinity School, writes: “Happy helps me see that a
ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGSDecember 9, 2022In yesterday’s Etching, I wrote about Isaiah 9 and a people walking in darkness. One verse later, we read how the divine light shines upon everyone who lives in the land of shadows. It sounds, no matter the translation, as if the light shines on everyone, because no matter who you are, there have been moments lived in the shadow of grief, despair, loneliness, pain,
ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGSDecember 8, 2022In Isaiah 9, we read the rather simple yet profound words: “The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light…” Someone might read those words and say to themselves, “That’s nice,” while others who have walked through some pretty bleak moments of life can find themselves getting a bit emotional as they begin to describe what it means to glimpse even just a
ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGSDecember 7, 2022Have you ever wondered how the story of Christ’s birth, later told alongside St. Nicholas’ stories, evolved into Santa Claus, who lives at the North Pole and appears to be only interested in good boys and girls? I find it fascinating that St. Nicholas, who lived between 270 – 343 AD, is not only the Patron Saint of children (makes perfect sense), but also of
ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGSDecember 6, 2022Today is the birthday of Niccolò Zucchi, born in 1586. He was a Jesuit Priest, and even served a term as Apostolic Preacher which meant he was the private preacher to the Pope (no pressure). He was also an educator with a passion for astronomy. He is considered by many to be the person who first explored the idea of what would become the reflecting
ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGSDecember 5, 2022Prayer for the Week: Yesterday was the Second Sunday of Advent, or what is often called “Peace Sunday.” Throughout this past week, as I was working on my sermon, I found that my mind kept going back to the well-known Peace Prayer of Saint Francis of Assisi. You probably know it well, but it is good to revisit it on a regular basis. Lord, make