ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGSMay 13, 2025I have used the line more than once, “Not all those who wander are lost.” Just recently, in an email blast from Sojourner Magazine, I was reminded that it was J.R.R. Tolkien, in the book The Fellowship of the Ring, who first coined the phrase. In Genesis 12, Abram and Sarai (later known as Abraham and Sarah) follow the call of God to leave behind
ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGSMay 12, 2025Prayer for the Week:For the capacity to forgive we seek your Holy Resilience Forgiveness— not to forget not to give the impression that the wrong was right not to do what we were told to do we seek the capacity to forgive to share in the work of healing and redemption,
ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGSMay 11, 2025In John 8:2-5, we read: The scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman who had been caught in adultery; and making her stand before all of them, they said to Jesus, “Teacher, this woman was caught in the very act of committing adultery. Now in the law Moses commanded us to stone such women. Now what do you say?” In spite of what Christians have
ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGSMay 10, 2025Anne Lamott’s book, Small Victories: Spotting Improbable Moments of Grace, is one of those books that can be read quickly and thoroughly enjoyed, or it can be read slowly and deliberately as if one is walking across holy ground. Early in the book, Lamott wrote, “It turns out that welcome is solidarity.” I often brag on Cypress Creek Christian Church’s hospitality and openness to the
ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGSMay 9, 2025In Matthew 5:5, we have one of the Beatitudes that Jesus shared during the Sermon on the Mount: Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth. My friend and colleague, Rev. Bob Hill, reminded me of some words from the great William Sloane Coffin: “…unless we become meek, there will be no one left to inherit the earth…” In Greek, the word for
ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGSMay 8, 2025A visionary corporation typically focuses on the next 8 to 10 years. While they may discuss longer-term goals as far out as 20 or 25 years, they must prioritize meeting the expectations of their investors in the upcoming quarter. Consequently, they often make sacrifices in regard to the long term to achieve immediate gains. In Proverbs 13:22, we read: Good people leave their grandchildren an
ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGSMay 7, 2025Yesterday, I wrote about knowing context. A few months back, I was teaching the Youth Sunday School Class, and I had offered an off-the-cuff illustration, only to realize that none of them had been born even a decade after what I had referenced. In a worship setting with a rather diverse group of folks in regard to age, I shared the first line of a
ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGSMay 6, 2025Two weeks ago, right around Easter, I received an email from someone who had read one of my Etchings. A question was asked: “In twenty-five words or less, tell me why church is important.” I used twenty-three words, but I want you to ponder how you might have responded. I knew only a little bit about the person asking, and more information would have been
ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGSMay 5, 2025As I sit down to write on this Sunday evening, I wish to give thanks for the gift of music. The concert this evening was extraordinary, and for that reason, I offer a prayer of thanksgiving. God, we give you thanks for the human instrument known as the voice. We give you thanks for those who add their voice to the collective, and in doing
ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGSMay 4, 2025I remember one of the youth at a church camp years ago saying, “How long do you think God has been trying to teach us to love one another?” This young man was implying that God had a lot of patience. I thought his comments were quite insightful. The development of faith has been an interesting journey throughout the centuries, but amidst all the rituals